Review: Gothic Revival

Lily

3 years ago

Gothic Revival
by Michael Mullin

The Psychological Thriller Inspired by the Creation of Frankenstein

Chris, Anne, Fiona, and Lauren were inseparable friends while earning MFAs in Creative Writing. Years later they’ve grown apart and are surprised to receive an invitation to a reunion from the fifth member of their group, Eric, a successful screenwriter. Eric flies them to a remote lake villa where he reveals his new obsession: their group is a modern version of the famous one from Villa Diodati in 1816, the iconic literary event during which Frankenstein was created. Chris and Anne are their Percy and Mary Shelley. The free-spirited artist Fiona is like Claire Clairmont. Instead of Dr. Polidori, they have Lauren, PhD in Victorian History. That leaves Eric, the Hollywood player, as Lord Byron. Like Byron, Eric proposes they write ghost stories, an homage to their famous predecessors. Laughter, creativity, and reminiscence are soon replaced with deceit, suspicion, and fear. What is the self-proclaimed clairvoyant Fiona seeing and hearing? Why does Eric lie? What does the creepy old housekeeper know about their host? Tensions grow as relationships are tested until a shocking discovery reveals the true intention for the reunion.

Fans of Gillian Flynn, Alex Michaelides, Lisa Jewel, and Alice Feeney will love the suspense and intrigue of Gothic Revival.

5 out of 5 fairies

The blurb intrigued me, the opening grabbed me, and the story kept me turning pages long after I should’ve put my kindle down and gone to sleep. I loved being able to read the different POVs – having that many can get overwhelming sometimes, but Mullin handled it well, and it was easy to keep track of the plot and who we were following. The story moves along smoothly, and there are nice little side plots that move alongside the main one, and keep you invested in each character. I don’t want to give too much away, but I promise this is one thriller you do not want to miss out on.

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Lily: Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview Michael I enjoyed reading Gothic Revival. I know your blurb says this book was “Inspired by the Creation of Frankenstein”, what made you decide to write a story inspired by that?

Michael: Thanks for the opportunity to chat and congrats on your great site!

I’ve always been a fan of the classic, gothic stories like Frankenstein, Dracula, Jekyll & Hyde, House of Usher and such. Sometime last year I came across a reference to Mary Shelley and the Villa Diodati and started poking around, refreshing my memory of that fascinating story.

I dove into more of the genre and time period, including the collection of German stories translated to French then English, titled Fantasmagoria. This was the book Byron read to his guests that summer, inspiring them to create their own ghost stories.

My last novel, Simon, is a modern-day retelling of Hamlet, so I found myself starting there. What would a retelling of the Diodati event be like? Of course, Gothic Revival is not a retelling. The host character, Eric, realizes their group is just like the famous one, and he inspires his old friends to write ghost stories. This proved to be a good set-up for my readers. I knew I could write about adults who got MFAs in Creative Writing long ago, because I’m one of them.

Lily: Sounds like that spark of inspiration really bloomed. Do you have a favorite character out of Eric, Chris, Anne, Fiona, and Lauren?

Michael: They each have aspects/personality traits that I like and that were interesting to explore. I made a point not to have a favorite because the perspective shifts between the chapters, and I didn’t want anyone getting preferential treatment. No doubt readers would pick up on that and be less interested in hearing from the characters I liked less.

Lily: I enjoyed getting the story from so many unique perspectives – sometimes that can get overwhelming, but you handled it really well. Out of the authors that were at the gathering where Frankenstein was created, which one do you identify with most?

Michael: That’s a tough one! I’d like to think my imagination is Mary Shelley-esque. When I was younger, I had an ego that might have rivaled Byron’s.

Lily: I think you did a great job paying homage to that original group with this book, either way. What was the hardest part of writing this?

Michael: Early drafts had characters and entire plot lines that were cut, so I think the hardest part was deciding what stayed, where to go, how to get there, and how it all worked best.

Lily: Editing can definitely be difficult. Now we’d like to talk about you as a writer. What’s your ideal writing space like?

Michael: I do most of my typing-writing in my big leather chair, pillow and laptop on my lap. I write drafts longhand, but instead of pen and paper, I upgraded to this high-end digital writing pad. With that in hand, I (no lie) have written countless pages sitting at random bars. Sounds almost cliché, but that setting has always worked for me.

Lily: That’s actually pretty awesome! Is it harder to write or edit your first draft?

Michael: I think both have their welcomed challenges, so neither is altogether more difficult. It depends on the moment in the narrative with which I happen to be dealing.

Lily: That’s a pretty balanced view, and not one I hear often. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Michael: Full disclosure: I had to google this comparison to remind myself of its meaning. I know the major plot points as I write, but even those can change. I guess that makes me more pantser?

Lily: I’d definitely put you in the pantser category, then. Let’s finish up with some fun questions and get inside your mind. Do you enjoy watching movies/tv shows based on books you’ve read? Do you get mad when they deviate too much from the book plot?

Michael: I do like it when the movie version of a book I liked comes out. I’ve done some screenwriting and understand the unique challenges there. As a result, I’m never mad about choices made. For the most part I find it interesting how the narrative is made to fit the new medium. Of course, as a writer, I often think about what I would have done differently.

