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Sign up todayBluebeard's Castle
A Novel
Narrator
Samantha Hydeson
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Length
10 hours 34 minutes
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“Shockingly delirious look into a young woman’s marriage to a secretive and controlling man. Using hallmarks of the Gothic romance genre, Anna Biller presents a compelling narrative dripping with gaslighting, delusions, anger, fear, and dominance set in an aesthetic, stately castle. No matter what you may think, you’ll fall for Biller’s deceptively charismatic Bluebeard figure. ”
— Lambie • Underground Books
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.
Anna Biller is an independent filmmaker. The New York Times called her film The Love Witch “a hothouse filled with deadly and seductive blooms;” Indiewire called it “a spellbinding feminist delight;” and Rotten Tomatoes listed her as one of “The 21 Masters of Horror Shaping the Genre Right Now.” The hashtag #thelovewitch has gone viral on Tiktok, with over 72 million views to date. She is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the writer’s branch, and is represented for her film work by WME. She is currently in talks with production companies about the movie version of Bluebeard's Castle.
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Audiobook details
Author:
Anna Biller
Narrator:
Samantha Hydeson
ISBN:
9798400124181
Length:
10 hours 34 minutes
Language:
English
Publisher:
Brilliance Audio
Publication date:
October 10, 2023
Edition:
Unabridged
Reviews
“Impressively original, inherently fascinating and vividly brought to life with the narrative storytelling skills of Samantha Hydeson.” —Midwest Book Review
"Bluebeard's Castle [is] … a stylised retelling of the old fable that mixes self-reference and gaudy excess. Its ¬heroine, Judith, a gothic-romance novelist, shacks up in a crumbling castle with a brooding husband; the sex, death and pricy cognac are of a wildly enjoyable piece." —Cal Revely-Calder, Best Fiction Books of the Year, Telegraph
"Both a fantasy and a nightmare ... [Biller] casts a chilling light on the kinds of real-world fairy tales we are all still so often encouraged to believe." —Elizabeth Dearnley, Times Literary Supplement
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