Maplecroft

A very fun modern and creepy take on Lizzie Borden.

Ever since I watched the movie and the netflix series I have a sort of fascination with the character and was really glad to find a book by my beloved Cherie Priest, featuring her.

Loved the splatter, the demons, the anguish, the queerness, the lovecraftian vibes. I don't think a book could ever be more tailored to my likes -women writen with a feminist pen, splatter, creepy old houses, eldrich abominations, queer love, a plot. It has everything, while managing to stay true to some of the historical facts about the Borden sisters.

It is better than its sequel and really worth reading for any fans of the genre.

Maplecroft is a spooky reimagining of Lizzy Borden’s history. This book picks up after the infamous murders, with Lizzy and Emma living in their new home, Maplecroft, and trying to get on with their lives. Through the events in the book, you come to understand the reason Lizzy murdered her parents in the first place.

I liked the historical context conveyed in this book, particularly Emma’s brilliance having to be hidden behind a man’s name and the way the town ostracizes Lizzy and Emma after the murders. The touches of Lovecraftian horror are fabulously done, conveying that wet, slimy, murky, invasive horror that I feel when reading Lovecraft.

Telling the story through letters and journals lends a very intimate feel to the book as show more well; the reader gets a good feel for everyone’s perspective, hearing it in their own words, and can see where those perspectives clash, especially between Lizzy and her sister, Emma. It also conveys the quiet desperation and oppression of self that I often associate with the Victorian era (late 1800s).

There are only two books of the Borden Dispatches, the second—Chapelwood—taking place many years later. I highly recommend both books and rate them each 4.5. show less

Maplecroft is at its best when the monsters are just out of sight, and loses some of its effectiveness when the characters start to discover science behind their origins and weaknesses. The diary format, deliberate withholding of information, and constant miscommunication remind me a lot of the way that Dracula is structured, and followed several similar beats. I enjoyed Maplecroft, but felt that the resolution didn’t live up to the buildup. It’s obviously set up to be the first installment in a series. I’m curious where it might go from here, but I would have liked it to stand alone a little better.

I was wary when I learned one of the main characters is employed at Miskatonic University, thinking that Priest might be pulling too show more much directly from the Lovecraft universe. However, I think that she did a good job of working within the strangeness of that universe, rather than lifting from Lovecraft directly. This is a good, pulpy horror read and I would recommend this to anyone who is into that sort of thing. However, I don’t think it will convert anyone who isn’t already sold on the premise.

I appreciate reading a gothic horror where the two main players are women, especially since there’s a lesbian relationship involved. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to Lovecraft and his white, male, flat narrators. (I understand that Lovecraft was doing more with atmosphere than he was with characterization. It's just nice to see some of the same atmospheric work happen with a variety of voices.)

The blurb for the sequel indicates that Lizzie will be the protagonist of the next, which makes sense, as she is the character ripped straight from the (1890s) headlines. Unfortunately, I found her to be the least interesting of all the narrators. I look forward to reading more about Inspector Wolf and his mysterious organization in the next installment. show less

What if Lizzie Borden killed her parents with an axe because they had been infected by sea-monsters?? is a question that no one has ever asked, but Cherie Priest answers it anyway. Lizzie and her sister Emma work hard to keep the townspeople safe from sea-monsters while not knowing exactly what they're up against. Emma studies them and does extensive research, and Lizzie kills them with her axe. Soon the problem becomes too large for the two of them so they enlist the help of the town doctor, who is the only person in town who doesn't think Lizzie murdered her parents. The book is a pretty good read, though I didn't care for the epistolary style. If it develops into a series, I will probably continue.

There was a lot of buzz around this book. The concept is quite bold: Lizzie Borden gone Lovecraft. I found it slow to start. The build up is gradual and creepy. This is real, old-fashioned horror. It doesn't dwell too much on the gore, but the atmosphere is what gets you. You know things in Fall River are going to hell. Perhaps literally.

