By Matthew J. Barbour
Ghosts are to horror what knights are to fantasy. They are not a requirement for horror fiction, but they are essential. When we think of horror, the first thing that comes to mind is ghost stories. These stories have roots as old as folklore and the earth. However, their popularity seems to have been due to the Gothic literary movement in the 18th century.day and 19day century.
The Abbot’s Castlewritten by Benedict Ashforth, is a 21English Stone A 19th century ghost story written in the Gothic style. It is an ode to ghost stories of the past while maintaining a narrative that is understandable to modern audiences. Many aspects of Gothic literature are present. These include evil clergy, the slow but inevitable decline of fortune, and elements of the grotesque.
At the heart of any story in motion is the setting. It is often a character in itself. Here, The Abbot’s Castle Serves 16day This century-old house was built next to an abandoned monastery. It was destroyed by fire in the early 20th century.day century, it was all but forgotten, and the wilds of England are beginning to reclaim it.
Simon Fox is invited to this place by an old acquaintance, Alexander Everett Heath. Fox is a failed architect, a recent, recovering alcoholic, who really has nowhere else to go. His wife has left him, and his brother has disowned him. Heath is everything to him.
So Simon Fox went to The Abbot’s CastleIt is there that his old friend asks him for help. Rumors abound about the long-dead monk’s hoard of gold. Heath implores Fox to search for the gold and watch over his house while he is on vacation. Fox agrees but finds the task daunting. He struggles to come to terms with his own failures and the ghosts of the past that surround him. The Abbot’s Castle.
The story is told through a series of letters written by different characters in the story. Each character is fully developed and speaks in his or her own voice. The dates on the letters indicate that this series of events took place in the early 1980s. This was before the advent of mobile phones and email. This provides a familiar setting for today’s readers while allowing Ashforth to maintain the spirit of Bram Stoker’s novel The Last Airbender. DraculaHe doesn’t need to explain why certain technologies aren’t used, because they don’t exist.
This book is only 125 pages long. The Abbot’s Castle It is more of a novella than a novel. As with traditional Gothic literature, the horror elements in the novella are subtle. There are no shocks or gore, but rather a slowly building dread. However, the pacing is perfect. It allows for a quick read and always keeps the reader’s attention.
The Abbot’s Castle Highly recommended for fans of gothic horror fiction. Ashforth makes Edgar Allan Poe and Bram Stoker proud and has made a solid contribution to the literary movement. It’s time for ghost stories to make a comeback. With authors like Benedict Ashforth writing The abbot’s castle, A revival may be around the corner.
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score: 4/5