Lily: I can’t blame you for thinking about what you’d have done differently. I definitely fall on the fence when it comes to movie/tv adaptations. What’s one food you haven’t tried that you’d like to?

Michael: Probably some various seafoods. I just spent two weeks in the Caribbean. There’s Mahi Mahi on every menu, but I never order it!

Lily: I love good seafood, and Mahi Mahi sounds delicious especially if you can get it fresh. If you could travel into a book, which book would you choose, and which character(s) would you hang out with? What would you do?

Michael: As long as my safety was guaranteed, I’d like to spend time with Louis de Pointe du Lac from Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire. I think he and I would get along, and that’s the novel I was reading when I decided I wanted to be a writer. We would probably people watch and talk about the human condition. Not very exciting, I know.

Lily: Oh I think even with your safety guaranteed, just talking with him would be quite interesting. What do you do to unwind/relax?

Michael: My natural state is quite low key. I once had to get heart imaging and was told to show up 90 minutes early. When I got there I asked why, and they said I had to take medicine that took that long to slow my heart rate to improve the image quality. I held out my arm, and they measured my rate at 56BPM. Astounded, they said that worked, took the pics, and let me go home.

Lily: That’s pretty awesome! What’s the best dad joke you’ve heard?

Michael: Two conspiracy theorists walk into a bar . . . and you’re going to tell me that’s a coincidence?

Lily: That’s a new one to me, I love it. Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?

Michael: I recently started a vintage collectibles business with my 22-year-old son. Quite the fun venture! And years ago I wrote a trilogy of twisted, fairytale retellings titled TaleSpins that became kind of a “cult hit” (whatever that means). The audiobook is narrated by Paul Giamatti. (Yes, the movie star guy.)

Lily: I love fairytale retellings especially the twisted ones, I’ll have to check it out. How can readers discover more about you and your work?

Michael: The best place is my site michaemullinauthor.com

From Chapter 9. Chris is the POV character. It’s the first evening at the villa.
They all had nicknames in grad school. “Brontë” was Lauren’s and Eric’s was “Gregor.”

==================

The conversation lagged into silence, then Lauren said to Eric: “So, are you going to tell us why we’re really here? … Or should I?” She dipped her chin at him and raised one eyebrow, a skill they’d all always admired.

Eric’s mouth opened slowly in surprise then stretched into a smile. “You got my clue,” he said to her.

“I did,” said Lauren.

“Of course you did,” said Eric letting the smile linger.

Chris, Anne, and Fiona looked at each other. What was going on? What clue?

“The floor is yours,” Eric told Lauren with as much of a theatrical bow as he could manage while sitting down.

Lauren turned to the others. “Our dear old friend has brought us here so that we may each write an original ghost story.”

“Cool,” said Chris, who immediately felt embarrassed that he was the only one with a reaction, let alone a vocal one. But was this true? This weekend was going to be about writing?

Lauren continued: “It seems Gregor recognizes some parallels between our little group and the famous literary one from 1816 that included Mary Shelley in a different villa.” Then she teased Eric: “You didn’t want to fly us to Switzerland?”

“I considered it,” Eric said as if in his own defense. “But too difficult, logistically.”

“You mean the story where she came up with Frankenstein?” asked Anne.

As Lauren nodded, Eric stood up and took over. “Exactly,” he said.

He moved like a stage magician, although Chris feared Anne might be thinking carnival barker. “It’s an iconic tale in the literature world,” Eric declared, “and now it’s our turn. As Brontë pointed out, our group is just like theirs. It’s uncanny!” He motioned to Chris and Anne. “The couple. Percy and Mary Shelley.” He moved to the couch and sat between Fiona and Lauren, taking a hand from each of them. He raised Fiona’s and kissed it. “Our free-spirited Claire Clairmont.” When he raised Lauren’s hand, he encountered what looked like resistance, so he only pretended to kiss it, his lips inches away from her skin. “And our doctor. Not of medicine – what use would we have for that? No, we have in our midst, in our inseparable family, a PhD in … wait for it … Victorian History! What could be more perfect?”

“So that makes you Lord Byron?” Lauren asked as he released her hand.

“By default, yes,” Eric said with a shrug. “Although similarities could be argued there, too. I have – how shall we say? – entangled myself in a number of relationships, some more lengthy and serious than others. I have what some would call fame while others might see it as notoriety.”

“Exiled?” asked Lauren.

“Not yet,” Eric replied with a wink.

Expect the Unexpected by Michael Mullin

Many years ago at my sister’s wedding, an adorable old woman asked me a simple, harmless question that I’ll never forget.

“Who are you again?” she asked, her eyes squinting just a bit as she tried to remember.

“I’m Michael,” I replied then swallowed the lump in my throat before adding: “Your son.”

My mom’s battle with Alzheimer’s was heart-wrenchingly sad. In that moment at the wedding, the first time she didn’t recognize me, her diagnosis became real in a way that’s hard to fathom, let alone describe. Hearing and answering that question was perhaps the most significant plot twist of my life.

