Questions About Mexican Gothic

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (79)

This book is disappointingly too close to the premise of My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier. Wow?

Bananarama

This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)

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Is it more psychological or viscerally gory Gothic?

Lihsa On a sliding scale between psychological as "1" and visceral as "10", I would put this as "7". There is some gore but it is definitely a more cerebral…moreOn a sliding scale between psychological as "1" and visceral as "10", I would put this as "7". There is some gore but it is definitely a more cerebral horror.(less)

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I get the notion, after reading a lot of reviews, that this book tries waaaaaay too hard to shoehorn every single issue-of-the-day into it (feminism, racism, sexism, colonialism...). True or not so much?

Sara Prado Sexism and racism and colialism aren’t “issues of the day.” They’re real serious themes running throughout history. They definitely play a part in the…moreSexism and racism and colialism aren’t “issues of the day.” They’re real serious themes running throughout history. They definitely play a part in the book, but I wouldn’t say they’re “shoehorned” in. It’s the 50’s and lots of problematic stuff is going on... so... the book includes it and the character reacts to it. But I didn’t feel it was forced in. I’d venture to say anyone who felt like those topics were uncomfortably forced upon them probably are privileged enough not to have to think about them in their daily life and doing so makes them uncomfortable. More of a personal aversion to thinking about privilege than a fault in the book. (less)

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I feel like this story is a longer, more back-story take on the famous short story "The Yellow Wallpaper". I've always loved that short story and think Moreno-Garcia did a nice job on it. What do you all think?

Cynthia I definitely got a “The Yellow Wallpaper” vibe from it, although I also saw the influence of some other gothic tales, as well.

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My wife absolutely loved Mexican Gothic. She's really into the eerie, supernatural, female-lead stories (loves the haunting series on Netflix too). Can anyone please recommend a similar read, something in the vein of Mexican Gothic?

Joel Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House probably goes without saying (although it's very different from the Netflix show, it's still the kind of …moreShirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House probably goes without saying (although it's very different from the Netflix show, it's still the kind of thing in question)

Also her We Have Always Lived In The Castle, although <spoiler> nothing supernatural happens in it, but it has the weird, gothic atmosphere in spades.</spoiler>

Henry James' The Turn of the Screw

The Red Tree and The Drowning Girl by Caitlin R. Kiernan.

The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste

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