Book Talk | Mexican Gothic

 I've been wanting to read Mexican Gothic for whwat seems like a couple of years now. This year, I put it on my Christmas list and was pleasantly surprised when my mother-in-laws gift was just what I wanted! I also decided to start it right away because I've been in a more Victorian/older literature mood and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia was able to scratch that itch!

About the Author

Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination. Cachanilla and Canuck, originally from Baja California, she now resides in Vancouver. She has an MA in Science and Technology Studies from the University of British Columbia.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of a number of critically acclaimed novels, including Gods of Jade and Shadow (Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, Ignyte Award), Mexican Gothic (Locus Award, British Fantasy Award, Pacific Northwest Book Award, Aurora Award, Goodreads Award), and Velvet Was the Night (finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Macavity Award). She writes in a variety of genres including fantasy, horror, noir and historical.

She has edited several anthologies, including She Walks in Shadows (World Fantasy Award winner, published in the USA as Cthulhu’s Daughters). Silvia is the publisher of Innsmouth Free Press.

 

About the Story

After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.

Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemí’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

 

 Book Talk 

Mexican Gothic is not exactly what I was expecting at first, but it turned out to be a true gem of a story. I've read some other gothic literature throughout the years and this story felt like a few elements from pieces that I have read, which makes sense since our author states that she was inspired by other great gothic stories, such as Jane Eyre. Knowing this, I could see little pieces of other stories coming together, but instead of being completely a knock-off of all it's predecessors, it stands on it's own two feet just fine.

When reading a Gothic story, it is usually set in Europe during dreadful times. Mexican Gothic, however, is set in Mexico. Sure, the family that our main character, Noemí, has to venture to are all European, it still gives a different twist such as having a Curandera, someone you may not easily find in Europe at the time. We also see Noemi and one of our male leads, Francis, talking in Spanish and being sneaky using different languages for their advantage. I also appreciate the story just being set in the 1950's, something I feel Gothic Literature specifically doesn't touch into very often.

Two big topics that this story covers are colonialism and eugenics, two elements that aren't touched on a lot in everyday Gothic Literature because, again, they're already set in Europe. The backstory on the family that Noemí stays with, the Doyle's, are all about colonization and taking advantage of the people living in this small town. The eugenics part is touched on when we start digging deeper into the traditions of the Doyle's and how they keep up their European blood and appearances. Together, these two elements tack onto the frightening events that happen throughout the book. 

It wouldn't be a Gothic story without a little bit or terror tacked onto the story line. Throughout our time with Noemí in the Doyle house, we find that the house may or may not be haunted, may or may not be alive, and may or may not be making Noemí and everyone living in the house go a little insane. On top of the house situation, we also have Howard Doyle, the top of the food chain when it comes to the Doyle household and he's just a creepy old man in general, but once you learn more about him, he'll make you feel truly icky on the inside.

Overall, this story is a wonderful, updated, piece of Gothic Literature. I recommend giving it a try and putting it on your bookshelf. Until next time, Happy Reading!