![]() In theory, then, the forest just isn’t that dangerous. Most of its predators that have been seen to endanger humans, such as wolves and bears, are now threatened with extinction themselves-and it is much more common for humans to die in towns and in cities, than in the midst of the woods. For most of us, this environment does not feature in our everyday lives and it does not present a threat to our existence. Nowadays, for the majority of humankind, there is little practical reason to be afraid of the woods. In theory, forests should be much less frightening to us now, than to our ancestors. ![]() As one of my PhD examiners said during my viva: ‘I now can’t stop seeing Gothic forests…’ The Gothic forest is, I would argue, a universal archetype-and it is every bit as central to the Gothic mode as castles, convents, and gravesites, though interestingly the centrality of this setting is often overlooked. Not only do they pervade much of our literature, film, and television, across a variety of genres-think everything from medieval romance, the Bible, and The Blair Witch Project, to Serial, Pretty Little Liars, and Harry Potter-but they haunt our advertisements, music, video games, fashion, and so on. They are every bit as much a ‘landscape of the mind’, to borrow David Melbye’s term, as they are a geographical reality. ![]() I have been privileged to hear a number of enticing legends and ghost stories, as well as impassioned defences of the forest as a wholly enchanted space, devoid of terror, and I have been privy to countless recommendations of an enormous wealth of stories-ranging from centuries-old oral tales to current Netflix sensations-that are entrenched in and have much to say on the topic of the Deep Dark Woods. Responses have ranged from recollections of childhood memories of dares in the woods, to animated descriptions of hide and seek in the trees after dark, to eerie descriptions of mysterious sounds and sights experienced when camping in this evocative environment. Everyone, in some way or another, seems connected to the subject. Talk about intersections between ecocriticism and the Gothic and you might lose a few, but talk about the Deep Dark Woods and ‘how the forest can be scary’ and I’ve not yet had anyone just smile politely and change the conversation. ![]() One of my favourite things about my area of research is that everyone has something to say about it. This gripping thriller will have readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.Elizabeth Parker, author of The Forest and the EcoGothic, explores the universal archetype of the Gothic forest in popular culture, reflecting on our fear and fascination when it comes to the Deep Dark Woods. In order to uncover secrets and reveal motives, Nora must revisit parts of herself that she’d rather leave buried where they belong: in the past. Wondering not “ What happened?” but “What have I done?” she tries to piece together the events of the past weekend. But a haunting realization creeps in to the party: they are not alone in the woods.įorty-eight hours later, Nora wakes up in a hospital bed with the knowledge that someone is dead. Leonora (Lee to some, Nora to others) is a reclusive writer, but when an old friend unexpectedly invites her to a weekend away in an eerie glass house, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. Sometimes the only thing to fear…is yourself. What should be a cozy and fun-filled weekend deep in the English countryside takes a sinister turn in Ruth Ware’s suspenseful, compulsive, and darkly twisted psychological thriller. AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES and GLOBE AND MAIL BESTSELLER
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