Mexican Gothic

Last updated

Mexican Gothic
Mexican Gothic cover.png
Author Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Audio read byFrankie Corzo
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreGothic horror
PublishedJune 30, 2020
Publisher Del Rey (US, CAN)
Jo Fletcher (UK)
Media typePrint (hardback), ebook, audiobook
Pages320 pages
ISBN 978-0525620785
First edition hardback
OCLC 1121602979
Preceded byUntamed Shore 

Mexican Gothic is a 2020 gothic horror novel by Mexican Canadian author Silvia Moreno-Garcia. It centers on a young woman investigating her cousin's claims that her husband is trying to murder her.

Contents

The novel landed on multiple bestseller lists and Moreno-Garcia's writing has received comparisons to Daphne du Maurier and Guillermo del Toro.

Synopsis

In 1950s Mexico City, beautiful young socialite Noemí Taboada receives a letter from her cousin Catalina, begging for help. She firmly believes that her English husband, Virgil Doyle, intends to poison her. Suspecting that Virgil may be after Catalina's money, Noemí's father, Leocadio, sends her to the Doyle home, High Place, which is located in the mountains outside of a small town named El Triunfo. Once there, Noemí is struck by the strange and unwelcoming atmosphere of the Doyles' house and the controlling and patronising attitude of its inhabitants. Catalina is proclaimed to be suffering from consumption and Noemí is mostly kept away from her cousin. During an infrequent visit Catalina begs her to seek out a healer living in the small village near the mansion named Marta Duval and pick up medicine that could save her. Noemí does so, but the medicine instead causes a seizure that keeps her from freely visiting Catalina as frequently.

As a result of the drastically decreased visits Noemí spends her time learning about the Doyle family, which also includes Florence Doyle and the frail family patriarch, Howard. The family has a history of incestuous marriages and deep intergenerational traumas, such as one of Howard's daughters, Ruth, killing several family members before shooting herself. Despite being mistreated by Florence and receiving unwanted attention from both Virgil and Howard, Noemí grows closer to one of the Doyles, Francis, who confirms her growing suspicion that the family cannot be trusted.

When she begins to sleepwalk and experience strange dreams and visions, Noemí decides that she must leave the Doyle household, only to be told that she cannot leave. They reveal that Howard discovered a strain of mushroom that has a symbiotic relationship with humans. The Doyles use this fungus and remain at High Place, the house infused with the spores of the mushrooms, which has grown inside its walls and all around it, in order to heal themselves and prolong their lives. Noemí learns that Howard is hundreds of years old, and the history of his immortality is firmly footed in violent histories of colonialism, working class exploitation, and misogynist patriarchy.

As the fungus's potency is lessened depending on the individual's genetics, the Doyles have intermarried in order to ensure that their offspring can also receive these benefits. Because it is interlaced with mycelium and infested with the mushroom's spores, the house can hold memories, which the family refers to as the "gloom". The spores can also help the Doyles control people who have inhaled them, which frightens Noemí. She grows more horrified, however, when she learns that Howard's wife Agnes was used as a sacrifice to grow the spores - and that Howard can use the gloom to take over the bodies of family members, which he's used to further preserve his own life.

The Doyles have found that Noemí's genetics are complementary to theirs and can help perpetuate their bloodline, as the inbreeding has taken its toll on the family, particularly when it comes to producing viable offspring. Howard tells her that she will marry Francis. What he doesn't tell her, however, is that after the wedding he will inhabit Francis's body. They also wish to have access to her money, as the family has become impoverished and no longer runs a successful silver mine as they once did in the town. Refusing to allow his family to carry out their plans, Francis obtains the medicine Catalina sought out earlier in the novel, as it interferes with the mushroom's abilities. Together the three flee the house and manage to set Agnes's body on fire, presumably killing the rest of the Doyles in the process and setting the entire home on fire. Francis, who was bonded to the mycelium through exposure and heredity, is physically affected by the destruction of the fungus. He fully recovers but worries that the fire wasn't enough to eliminate the spores and that he should kill himself to ensure that the family curse is truly ended. Noemí shares his concerns, but assures him that together they can overcome any potential issues.