The story is told in letter form, mostly between Lizzie, her sister Emma, their Doctor, and then a scattering of other characters. The relationship of Lizzie and her lover is very well done, and raises the stakes--as though Lizzie's reputation isn't tenuous enough, after the local police failed to convict her for the murders of her father and stepmother. This is where the famed tale of Lizzie Borden and show more her axe come into play. Lizzie really did kill them... because they were becoming hideous monsters. And now, the rest of town is slowly succumbing to the same fate.

This is the first in a series, though it resolves so neatly in one book, I wonder where things can go from here. show less

A lot of authors whom I really like consistently list H. P. Lovecraft among their influences. Accordingly, I read a collection of his short stories several years ago and found myself disappointingly underwhelmed. I've never been able to pinpoint why. Short stories written by horror authors will generally scare me infinitely more than their novels. I have enough imagination to take a premise and run with it once the lights are out. I also prefer horror that doesn't spell out too many details. Again, give me just enough to scare myself and I'll be happy to fill in any blanks. H. P. Lovecraft does this. And yet I mostly find his stories overwrought and hysterical for no real reason. Maybe there aren't enough details? Maybe Cthulu and his show more ilk are beyond my powers of imagination? Or maybe his characters irritate me in the Gothic manner of Victor Frankenstein, who is mostly incapable of anything more than the vapors once he creates his Monster? Whatever it is, I'm most definitely not among Lovecraft's fans.

But this mashup of Lizzie Borden and Lovecraftian horrors absolutely worked for me.

We meet Lizzie and her sister Emma shortly after the notorious murder of their father and stepmother. The women are living in fear of an unnamed horror that is taking over their hometown. They're trying to research it and combat it as best they can but Emma is an invalid and Lizzie is--well, notorious Lizzie Borden. The horrors unfold slowly and the women reluctantly involve more characters in their research as the madness spreads.

The horror elements are clear enough to scare me yet they leave my imagination plenty of room to play. The tension builds and builds to the inevitable stormy conclusion. There's no real resolution because frankly, no one really knows what the hell just happened, but the immediate Problem is wrapped up nicely enough to satisfy most readers while leaving plenty of room for a sequel.

The--epistolary? not exactly the correct word, but close enough--format allows first-person access to many characters' thoughts and motivations, which adds some nice depth to relatively minor yet important characters. At the same time, it takes time away from Lizzie and Emma's development. I wish I had more time in their heads, so I knocked my rating back a star.

This was a perfect read for my annual October spooky-book-fest and I'll be searching out the second book in the Borden Dispatches. show less

Overall, 3.5, but I'm rating up here because the creep factor was off the charts good. I read while doing basically everything, including while brushing my teeth, walking down the street, cooking food, talking to people, and watching television. I could not read this while I was eating and I was apprehensive about reading it just before bed. It's not hugely gory, although there is a good deal of violence, but it's skin-shivering creepy. Many others have called it Lovecraftian, which is apt, except that Cherie Priest is actually a good writer.

Without getting too spoilery, I really loved the idea behind the story (Lizzie Borden had a really good reason for those 40 whacks) and I quite liked how the story unfolded in bits and pieces show more (dribs and drabs might be more appropriate given the it-comes-from-the-sea vibe). I liked how, despite nothing being really explained and the way the mystery seemed to only expand, I felt satisfied by the ending. I'm looking forward to the next volume.

Where this failed for me is the format. It's told in an epistolary fashion, with journal entries, correspondence, and so forth, which I generally love but it's a conceit that is not at all successful here. It reads like narrative, complete with dialogue, but it's difficult to forget that you're supposed to be reading a diary (mostly because the characters often reference that they are making journal entries). The great thing about epistolary novels is having to fill in the blanks, especially with journal entries that skew so heavily to that particular character's prejudices. If this had been strictly correspondence, all of the narrative would have made more sense.

This is definitely not going to appeal to everyone, because the pacing is quite slow and there is really zero resolution, but I think Gothic and Lovecraft fans would dig it. show less