Synopses & Reviews
Bluebeard gets a feminist Gothic makeover in this subversive take on the famous French fairy tale — from the acclaimed director of The Love Witch, and for fans of Jane Eyre
When the successful British mystery writer Judith Moore meets Gavin, a handsome and charming baron, at a birthday party on the Cornish coast, his love transforms her from a bitter, lonely young woman into a romance heroine overnight. After a whirlwind honeymoon in Paris, he whisks her away to a secluded Gothic castle. But soon she finds herself trapped in a nightmare, as her husband's mysterious nature and his alternation between charm and violence become increasingly frightening.
As Judith battles both internal and external demons, including sexual ambivalence, psychological self-torture, gaslighting, family neglect, alcoholism, and domestic abuse, she becomes increasingly addicted to her wild beast of a husband. Why do women stay in abusive relationships? The answer can be found in the tortured mind of the protagonist, whose richly layered fantasy life parallels that of the female Gothic romance reader. Filled with dark humor and evocative imagery, Bluebeard's Castle is a subversive take on modern romance and Gothic erotica.
Review
"Beautifully creepy….The novel's timeless quality helps drive home the unending nature of male violence against women."
Kirkus Reviews
Review
"A perfect literary debut for a one-of-a-kind filmmaker. And that cover!"
Sophia Stewart, Most Anticipated Books of 2023, The Millions
Review
"A provocative work that adds layers of meaning as one becomes addicted to this page-turner of a book, Bluebeard's Castle is a bit of Alfred Hitchcock mixed with André Breton's Nadja."
Tosh Berman, author of Tosh: Growing Up in Wallace Berman's World
Review
"Written by the filmmaker of 2016's The Love Witch, this debut novel has a similar romantic haze and a retro hyper-aesthetic swirl...stylish, scary, and peak modern Gothic."
Maggie Lange, Most Anticipated Books, Bustle
Review
"Equally steeped in the traditions of the Gothic genre and the women's picture, Bluebeard's Castle follows a romance novelist, Judith, as she's dragged into a whirlwind marriage with the dangerously charming Gavin. Its horror stems not just from the crumbling and potentially haunted castle, but from the terror of being trapped with a man who is a relative stranger to her."
Alexandra Coburn, Screen Slate
About the Author
Anna Biller is a filmmaker and a writer known for her feminist point of view, and for her meticulously crafted visual design. The New York Times called her cult film The Love Witch "a hothouse filled with deadly and seductive blooms," and Indiewire called her debut feature Viva "a pitch perfect resurrection of the Valley of the Dolls days of cinema." She is currently in development for a ghost movie set in medieval England.