Release and sales

Mexican Gothic was released in hardback and e-book formats in the United States and Canada through Del Rey Books, as well as in the United Kingdom through Jo Fletcher Books, on June 30, 2020. [1] [2] An audiobook adaptation narrated by Frankie Corzo was released on the same day through Random House Audio. [3] Moreno-Garcia has also released a book club tie-in that includes a paper doll accompanied by four outfits modeled after the novel's protagonist, Noemí Taboada. [4]

Sales for the novel were high enough for Mexican Gothic to place on the hardback bestseller lists for the Washington Post and New York Times . [5] [6] [7]

Adaptation

In August 2020 Milojo Productions and ABC Signature announced that they were producing a limited series adaptation of Mexican Gothic, to be released on the streaming platform Hulu. [8] Moreno-Garcia will serve as executive producer. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly , the author stated that the series is estimated to be "between 8 and 10 episodes max". [9]

Reception

Mexican Gothic has received praise for its atmosphere and gothic concepts, [10] [11] which Slate likened to the styles of Daphne du Maurier and Guillermo del Toro. [12] NPR drew comparisons between the book and " Jane Eyre , Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho , Dracula , Rebecca and that 1958 classic sci-fi movie, The Blob ", also praising its sense of dread. [13] The New York Times drew similar comparisons, citing Mexican Gothic's "spunky female protagonist and an ancient house filled with disturbing secrets". [14] The book won the British Fantasy Society's 2021 August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel. [15]

The book was selected for the 2023 edition of Canada Reads , where it was championed by Tasnim Geedi. [16]

Awards and nominations

Awards are presented the year after the novel was published. The eligibility criteria for the following awards was that the novels nominated must release and publish in 2020.

YearAwardCategoryResultRef
2020 Bram Stoker Awards Novel Shortlisted [17]
Shirley Jackson Awards NovelShortlisted
2021 Aurora Awards Novel Won
British Fantasy Awards Horror Novel
(August Derleth Award)
Won
Locus Awards Horror Novel Won (1st)
Mythopoeic Awards Adult LiteratureShortlisted
Nebula Awards Novel Shortlisted
World Fantasy Awards Novel Shortlisted

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gothic fiction</span> Romance, horror and death literary genre

Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name refers to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of early Gothic novels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daphne du Maurier</span> English novelist (1907–1989)

Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her grandfather was George du Maurier, a writer and cartoonist.

<i>The Mysterious Affair at Styles</i> 1920 Poirot novel by Agatha Christie

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is the first detective novel by British writer Agatha Christie, introducing her fictional detective Hercule Poirot. It was written in the middle of the First World War, in 1916, and first published by John Lane in the United States in October 1920 and in the United Kingdom by The Bodley Head on 21 January 1921.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drizzt Do'Urden</span> Fictional character from Dungeons & Dragons

Drizzt Do'Urden is a fictional character appearing in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Drizzt was created by author R. A. Salvatore as a supporting character in the Icewind Dale Trilogy. Salvatore created him on a whim when his publisher needed him to replace one of the characters in an early version of the first book, The Crystal Shard. Drizzt has since become a popular heroic character of the Forgotten Realms setting, and has been featured as the main character of a long series of books, starting chronologically with The Dark Elf Trilogy. As an atypical drow, Drizzt has forsaken both the evil ways of his people and their home in the Underdark, in the drow city of Menzoberranzan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nora Roberts</span> American romance writer (b. 1950)

Nora Roberts is an American author of over 225 romance novels. She writes as J. D. Robb, Jill March, and Sarah Hardesty.

<i>Rebecca</i> (novel) 1938 novel by Daphne du Maurier

Rebecca is a 1938 Gothic novel written by English author Daphne du Maurier. The novel depicts an unnamed young woman who impetuously marries a wealthy widower, before discovering that both he and his household are haunted by the memory of his late first wife, Rebecca.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silvia Pinal</span> Mexican actress (born 1931)

Silvia Pinal Hidalgo is a Mexican actress. She began her career in the theater, venturing into cinema in 1949. She is one of Mexico's greatest female stars, one of the last surviving major stars from the Golden Age of Mexican cinema and part of the Golden Age of Hollywood for her film Shark! (1969). Her work in film and popularity in her native country led Pinal to work in Europe. Pinal achieved international recognition by starring in a famous film trilogy directed by Luis Buñuel: Viridiana (1961), El ángel exterminador (1962) and Simón del Desierto (1965).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catalina Sandino Moreno</span> Colombian actress (born 1981)

Catalina Sandino Moreno is a Colombian actress. She shared the Silver Bear with Charlize Theron and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her leading role in Maria Full of Grace (2004). Since 2022, she has starred as Tabitha Matthews in the MGM+ television series From.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holly Black</span> American author (born 1971)

Holly Black is an American writer and editor best known for her children's and young adult fiction. Her most recent work is the New York Times bestselling young adult Folk of the Air series. She is also well known for The Spiderwick Chronicles, a series of children's fantasy books she created with writer and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi, and her debut trilogy of young adult novels officially called the Modern Faerie Tales. Black has won an Eisner Award, a Lodestar Award, a Nebula Award, and a Newbery Honor.

<i>The Stormlight Archive</i> Series of epic fantasy novels by Brandon Sanderson

The Stormlight Archive is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American author Brandon Sanderson, planned to consist of ten novels. As of 2023, the series comprises four published novels and two novellas, set within his broader Cosmere universe. The first novel, The Way of Kings, was published on August 31, 2010. The second novel, Words of Radiance, was published in 2014 and debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller List, followed by Oathbringer in 2017 and Rhythm of War in 2020. A fifth novel, tentatively named Wind and Truth, is expected to be released December 7th 2024, while writing for the latter half of the series will begin after Sanderson finishes writing the upcoming Era Three Mistborn trilogy and the two Elantris sequels.

