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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A dark, ironic parody of the Gothic genre....,
By Loxy (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Merciful Women (Paperback)
On a dark stormy night, a group of people holidaying by Lake Geneva gather to read out their stories. It is a competition devised by the dashing Lord Byron, to see who can write the most horrific and terrifying story... one of these people is Mary Shelley....This book is a fantastic parody of the Gothic genre; the dark stormy nights, the mysterious castle and the heaving,storm-tossed lake... all in all, a tremendous read for anyone who enjoys Gothic tales or their parodies. Although sometimes graphic, the story is gripping and the elements of historical truth are enough to keep you interested right up to the thrilling and unexpected end. The book is filled with dark irony, and the intertextual references to the Gothic genre and the creation of that monstrous, classic tale Frankenstien, are witty and clever, but the book can be enjoyed on many levels. I would highly recommend this book, and have bought multiple copies for all of my friends.
1.0 out of 5 stars
I found out why this book was on sale,
By
This review is from: The Merciful Women (Paperback)
I picked this book up, as it was on sale, and the synopsis sounded interesting. Some of my favorite writers, stormy nights in Geneva, it sounded right up my alley.Very quickly, I found it wasn't. Byron, the Shelleys, and Claire were only barely relevant to the plot. They were simply a ploy to beef up a lackluster story. The tale centered around awkwardly written sex scenes, and not much else. They don't do much to further the story, and the overall plot is weak at best. It may have fared better as a short story rather than a novella, giving it a chance to be entertaining rather than tedious.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun book for those who enjoy mock-Gothic writing and literary mysteries,
By Handee Books, LLC (Santa Clara, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Merciful Women (Hardcover)
Set during the legendary period that inspired Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley to write "Frankenstein", Federico Andahazi's "The Merciful Women" uses as its central character John Polidori, the neurotic, despised secretary and personal physician to Lord Byron. One dark and stormy night a challenge is issued by Byron to his three guests, Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Claire Clairmont: write an effective supernatural tale. Though he is not invited to participate, the despised Polidori, longing to belong to the group, takes up the challenge. This challenge is made easier when Annette Legrand, the hideous and secret third member of the theatrical Legrand Sisters, offers to provide Polidori with an original manuscript she guarantees will ensure his literary immortality. But, of course, Polidori must provide something in return."The Merciful Women" is a fun book for those who enjoy mock-Gothic writing and literary mysteries. It has moments of true horror (some not for the squeamish), but it all leads up to an ironic ending.
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