#also the fact that my mom's reaction to his name was 'jesus christ 🙄' and my dad won't stop calling him by his shelter name like

[graysongraysoff]

I Just Think It's Funny How the whole idea behind me getting a cat is I wanted to do something big and significant to celebrate the milestone of my 30th birthday and yet all weekend my dad has been treating me like a dumb child who has no idea what she's doing

#also the fact that my mom's reaction to his name was 'jesus christ 🙄' and my dad won't stop calling him by his shelter name like #really hurts my feelings #like i've known them for 30 years so this behavior isn't like unexpected #and on my better days i'm able to shrug it off #but they're my parents and unfortunately I Am Not Immune To The Longing For Parental Validation And Approval #like so cool that i'm turning 30 on wednesday and i got this entire job and apartment all by myself #yet somehow i am still just their ugly duckling #their cringe child who doesn't know how to make adult decisions despite the fact that i've been doing it for 10 years #:) #ANYway

[vacantgodling]

the old english baron — mini review

just for context, i was much much quieter in my live reaction from the other three books i’ve talked about reading on this blog, and that’s kind of because like. this book was very… eh.

the context that it was written “in direct response to the castle of otranto” actually does it more harm than good, because seriously this book hardly feels like a goth lit at all. all of the quintessential things that create a good gothic literature piece are just missing from the narrative, or glossed over. if anything this feels more like a medieval period piece with gothic elements. which, tbh, i don’t mind—i saw reviews with some people getting annoyed by the entire latter half and end of the book being devoted to court proceedings but because i enjoy history i was actually kind of fascinated by it. but the fact that all the “gothic elements” were resolved within the first 100-150-ish pages wasn’t really great bc all the intrigue that could’ve been fell by the wayside.

the main similarity this book shares with the castle of otranto is its lack of focus; but i think it’s done worse lmao. it’s very clear in this book that edmund is the main character but it’s not necessarily built up that way—the first part of the book starts with sir phillip who the reader immediately likes and feels sympathy for and we get a detailed backstory for; however the story then shifts to focusing on edmund who is like. for all intents and purposes jesus fucking christ reborn. i like him much less than theodore from the castle of otranto; theodore is a more complex character who does have some faults despite his (generally speaking) overwhelming good qualities (which is just a thing in gothic lit and old european books in general; the characters are very overwhelmingly Good and Virtuous Christians LMAO). but edmund is a fucking SAINT. i somehow like little billee from trilby SLIGHTLY (oh so very slightly) more than edmund bc edmund Literally Is The Perfect Man and at least billee was interesting by virtue of being ridiculous, having a foot fetish, and getting on my fucking NERVES lmao.

furthermore a lot of this plot hinges on random characters who are “villainous” doing “villainous things” out of just. jealousy???? barely explained jealousy at that. we spend very little time with the murderer of edmund’s parents nor the kinsman of the baron who edmund lives with who hates him for idk breathing air… and like it’s saying a lot that i can’t remember their names because they are THAT inconsequential and make THAT LITTLE of an impression. meanwhile manfred made himself no. 1 enemy of the state by PAGE SIX. i hated him and i wanted to see him get his shit rocked. that makes a good villain!!!

and despite being written by a woman, this book is so uninterested in talking about the few female characters that exist it’s painful. lady emma is introduced as a love interest after never being mentioned out of FUCKING NOWHERE in the middle of the story and just said “btw she’s perfect also and edmund’s been in love with her since he was a boy but dw about it” and i’m just ??? bruh lmao. otranto gave so much more respect and character to its female characters; all of them had distinct personalities and goals and furthermore THERE WAS MORE THAN ONE OF THEM!!! (and i’m not counting edmund’s adoptive mother in this bc sorry she is also like only in one scene and is basically irrelevant. yeah she tells edmund about his mom but we did like Nada to give her anything. she and emma count as one for me).

— going to show that just because a woman has contributed to something does not automatically mean it’s not misogynistic (looking at jkr as well 🙄)

anyway the other main thing that strengthens my stance that this isn’t Really a goth lit book is there is Barely any tragedy or lingering melancholy that haunts the narrative. yes, edmund’s parents died but there’s literally like two scene with the ghosts (or anything spooky) and yeah edmund is sad about it once he learns the truth but it’s just all… never expanded upon. it’s talked about but the emotions aren’t felt. the loss doesn’t take center stage; it’s simply a vehicle to propel the story to edmund triumphing over his circumstances and getting Literally Everything he wants out of life. which; mind you, i’m not against like at all. i don’t dislike the overall story (sans edmund being a mary sue? edmund sue? and it being kind of just. boring lmao) but i dislike the insinuation that it’s gothic lit like at all. it has gothic elements. but it’s just missing everything about the genre that makes it good.

so going back to my original point—the author positioning herself to try and make the castle of otranto “better” or “more realistic” is just. ridiculous lmao. it’s no different than people who make adaptations of media they’ve barely engaged with and that they don’t understand: it will never be as good.

overall 5/10. i wouldn’t read it again but just bc it’s kind of boring lmao. but i don’t hate that i read it lmao

#ren reads #the old english baron