Penny Bloods
Gothic Tales of Dangerous Women
Edited by Nicole C. Dittmer, Penny Bloods collects sensational tales of “monstrous women” from the penny newspapers of the nineteenth century.
The stories are arranged in chronological order and are complemented with historical context, paralleling the development of the “monstrous woman” trope in British fiction and society. At the times of their publication, Britain’s newly literate working-class citizens lined up in droves to buy the penny newspapers and feed their imaginations. The tales reflect the tasty bits of Gothic literature, with fortune-telling hags, sequestered madwomen, seductive mistresses with secret supernatural powers, powerful men brought to their knees, blood-sucking maidens, and demons who barter for souls.
Entertaining and compulsive, the stories are an entry into the minds of their first readers. Published and republished throughout the nineteenth century, often with increasing popularity, these popular tales affronted the era’s literary elite, who squirmed with disgust at their profuse descriptions, mawkish dialogue, and convoluted plots. Today, these over-the-top flourishes are all part of the fun, with the stories polished and represented to reach new audiences who enjoy atmospheric supernatural tales.
Reviewed by
Michele Sharpe
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
