Michael Sims, whose previous Victorian collections Dracula’s Guest (vampires) and The Dead Witness (detectives) have been widely praised, has gathered twelve of the best stories about humanity’s oldest supernatural obsession. Images by H.R.Ghost stories date back centuries, but those written in the Victorian era have a unique atmosphere and dark beauty. I’d love it if you’d join me, and share your own thoughts about your favorite “castles” in literature, or in your own life.
I’m not entirely sure what form those ruminations will take, but I know this is a quest worth going on.
Such questions are the ones that preoccupy me right now, and that I’d like to explore on this new blog. Only found when you are not looking for it, it presents a challenge: Can you not only see, but understand what is before your eyes? Can you ask the right question at the right moment? And what will you do when you’ve completely and utterly failed, when all hope seems lost? The castle of the Fisher King in Parzival is an image of this. Restoring health to the world is our struggle and our opportunity, for which our castle-adventures are meant to prepare us. In its fullest reality, it is where the unity and health of the kingdom is focused and celebrated. It is a stronghold that can be defended against our enemies, or opened up to welcome in the world. It is is also the structure of our social life, a place where we meet other people in different “rooms” according to our roles and relationships. The enchanted castle is our body, a mysterious and perilous construction full of wonders and dangers. Depicting this struggle requires an image not merely found in nature, but built by human ingenuity and labor. Learning to manage the powerful forces found in and through our own desires is an adventure for a lifetime. At the end, they find their heart’s desire, which has to do - as so often in fairy tales - with reunion, harmony, marriage. The four child protagonists start out by playing at magic, and end up with a real magic ring whose properties take them in unexpected and sometimes frightening directions. The theme has been described as “Be careful what you wish for” - a common thread in Nesbit’s fantasies. One of my favorite books from childhood is The Enchanted Castle by E. Why did I name this blog Entering the Enchanted Castle?
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