Fitcher's Brides (Fairy Tales) (original 2002; edition 2003)

Genuinely creepy take on the tale of Bluebeard. ( )

This is a truly amazing re-telling of "Bluebeard." Even though each one of the three sisters exemplifies a certain 'sin,' they are all well-rounded and interesting characters. Frost's choice of setting and time period added to the book's fascination, because the turn-of-the-century apocalyptic cults were certainly interesting. Frost also does a great job of using current events and literature of the time. Reading Fitcher's Brides made me look up [b:Wieland or, the Transformation, an American Tale|762338|Wieland or, the Transformation, an American Tale|Charles Brockden Brown|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178135099s/762338.jpg|1223465] and decide that I need to read that one too. I'm also now tremendously curious about what Rev. Fitcher's throwaway reference to "what happened in Canandaigua" meant.

The prose was a little purple in spots, but the story of Bluebeard is a horror tale, and such demands slightly more florid writing. I read this in one day, unable to leave it for more than very short periods. It's a compelling and horrific modern retelling of a very creepy story. ( )

The Bluebeard tale reset in a 19th century cult waiting for the end of days in upstate NY. On the plus side, this is good and creepy. The author captures the atmosphere of upstate NY really well. In fact I will admit that may be that he captured it well enough to make me uncomfortable and dislike parts of the book just because I live in NY state and I don't want to be afraid to go into the woods.

The cult is well portrayed too - the evil charismatic preacher in his utter self assurance is one scary guy. His followers may be even scarier, so defeated that they are actually glad to hear that the world is ending and they don't have to keep trying to make sense of it, so eager to turn over their decisionmaking to a charismatic who looks like he might have some answers.


On the minus side, the story is a tale of three sisters - but a lot of time is spent with the first sister, less with the second, and even less with the third. The balance didn't work so well for me. I could have done with a little less time listening to Vern go over the same ground repeatedly, and a little more getting to know Kate.

The major difficulty for me was that somehow the balance between the natural and supernatural elements didn't quite work. Gothic horror is hard to write, it is supposed to be inchoate, you're supposed to spend a lot of the story wondering if the central character is seeing ghosts or just going insane. Its not easy to make that work, and here it doesn't always.

A lot of the book was so extremely realistic in its tone, very specific descriptions of architecture and clothing and place names, and landscape. Because of that level of realism I felt like I wanted the gothic horror elements to be more grounded too. For example, its summertime - I don't understand how the chamber of blood doesn't clot, or smell, or draw flies. I don't understand what the ghosts are doing the third floor or what their role is in the story. I don't know who the Angel of Darkness is, or even if it exists. I'm left with too many questions.

Its still a good, scary, well written story, it just feels like it came really close to being something even more interesting but in the end it didn't quite gell. ( )

I love fairy tale retellings in general, and this one in particular was really good for me. I loved how Gregory Frost interpreted Bluebeard's bloody tale and put it in a historical setting, with characters that are very realistically drawn. A very worthwhile read. ( )

A dark retelling of an already dark tale. Gregory Frost has masterfully imagined this classic fairy tale (a combination of BLUEBEARD and THE FITCHER BIRD) in 1843 in upstate New York, amidst an end-of-the-world "Utopian" community under the leadership of Elias Fitcher. Three girls, Vernelia, Amy and Catherine Charter, are brought to the community when their father and step-mother fall under the preacher's influence. Fitcher is a charismatic, but ominous figure. Ghostly voices whisper through the walls of the girls' old house, seductive and mesmerizing. With the world about to end, Fitcher, determined to spend eternity with a wife, marries Vernelia, the eldest. When she is taken into the heart of the community, away from her family, Fitcher quickly reveals his darker instincts. Women disappear, men commit suicide, mysterious shadows roam the halls... Erotically charged, full of brutality and treachery, this novel goes places the original tales only hinted. It's a rollicking, at times uncomfortable read. An exploration of lust, masochism, messianic psychosis and the nature of evil combined with social commentary. Highly recommended. ( )