The Mysteries of Udolpho

Ann Radcliffe has written one of the greatest gotic romantic stories of all time.

Plot

In the end of 1500, Emily, the daughter of Mr and Mrs S:t Aubert loses her mother at a young age, and when she leaves with her father for a trip in the French country side, they meet Valancourt, whom falls in love with Emily and follow them on their trip. When Emily's father then dies Emily is taken into custody by her aunt, Madame Cheron. Her aunt doesn't like Valancourt until she finds out he is a relative of a very wealthy woman, and their engagement is on, but as soon as Madame Cheron is married to Signor Montoni, Emily and her aunt have to leave France and Valancourt to go to Itlay, where Mr Montoni has his castle. As time goes by, Mr Montoni is showing more what he is made of.

Opinion

Radcliffe tells about scenery, and the books consists of many pages of. Every view is explained into the last detail, so even if you have never visited France, this is something you are able to imagine very vividly through her explanations.

Ann Radcliffe is the mother of the Byronic villian, what later came to be the Byronic hero, and now, the Byronic vampire. Mr Montoni, is cruel and evil, and destroys the ones around him. The byronic hero has later came to be the moping one, destroying the one around him, but is still not as evil as Mr Montoni.

The feel I get from the book, is that Radcliffe still have written a lot about her own culture, from the 1800s but still put them in the 1500s. 

Do I recommend it?

Yes I do. But I recommend that if you are not used to the times English, read it in your own home language, even if it is still a big piece, it will be an easier read, and you won't have to struggle to get through it and get bored.  

Queen of The Damned (the film)

I just realized that I have not written anything here on one of my favorite films ever. I know I analyzed it in the course Film Form last year, but I don't think I have written a review on it here.

So, I better do!

Queen of the Damned

Plot

Based on the book by Anne Rice, we see Lestat, having been dorment for many years, waking up in a new, modern era. He decides the best way to lure the vampires from their hiding, exposing them, to make the vampires the leading race, is to become the singer of a rock band, and in the lyrics reveal all the secrets of the vampires. Not all vampires are to keen on it though, but one girl at an agency that looks for vampire's becomes very excited, as Lestat is the one vampire she has been looking for.

Opinion

I still haven't read the book, so I don't know whether it follows the book or not. But the film in it self is a master piece. It's rather predictable though as soon as Jesse comes into the picture, you know what will happen with the love story. On the other hand, I did not believe that Lestat would come as far as he did with his exposing strategy, and he did execute it very well, and in ways I would never guess. As in Interview with a Vampire, Lestat shows us some hidden talent, that he does not want to share, he knows lots of stuff, be he do not want to tell... Exactly the same from IwaV, where he never tells Louis the whole story, and that might be the reason they fall out all the time.

It becomes a bit boring though with all the long, I mean really long, flashbacks, if they were shorter, it would be more interesting to watch, as, yeah we get it music had some significance in Lestats life, but instead of doing one very long flashback, I think it would have been better with a few shorter ones.

But at a whole, this really is one of my favourite films, and no matter, I will always prefer Stuart Townsend as Lestat rather than Tom Cruise.

Picture found at:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg50TXILXRpZZba59u9WN6f45sBhcf5ukXYh5lXPKwGpmErO0ASb1aDDT-lpP-j7PdAz3K6bSgfTssKljylg9Nj5k1e5Gr232mpJs6Pw58qH5jhGLQB-1c36VKKwzJNE0z5FE-JTLWCvE/s1600/QUEEN+of+the+DAMNED+01.jpg