Wraithful Reads

I recently read the novelisation of Crimson Peak, a film I absolutely love. I was so curious to see if the vivid and violent imagery of the film transferred over to the book, and I was not disappointed.

The Crimson Peak film, made by acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro, is visually spectacular. The costumes, Allerdale Hall, the ghosts, gore, and gothic imagery all make it one of my favourite gothic films, and Guillermo del Toro absolutely nailed it in terms of fitting the genre. (At least, in my opinion.)

So I was very curious to see if the book lived up to the same vivid imagery and rich visuals we saw in the film.

Set in Buffalo, 1887, Crimson Peak follows the story of Edith Cushing. Edith is an aspiring novelist who lives with her well-respected engineer father, having lost her mother at a young age to cholera; but whom continues to watch over Edith as a ghastly looking spectre. Edith has set her sights beyond just being a marriageable woman, but falls in love with the tall and charming figure of Thomas Sharpe, Baronet. Sharpe has travelled to America with the goal of raising capital for his revolutionary mining machine, with the intention of restoring not only Allerdale Hall, his estate in England, but his family name too.

But the horror… The horror was for love. The things we do for love like this are ugly, mad, full of sweat and regret. This love burns you and maims you and twists you inside out. It is a monstrous love and it makes monsters of us all.

― Nancy Holder, Crimson Peak: The Official Movie Novelization

Sharpe visits Carter Cushing, Edith’s father, at his engineering film to present a model of his mining machine but is turned down as Carter feels mistrustful of Sharpe, though he doesn’t immediately know why.

Edith, undeterred, becomes close with Sharpe and ultimately marries him after the untimely and tragic death of her father. She then travels back to England and takes up residence in Allerdale Hall with Sharpe and his sister, Lucille. Not heeding her mother’s earlier warning to “Beware Crimson Peak,” she soon discovers the horrors hidden within the house for herself and barely escapes with her life.

The book was just as enjoyable as the film in my opinion and stayed very faithful to the story portrayed in the film. There were some added visual descriptions for certain rooms in the house such as Lucille’s bedroom and the library which I appreciated, as certain rooms were only shown very quickly in it’s on-screen equivalent.

I also enjoyed the further personification of Allerdale Hall itself. In the film and book alike we hear how much the house creaks and groans, and even seems to “breathe” at times. However, Holder also gives us an insight into the thoughts and feelings of the house, almost as an additional narrator in the story. It very much added to the eerie and haunted atmosphere of the house, making it seem alive and always watching; in contrast with the ghosts of the house, who are very much not alive but still ever present.

I do wonder if having watched the film first coloured my perception of the book however, as I found myself filling in visual details in my imagination as I read; knowing already what each scene and chapter looked like and how they played out. If anyone has read the novelisation but not yet seen the film, I’d be very interested to hear what you thought of the book, and if the visual descriptions were just as clear for you!

I was hoping for some added detail in the book about Thomas and Lucille Sharpe’s childhood too. I believe there was one extra chapter not represented in the film that I remember reading, but I was hoping for more. The pacing was quite quick and was on-par with the film which did feel a little rushed in some parts. I think if I had only read the book I might have been wanting for a bit more build up.

All in all, it was another welcome medium in which I could enjoy one of my favourite gothic stories and was a largely enjoyable read. Holder is a skilled writer and there were numerous things about the book that I did enjoy.

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