Gothic Kernow: Cornwall as Strange Fiction

Gothic Kernow: Cornwall as Strange Fiction
Author: Ruth Heholt
Publisher: Anthem Press
Total Pages: 119
Release: 2022-01-11
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1785279084

Cornwall as Strange Fiction is focused on written and visual culture that is made in, or made about, Cornwall and where there is affinity with Gothic. Cornwall and the Scilly Isles (known as ‘Kernow’ in the Cornish language) have a special relationship with Gothic, one that has been overlooked in the literature on regional Gothic. In 1998, Avril Horner and Sue Zlosnik coined the term ‘Cornish Gothic’ in relation to the work of Daphne du Maurier. Since then, however, there have been few discussions of the distinctive types of Gothic engendered by cultural and imaginative re-creations of Cornwall or where it has played a generative role within creative practice. Cornwall as Strange Fiction argues that a persistent imaginative romance with the peninsular has produced a specific and distinctive set of Gothic fictions and creative outputs that mark an exciting new departure in the discussion of regional and media-aware Gothic studies. Offering new insights into the relationships between place and Gothic, this book aims to engender and encourage greater debate through our argument that Cornwall plays a potent role in the landscape of regional Gothic and argues that it needs to be considered more fully as a major catalyst in the Gothic imagination.

Kingdomland

Kingdomland
Author: Rachael Allen
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Total Pages: 91
Release: 2019-01-15
Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 0571341128

Kingdomland is the debut poetry collection of Rachael Allen - a writer of rare vision and bravery, humanity and flare, of wit, candour and forward brilliance. Her poems are peculiarly rich, suffused with surreal images and uncanny incidents to create bewitching worlds. Omens, sorcery, and unexplained violences take shape in the glowering dusk. We are faced with strange metamorphoses, grotesque bodies, hauntings and impassable paths. And yet, all too clearly we recognise the everyday injustices, griefs and dysfunctions of life here on earth, which Allen chronicles with such balance and, often, sympathy. Kingdomland expresses the fearless cut of Allen's verbal and written edge, and the wild colours of her imagination.

Vanishing Cornwall

Vanishing Cornwall
Author: Daphne Du Maurier
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2016-10-20
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 074811467X

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA 'An eloquent elegy on the past of a county she loved so much' THE TIMES 'This classic evocation of du Maurier's beloved home ranks as a work of art ... ' INDEPENDENT 'Du Maurier has no equal' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'There was a smell in the air of tar and rope and rusted chain, a smell of tidal water. Down harbour, around the point, was the open sea. Here was the freedom I desired, long sought-for, not yet known. Freedom to write, to walk, to wander, freedom to climb hills, to pull a boat, to be alone ... I for this, and this for me.' Daphne du Maurier lived in Cornwall for most of her life. Its rugged coastline, wild terrain and tumultuous weather inspired her imagination and many of her works are set there, including Rebecca, Jamaica Inn and Frenchman's Creek. In Vanishing Cornwall she celebrates the land she loved, exploring its legends, its history and its people, eloquently making a powerful plea for Cornwall's preservation.

Death in Cornwall

Death in Cornwall
Author: G.M. Malliet
Publisher: Severn House Publishers Ltd
Total Pages: 267
Release: 2021-12-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1448306302

A humorous cozy set in the picturesque surroundings of Cornwall starring Cambridge DCI Arthur St. Just and his fiancée Portia De’Ath. To celebrate their engagement, DCI Arthur St. Just and Portia De’Ath visit the quiet village of Maidsfell in Cornwall. Upon arriving they find the villagers in an uproar over plans to redevelop the local seafront. The fishermen want to build a new slipway to aid their business, but many residents worry it will spoil the view for the tourists who help drive the economy. After a heated village meeting on the issue, St. Just overhears an argument involving Lord Bodwally – an unpopular aristocrat staunchly opposed to the plans. Later, Bodwally’s lifeless body is discovered. It’s murder. Although Bodwally was disliked, who’d go so far as to kill him? St. Just, although an outsider from Cambridge, feels compelled to help local authorities investigate. Is Bodwally’s death linked to the seafront, his suspect business dealings, or a secret from the past? One thing is certain, the fallout threatens to change Maidsfell forever . . .

The Light at Wyndcliff

The Light at Wyndcliff
Author: Sarah E. Ladd
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2020-10-13
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0785223290

Set in the same time period as Poldark and Bridgerton, this Regency romance follows a young man searching for truth among the debris of multiple shipwrecks on his newly inherited property. Cornwall, England, 1820: Raised on the sprawling and rugged Wyndcliff Estate near the dangerous coast of South Cornwall, Evelyn Bray lives with her grandfather, a once-wealthy man now reduced to the humble post of steward. Evelyn’s mother, embarrassed by their lost wealth and status, left Pevlyn in search of a better life for them both, but never returns. Evelyn is still grieving her father’s death and her mother’s abandonment when a passing ship is dashed against the rocks. Liam Twethewey is a mere two and twenty when he inherits Wyndcliff Estate from his great uncle. His optimistic plans to employ the estate’s tenants meets unexpected resistance, and rumors of smuggling and illegal activity challenge his newfound authority. Brought together by troubling questions surrounding the shipwreck, Evelyn and Liam uncover even darker mysteries shrouding the estate. As they untangle truth from deception, their loyalties separate them—and their budding love might not be strong enough to overcome the distance. Full-length Regency romance Book 3 in the Cornwall novels (The Governess of Penwythe Hall, The Thief of Lanwyn Manor, and The Light at Wyndcliff), but can be read as a stand-alone story Book length: 85,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs

