By: Saije Rusimovici, Staff Writer
Content warning: brief mention of eugenics and colonialism.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia will leave you unsettled, frightened, and absolutely horrified. Just thinking about it sends a chill down my spine. Halloween may be over, but this horrifying gothic mystery will definitely be the scariest thing I’ve read this year.
The novel is set in 1950s Mexico, and begins by depicting the lavish lifestyle of debutante Noemí Taboada in Mexico City. After returning from a night out one evening, her distraught father presents her with a frantic and incomprehensible letter from her newly-wedded cousin, Catalina. Determined to figure out what’s wrong with her cousin, Noemí sets off to High Place, a property owned by Catalina’s English husband, Virgil Doyle, where the rest of his family also resides.
It isn’t long before Noemí starts to realize there are strange things happening at High Place. Harsh rules, servants that refuse to speak, and mouldy books are just a few peculiarities in the poorly-maintained but grand manor. Catalina is bedridden and delirious, supposedly having succumbed to a terrible illness according to the family doctor. But with the help of the youngest Doyle, Francis, Noemí soon discovers it isn’t tuberculosis that’s making Catalina sick at all, and hatches a plan to escape.
Fans of the Brontë sisters will appreciate the mysteriousness of the story’s setting: a creepy English manor pasted into the mountainous regions of the Mexican countryside. Those who were captivated by Jordan Peele’s Get Out will be both equally terrified and revolted by the metaphorical hints at the horrifying beliefs rooted in eugenics and colonialism. Taking a genre that’s traditionally been used to reinforce ideas of the “other,” Mexican Gothic flips this around, exploring how colonialism and eugenics play a role in objectifying Mexican women.
Reading this book was uncomfortable. Although a work of fiction, the uncanny similarities with real-world ideologies is what makes it truly horrifying. There were numerous occasions where I had to set it down and take a break, thinking things to myself like who would do this? and I can’t believe this is happening, terrified I’d start seeing things emerge from the shadows in the middle of the night. While the book was sprinkled with elements of fantasy and the supernatural, the ties to biology and botany added additional allure.
Noemí’s voice was strong and passionate. By the end of the book, I felt as though I knew her as a friend. The way she navigated the brutalities of High Place demonstrated her bravery and power as a woman. I appreciated the imagery Morena-Garcia created through Noemí’s eyes, something that often gets lost to dialogue and the characters’ inner thoughts when a book is written in first person.
Upon finishing the book, I was left satisfied yet unnerved. Moreno-Garcia gives readers the closure they need, but this doesn’t distract from the horrifying plot leading up to the conclusion. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a blend of mystery, historical fiction, and horror, but it’s definitely a book that you might have to hide in your closet after reading (yeah, it’s that scary).
Silvia Moreno-Garcia was born in Mexico and lives in Vancouver. She is the author of several other novels including bestseller The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. Her latest novel, Silver Nitrate, blends Mexican horror movies and occultism. Learn more about her work at https://silviamoreno-garcia.com/.
