The forms in which the aesthetic side can manifest itself may only be descriped - even at the best of times - in lackluster terms such as elusive or fleeting, the most accurate of them all being, of course; subjective. Like emotion, as a concept itself, it is unique for every invidual, and even if shared commonalities can be agreed upon, the ultimate experience is forever locked within the subject him- or herself. Thus, when trying to capture these fleeting manifestations into concrete beings or things, the end result will inevitably be... vague, for the lack of a better term.
Such is the case, as afore-established, with the two main figures of the Whitend universe; Sophia & Deliria, the two unfortunate sisters of melancholy that are explored primarily in Solemnence. While minor characters retain aspects of this elusive phenomenon - predominantly Rebecca in various short-stories - it is only these two who have the sensibility required in order for the manifestation to truly blossom, ie. in order for their personalities to transcend the fictional realm, transforming into something else, both within the stories' confines and within the grander metaphysical scope at large. What, exactly, are these figures then? It is a good question, one that I personally am still figuring out. As is usually the case with these narratives that deal all in the realms of fiction, reality, and metafiction, discoveries can only be made by thorough investigation and examination of difficult topics. Furthermore, even if various philosophical works and doctrines may be available as aid for this process, ultimately the author (yours truly) will remain the sole witness of it all - an thus, the burden of responsibility of getting things right will forever remain on my shoulders. This is why I like to take my time, unrushing into difficult stories, stories that I know require a particularly lengthy in-depth investigation. It is all too human to err, all too easy to throw out things as they come without a semblance of second thought. While sometimes beneficial, this simple following of inner authenticity can quickly lead one into downward path from where retracing steps is both strenuous and time-consuming. So far I think I've managed avoiding all the most obvious pitfalls and moats of quicksand. Perennial Sophia was the first unexpected success - no matter if only for myself, seeing the gothic tone can be utilized and will be effective in uncovering deeper philosophical & psychological themes - and the following Gloom in the Mortuary of Melancholy proved further that this razor-sharp line of gothic tone can be made work in a contemporary settings as well. Thanks for this realization go, of course, for the great Thomas Ligotti, who is the unparalleled master of utilizing this prosal tone. If my pale mimickry can produce such results, it is no wonder that he has accumulated such praise in his career of weird, gothic-styled meta-horror fiction. Seeing that no matter how much I write on this topic, yet little of substance gets relayed in actuality, I will most likely do a follow-up post shortly, giving myself a few days of think as to how, exactly, this elusive topic of the "dreaded subjective side" could be made more sense for someone who has no idea (even if they've read the stories) of what's going on.
0 Comments
|
A.K
Gothic fiction novelist Archives
July 2023
Categories |