Rose Christie, a 26-year old Classics teacher, gets a job at Caldonbrae, an exclusive girls-only boarding school in a remote windswept coastal area of Scotland. Her excitement at this new challenge soon turns to dismay when she realizes that, at this elite establishment, not all is what it seems. The conservative mentality of the teachers and students is a culture shock for independent-minded Rose. However, this is just the start of her problems. There seem to be more sinister – and dangerous – secrets related to the departure of her predecessor. The more facts Rose uncovers, the greater her conviction that she should escape Caldonbrae. But considering the long-reaching tentacles of the institution, does she even have such a choice?
Phoebe Wynne’s debut novel is touted as a feminist Gothic work, with “shades of The Secret History”. This is what drew me to it in the first place, but I am sorry to say that I was quite disappointed, and it took some effort for me to complete the book. For a novel set in 1992, the facts described in the book are quite over-the-top (even though, admittedly, chauvinistic mentalities are still rampant thirty years later). So, perhaps, Madam is best approached as a fable or fantasy – not unlike the Dyachenko’s Vita Nostra, but with a more feminist slant and without the more abstruse fantastical elements. Even if one is fine with that, though, the story remains unconvincing and the dialogue and narrative style not particularly striking or original. The characters seem stilted and, for a feminist lead, Rose often comes across as rather pathetic. She spends most of the book going around asking questions and getting no answers – at one point, her students actually tell her “…stop asking us questions, it’s so frustrating” and it’s a feeling which, as a reader, I fully shared.
Despite my reservations I did find something to enjoy in the
novel. The suffocating sense of dread
was well brought out, the Gothic elements were suitably atmospheric
and I liked the idea of the notes or summaries about women from Classical history
and myth and the way their stories were worked into the tale. For fairness’
sake, I should also note that some reviewers have compared Phoebe Wynne to such
luminaries as Naomi Alderman and Margaret Attwood. I must confess I’m less
enthusiastic.
Kindle Edition, 400 pages
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