A History of Cornwall

A History of Cornwall
Author: F. E. Halliday
Publisher: House of Stratus
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2008-01-12
Genre: Cornwall (England : County)
ISBN: 9780755118786

This classic history provides a comprehensive review of Cornwall, skilfully illustrating why it is exceptional. With absorbing detail, Halliday moves through time from the Bronze Age to the Saints, Tudor rebellions, Spanish Armada, John Wesley, the making of the railway and into the modern era, whilst weaving the two threads of sea and mining.

A Perfectly Good Man

A Perfectly Good Man
Author: Patrick Gale
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2016-05-31
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1504036522

The bestselling British novel about love, marriage, family, secrets, and how the power of faith can transform lives even in the midst of inconsolable loss After being paralyzed in a rugby accident, twenty-year-old, wheelchair-bound Lenny Barnes feels he has nothing left to live for and is putting his affairs in order before committing suicide. As lively Mazey Day celebrations take place in the Cornish town of Penzance, Lenny summons a parish priest to his home. Father Barnaby Johnson is shocked to discover that he has been called in not to comfort but to deliver last rites. Lenny’s death will reverberate not only in Barnaby’s life but in the lives of his family and those around them, from Barnaby’s wife, Dorothy, to Modest Carlsson, a parishioner and former teacher whose affair with an underage student cost him his job, his marriage, and, quite possibly, his soul. Narrated in a nonlinear style from the characters’ shifting perspectives and ages, this spellbinding, exquisitely crafted novel exposes the fault lines in relationships as it limns the consequences of our actions. The novel that author Patrick Gale describes as “an echo chamber” to his international bestseller Notes from an Exhibition, A Perfectly Good Man reveals another family in crisis and asks what it truly means to be good. This Richard & Judy Book Club pick is a story of warmth, wisdom, and compassion on crises of faith, the power of prayer, morality, and what it means to be a parent.

The Governess of Penwythe Hall

The Governess of Penwythe Hall
Author: Sarah E. Ladd
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2019-04-16
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0785223177

A governess must return to the Cornish coast amid the insidious rumors of murder that forced her away in this Regency romance. Set in the same time period as Poldark and Bridgerton, The Governess of Penwythe Hall is rich with family secrets, lingering danger, and the captivating allure of new love. Cornwall, England, 1811: Blamed for her husband’s death, Cordelia Greythorne fled Cornwall and accepted a governess position to begin a new life. Years later her employer’s unexpected death and his last request for Delia to watch over his five children force her to reevaluate. She can’t abandon the children now that they’ve lost both parents, but their new guardian lives at the timeworn Penwythe Hall . . . back on the Cornish coast where she’s been warned never to return. Bachelor Jac Twethewey is determined to revive Penwythe Hall’s once-flourishing apple orchards, and he’ll stop at nothing to see his struggling estate profitable again. He hasn’t heard from his elder brother in years, so when his nieces, nephews, and their governess arrive unannounced, he battles both grief at his brother’s death and bewilderment over this sudden responsibility. Jac’s priorities shift as the children take up residence in the ancient halls, but their secretive governess—and the sinister mysteries shrouding her past—might be the end to both Jac and Delia’s carefully laid plans. Praise for The Governess of Penwythe Hall: “Brimming with dangerous secrets, rich characters, and the hauntingly beautiful descriptions Sarah Ladd handles so well, 1800s Cornwall is brought vividly to life in this well-crafted tale that kept me glued to the pages. What a brilliant start to a new series!”—Abigail Wilson, author of Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey “Absolutely captivating! Once I started reading, I couldn’t put down The Governess of Penwythe Hall. This blend of Jane Eyre, Jane Austen, and Jamaica Inn has it all. Intrigue. Danger. Poignant moments. And best of all a sweet, sweet love story. This is by far my favorite Sarah Ladd book. Don’t hesitate to snatch up this title!”—Michelle Griep, Christy Award–winning author Full-length Regency romance First book in the Cornwall novels (The Governess of Penwythe Hall, The Thief of Lanwyn Manor, and The Light at Wyndcliff), but can be read as a stand-alone story Book length: 94,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Poldark's Cornwall

Poldark's Cornwall
Author: Winston Graham
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2015-04-23
Genre: Photography
ISBN: 1447299965

A lavishly illustrated companion to Winston Graham's beloved Poldark novels, reissued to coincide with the BBC series based on the novels. Graham's saga of Cornish life in the eighteenth century has enthralled readers throughout the world for seventy years and the wild landscapes that inspired the novels have - even today - remained relatively unchanged. Cornwall then was a perilous world of pirates and shipwrecks: of rugged coast and mysterious smugglers' coves, of windswept moors and picturesque villages such as Boscastle and Port Quin, and of beaches, tin mines and churches. With an introduction by Winston Graham's son, Andrew, and illustrated with stunning photographs, Poldark's Cornwall is a glorious evocation of the land of beauty, excitement, romance and imagination that Graham loved so well.