<i>Cuando me enamoro</i> (TV series) Mexican telenovela

Cuando me enamoro is a Mexican telenovela produced by Carlos Moreno Laguillo for Televisa. It is based on the 1998 telenovela La Mentira.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tosca Lee</span> American author of Christian fiction

Tosca Lee is a bestselling American author known for her historical novels and thrillers.

<i>Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage</i> 2013 novel by Haruki Murakami

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is the thirteenth novel by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. Published on 12 April 2013 in Japan, it sold one million copies in one month.

Yoon Ha Lee is an American science fiction and fantasy writer, known for his Machineries of Empire space opera novels and his short fiction. His first novel, Ninefox Gambit, received the 2017 Locus Award for Best First Novel.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a Mexican and Canadian novelist, short story writer, editor, and publisher.

<i>Forerunner Saga</i> Trilogy of science fiction books

The Forerunner Saga is a trilogy of science fiction novels by Greg Bear, based on the Halo series of video games. The books in the series are Halo: Cryptum (2011), Primordium (2012), and Silentium (2013). The books were released in hardcover, e-book, paperback, and audiobook. Bear was given little restriction on the story of the novel; the Halo universe had not yet been explored in that time period.

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 2020.

<i>Gods of Jade and Shadow</i> Novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Gods of Jade and Shadow is a historical fantasy novel by Canadian-Mexican novelist Silvia Moreno-Garcia. It was first published in hardcover and ebook by Del Rey Books in July 2019, followed by a trade paperback edition from the same publisher in February 2020. The first British edition was issued in trade paperback by Jo Fletcher Books in February 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Ifueko</span> Nigerian American writer

Jordan Ifueko is a Nigerian American writer of fantasy and young adult fiction. She is best known for her novel Raybearer, which became a New York Times bestseller, and its sequel, Redemptor. She also writes short stories, which have been published in Strange Horizons.

Caroline Hardaker (1986) is an English poet and novelist. She was born in North East England, and currently lives in Newcastle upon Tyne. Hardaker has published two collections of her poems, Bone Ovation (2017) and Little Quakes Every Day (2017), described by John Clute as exploring "the permanence of Time, of bones, of the past within a fleece of transmutations". She has also published two science fiction/horror novels, Composite Creatures (2021), set in a near future damaged by climate change, and Mothtown (2023), about loneliness, grief and escape to the multiverse.

References

  1. Moreno-Garcia, Silvia (2020). Mexican Gothic (1st US Hardcover ed.). New York: Del Rey Books. ISBN   9780525620785. OCLC   1121602979.
  2. Moreno-Garcia, Silvia (2020). Mexican Gothic (1st UK Hardcover ed.). London: Jo Fletcher Books. ISBN   9781529402650. OCLC   1122873663.
  3. Moreno-Garcia, Silvia; Corzo, Frankie (2020). Mexican Gothic (audiobook ed.). S.I.: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group. OCLC   1155191372.
  4. Egan, Elisabeth (July 16, 2020). "Silvia Moreno-Garcia Has Crafts Covered. Bring Your Own Scissors". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  5. "Hardcover Fiction Books - Best Sellers - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  6. "Washington Post hardcover bestsellers". Washington Post. September 1, 2020.
  7. "Silvia Moreno-Garcia's book Mexican Gothic riding high on New York Times best-sellers list". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  8. Liptak, Andrew (August 11, 2020). "Hulu is Turning Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic Into a Series". Tor.com. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  9. "'Mexican Gothic' author Silvia Moreno-Garcia shares what fans can expect from Hulu limited series". EW.com. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  10. Memmott, Carol (June 30, 2020). "'Mexican Gothic,' by Silvia Moreno-Garcia book review". Washington Post.
  11. Grady, Constance (July 16, 2020). "In the deliciously creepy new novel Mexican Gothic, the true evil is colonialism". Vox. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  12. Miller, Laura (July 27, 2020). "This Haunting New Bestseller Is Part du Maurier, Part del Toro". Slate Magazine. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  13. "'Jane Eyre' Meets 'Dracula' In This Sharp, Inventive 'Mexican Gothic' Tale". NPR.org. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  14. Trussoni, Danielle (July 22, 2020). "Where Evil Lurks". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  15. "British Fantasy Awards 2021: winners announced | The British Fantasy Society". www.britishfantasysociety.org. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  16. "Meet the Canada Reads 2023 contenders". CBC Books , January 25, 2023.
  17. "sfadb : Silvia Moreno-Garcia Awards". www.sfadb.com. Retrieved July 6, 2022.