Bluebeard’s Castle by Anna Biller


Rating: 3/5

Bluebeard’s Castle is a gothic, psychological slow-burn that reimagines the classic fairy tale through a feminist lens. The story follows Judith, a successful mystery writer who falls under the spell of a charming baron named Gavin. Swept into his opulent, eerie estate, Judith begins to sense something sinister beneath the surface of their romance, and of Gavin himself.

Biller, best known for her film The Love Witch, brings her signature aesthetic to the page. The world of Bluebeard’s Castle is lush and decadent, full of velvet gowns, candlelit corridors, and operatic emotional highs. The prose leans theatrical and at times overwrought, but it fits the heightened tone of the narrative.

Much of the plot unfolds slowly, and while the suspense simmers, it doesn’t always build with the urgency you’d expect from a gothic thriller, leading the novel to feel overly long and repetitive. Judith’s psychological unraveling is thoughtfully rendered, but her passivity at times is frustrating, especially when paired with the book’s tendency to spell out its themes a little too directly.

Still, there’s something hypnotic about Bluebeard’s Castle. It’s a novel that lingers in its mood and symbolism, offering a meditation on power, consent, and the dangers of romantic idealization. Readers who love classic gothic tropes, richly symbolic writing, and a slow descent into dread may find themselves captivated—if not entirely satisfied.

Thank you to @netgalley and @versobooks for the digital ARC!

I was HERE for the cover. I mean, LOOK at it. It's a beautiful illustration.

However, as beautiful as the art is, the writing itself left much to be desired. I struggled through the narrative and gave up around 12% When you know, you know, and I don't want to subject myself to more dislike.

I really wanted to love this fairytale retelling. However, I didn’t really care for the characters. I did love the writing style which was very atmospheric! I recommend this for fairytale lovers!

Anna Biller's "Bluebeard's Castle" is a modern retelling of the classic gothic novel "Bluebeard" by Charles Perrault. The story follows Judith, an insecure and love-starved writer who feels overshadowed by her more loved sister. Her life changes suddenly when she meets Gavin, a handsome and rich baron from Cornwall. Overnight the two embark on a love affair which blinds Judith to the dark reality that awaits her.

I loved the premise of the book. The cover and the author's previous film work were the reasons I wanted to review this. Sadly though, I could not finish it. I could not get past the author's prose. I found the language quite distracting, it read like I was reading a social media post. I know others enjoyed the book but it was not for me.

Anna Biller’s Bluebeard’s Castle offers a visually rich, feminist reimagining of a classic tale. While its style and themes are thought-provoking, the pacing and heavy symbolism may not appeal to everyone. It’s a bold, unique take for fans of artful storytelling.

Anna Biller should stick to film making. Her descriptions read like lists for set decorators and her characters are lifeless without actors to quicken them.

Kudos on the cover art.

Recevied via NetGalley.

Anna Biller is a talented filmmaker! I love her style and her fascination with film history. The Love Witch is a recent favorite and I’ve revisited it multiple times. Bouebeard’s Castle is a unique project but it never fully delivers Biller’s storytelling strengths. The descriptions are rich but the characters are clunky and there are significant pace issues. I would not recommend this to others.

Anna Biller is as visionary as they come. I appreciate her eclectic taste, now in novel format. Blending the old with the new, I found this pulpy story propulsive and exciting. It was great!

Pitched with all the greatest comp titles, I just couldn't get into this one long enough to get to the good part, I'm afraid. So much style with so little substance. I would try getting through it again with an audiobook, but DNF.

Bluebeard's Castle by Anna Bille first of all has the most AMAZING cover!!! THis was truly a treat - a horror story reimagined! I was truly thankful to have gotten to read this before most people! I would like to purchase this one for my physical library!

I think this would have worked better as a movie, for a number of reasons. A lot of the book is telling, not showing- descriptions more than plot. I'm not sure if this is meant to be satire, and I don't think it really works as satire, maybe campy more than anything, which is another element I think would have translated better on screen. The book mainly follows romance author Judith's perspective as she falls very suddenly in love with her own personal Bluebeard, but does shift perspectives a couple of times in ways that don't make sense. A quick read with a gorgeous cover, this didn't really live up to what I had hoped it would be and the writing and plot felt amateurish.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book! This book was an interesting gothic retelling of a classic horror story. The horror story was something I was familiar with, and the implications of the story were carried over well in Biller's novel. The crux of the storyline seemed a little weak, as if the narrative relied on the tropes to carry it instead of utilizing the tropes as literary devices in a compelling story.

This is one of the best covers of 2023 and I loved the conceit of the novel--a truly modern Gothic novel filled with references to the classics. I think the writing is intentionally kitschy, but that proved to be a barrier to my enjoyment, especially given the length of the book.

A gothic romance fairy tale retelling perfect for fans of Anna Biller's cinematic masterpiece The Love Witch. Perfect for literary fiction and mystery readers looking to add a bit more thrill and a bit more horror into their next read.

I was drawn in by the cover, which evokes the old gothic romances I loved as a teenager. Not exactly what I was expecting, but an interesting read.

Gorgeously gothic, gorgeously dark, deserves way more attention than it got. Thanks for the arc, it was fantastic

Unfortunately I will not be submitting a review for this title as my opinions and the authors do not align.

I have enjoyed Biller's films in the past, but I'm just not sure if she translates well to send ups of novel forms in the same way. I also think Biller has not grown and perhaps even regressed in her feminism. This book relies on a really essentialist view of gender that I see in perceptions of old gothics more than I actually see in old gothics.

I was initially intrigued by the conceit of a Gothic satire but found this far too tongue-in-cheek and ultimately the satire fell flat. This is a rewriting of the Gothic trope of a young woman becoming trapped in a relationship with a dangerous man, when author June meets the baron Gavin. Examining ideas of gaslighting, toxic relationships and how these Gothic tropes can map onto modern society. However I felt that the tone was too satirical and ultimately made these serious themes fall flat.

This review was made possible via an ARC through NetGalley.

Bluebeard's Castle is a story of abuse not only in a romantic relationship, but also in familial ones. Judith's relationship with her mother hit me quite hard in a lot of ways and her relationship with her sister reminded me of friends in similar situations. The book makes it clear that the cycle of abuse is just that; a cycle. People go back for a variety of reasons, but self-doubt and self-worth are one of the big ones as is the ramifications of gaslighting and never feeling loved as a child.

It was my first Gothic in a while and I would say it does accurately reflect the genre because there are some very key tenets that the novel plays open. Judith herself being a Gothic author and, therefore, genre aware and romanticizing herself and her relationship can be hit and miss. I did have to take breaks from reading it due to how triggering the content could be for me, personally, so I recommend other readers exercise self-care and take breaks if need be.