A plot twist is, of course, an unexpected occurrence. I knew my mom would eventually, someday, not know who I was. But eventually. Someday. Not that day. Preparing for that moment was impossible.

As an author in the thriller genre, I know the plot twist plays the role of both partner and adversary in fiction. Twisting the plot is a necessity, and if done well, the surprise can define – make or break – your book. (Think Gone Girl or The Sixth Sense in movies.) However, if you give into the temptation without doing the accompanying, meticulous work, you risk creating a story let-down that readers will reject. We’ve all been there.

She stood frozen in disbelief. Could it really have all been a dream?

The End

I’m kidding with that example, but here’s a real one from a very popular novel and author (neither of which I’ll name out of respect). The chapters alternate perspective between two women. People in their group are being murdered one by one. The big plot twist at the end is that the killer is . . . one of the two women!

Um . . . no.

I’ve been in this character’s head for half the book, and she never once thought about the murders she’s been committing or about her plan for the next one? That’s nonsense. That’s the author withholding (i.e. manipulating) the narrative. Back in the day, that was an absolute no-no, breaking one of the fundamental rules of storytelling. Today? It’s just an easy (i.e. lazy) way to do plot twists that countless readers don’t seem to care about. These books get gushing, five-star reviews that they don’t deserve. It’s astounding to me. There, I said it.

And if you’re thinking it’s just an “unreliable narrator” issue, I’m sorry, but you’re confusing your terms. Narrator and point-of-view character are two distinctly different things. I swear. My recent novel has five point-of-view characters but only one narrator. They are not the same.

There’s a craft to setting up clues for a reader, especially false ones known in writing as red herrings. Although there is some debate, that term was allegedly coined in 1686 when a British gentlemen’s magazine suggested prolonging a fox hunt by using the strong-smelling fish on the trail to confuse the dogs.

In 1807, a British journalist criticized an erroneous report that Napoleon had been defeated. The article called the false news a political distraction and likened the report to the red herring tactic of the fox hunt. This piece of journalism is widely considered to be the start of the figurative life of the term “red herring.”

Sidenote: Red Herring is not an actual fish species. A once popular curing process intensifies a herring’s pungent smell and turns its skin red. Voila!

The purpose of the red herring in literature is to lure readers toward incorrect assumptions about a number things, from a character’s motivation to the truthfulness or relevance of some point in the plot. If you’re a fan of this kind of book, being shocked at the reveal is a big part of the enjoyment. And so is guessing correctly, figuring out the truth despite all the attempts to mislead you.

Famous literary examples of red herrings can be found in Agatha Christie’s works, particularly And Then There Were None, in which a character’s disappearance falsely tags him as the latest murder victim. The Prisoner of Azkaban introduces Harry Potter fans to Sirius Black, a terrible villain seeking to kill the famous boy wizard. Or is he?

In Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code (Quit lying. You did too read it.) the character you are led to think is the evil mastermind turns out to be no such thing. Fun fact: that character’s name is Manuel Aringarosa, which is Italian for “red herring.” (Literally “pink herring,” but close enough.)

Are there red herrings in real life? Sure! If you’ve ever been betrayed by someone you thought was a friend, the friendship was a red herring. Did you ever do something then discover the task’s incentive reward was disappointingly lame? However that incentive was pitched to you probably had some red herring qualities. When a politician replies to a question by expounding on an unrelated topic, that’s the red herring fallacy at work.

Plot twists, especially those in real life, don’t always involve red herrings, and they don’t have to be sad or tragic. Early in my wife’s pregnancy we were on an ultrasound visit. The nurse said everything looked great the casually commented: “And you know you’re having twins, right?” We, in fact, didn’t know until that moment, an amazing plot twist that started the most amazing journey of my life: fatherhood.

How we deal with life’s many plot twists depends a lot on our personalities and our outlook on life. The assumption might be that a more reserved person would experience fewer twists, but most of life happens to us, regardless of the whether the bull’s horns are in our grasp or not so much. Is the introvert more surprised or less prepared for a plot twist that the thrill-seeking adventurer? Who’s to say? I can’t imagine the data would lump personality types together like that. Identifying the twists in your own life and how you dealt with them can teach you a lot about yourself.

So let’s have it. What was the biggest plot twist in your life? How did you deal with it?

This post first appeared in December 2022 on michaelmullinauthor.com

Michael’s author career began with a twisted fairytale retelling about the unknown 8th dwarf which turned into a trilogy of such tales. Over the years he has received book awards and industry recognition for which he’s very grateful.

He used to write marketing materials for the merch divisions of Disney and other major studios but gave all that up because he was tired of selling people junk that was destined for a landfill. Before he was a writer, he was a preschool teacher and college professor, two positions he found disconcertingly similar.

Michael lives in Pasadena, CA with his wonderful wife Dani and their ridiculously cool dog Finn. Their twins, Sophie and Max, are finishing up their college careers. He couldn’t be more proud and amazed. Even though he’s been in California since 1996, all of Michael’s pro sports allegiances remain in his native New England.