Winterwood, Dorothy Eden, 1967
My favorite quote: “She had never felt so radiantly alive — nor so aware of potential danger and heartbreak
Notable characters: Lavinia, the beautiful, strong-willed new governess; Daniel, the distant, broad-shouldered, square-jawed master of the house; Winterwood, the sprawling, mysterious manor
Most memorable scene: The opium poisoning situation
Greatest strengths: The characters. I think that’s what really sets Dorothy Eden apart from her contemporaries. In a lot of old Gothic romances, the characters are just kind of … there. But Eden has a way of making her people pop a little more than most
Standout achievements: Its descriptions of Venice and Winterwood are sublime
Fun Facts: This is the first Dorothy Eden book I ever read — and it made me want to keep reading her. Which I have. So stop nagging me about it. Jeez
Other media: N/A
What it taught me: There’s an effective device Eden uses in this book that’s always stayed with me as a writer. Rather than having her main character, Lavinia, stand in front of a mirror and describe her own beauty to herself (yawn), Eden sends Lavinia to an opera where she overhears a little girl exclaiming, “Look, Papa! Isn’t she beautiful!” So there. Now we know she’s beautiful without having to listen to her tell us she’s beautiful
How it inspired me: I love old gothic romances so much that I gave the same quality to Cade Colter, my main character in the Crimson Cove series. He, like me, harbors a love of what it’s widely considered a “feminine” genre. Unlike me, however, he’s a little embarrassed about it. Aside from that, Cade and I have little in common, but I wanted him to inherit his good taste in books from me
Additional thoughts: People can say what they want about how predictable and formulaic gothics are (and they kind of are) but this one kept me guessing
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
Alistair Cross 