Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia audiobook Reviews:
1/This is an engrossing Gothic horror novel with a spirited heroine and captivating atmosphere. It reminds me of another one of my favorites: “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier. But this book has the added touch of grappling with the ghosts of the heartless colonialism which damaged so many lives in the 1800s. I enjoyed the characters, especially the heroine Noemi, the unusual and evocative atmosphere and the way the story was entwined with the abuses of the ruling class. And I haven’t read of such a memorable haunted house since Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher”. Not quite as compelling as a Stephen King novel, who normally gets 5 stars from me, but one of the best new horror books and one I won’t soon forget. Please make this into a movie!
2/It has traditional gothic characteristics and motifs. But, the female protagonist is not the fragile heroine that needs help. She is the savior of this gothic novel.
3/Have to say I don’t get the love for this book. The first 60% is slow, repetitive, tedious and ultimately pointless. Noemi is abrasive, self-centered and bratty. Supposedly at High Place to check her cousin’s mental state, she only rarely visits Catalina or even thinks about her. The gothic tropes are fine and reasonably entertaining once the story finally gets going. But then our supposed heroine is basically useless. Catalina and Francis are the only ones who actually accomplish anything, while Noemi is more concerned with describing decor than in, I don’t know, picking up the gun on the floor or using her lighter to cause a distraction or cutting a rapist’s throat with a straight razor or…. The writing itself is full of moments that begged for an editor, like when Noemi notes the food didn’t quench her hunger. What? How about sate her hunger? If this were 30% tighter, and if Noemi were more than a side character and helpless damsel in her own story, it could have been a good book.
