When I Arrived at the Castle: Graphic Novel Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
When the graphic novel “When I Arrived at the Castle” showed up on my ‘recommendations’ section, it instantly made me think of Shirley Jackson’s gothic horror novel “We’ve Always Lived in the Castle.” Both books fall in the same genre, but “When I Arrived at the Castle” by Emily Carroll is a lot more fantastical in nature, like a mash between “Carmilla” and “Twilight”. Instead of werewolves, there’s a human-like cat out to kill a vampire.
“When I Arrived at the Castle” fittingly starts on a dark, cold, rainy night, when the protagonist, a cat-like young lady, walks into the castle of a vampiric countess, with the motive to kill. However, the mysterious countess has a strange magical hold over her guest and what unfolds next is a violent tale of blood, lust, confusion, and revenge. Told through the furry cat-lady’s perspective, the narration in the graphic novel is often poetic and slightly cryptic.
The black-and-white artwork, with the occasional blazing red blood splatter, in this graphic novel is absolutely mesmerising —and grotesque when needed. Emily Carroll draws the vampiric countess as a classic femme fatale, blending Morticia Addams’ imposing aloofness with the bold, fearless sensuality of a young Cher. The cat-lady on the other hand is drawn like a cute, chubby human cat, who looks like little Red Riding Hood walking into the wolf’s lair.
Emily Caroll infuses “When I Arrived at the Castle” with a bunch of fairy tales, not the sanitised Disney versions, but dark, grim incomplete stories where readers don’t know what really happens in the end. But each story is about a young woman in a troubled situation, who is counselled by a cat and pointed towards a castle’s direction. Most readers must do a double take to understand what really happens in the violent climactic events of the novel, which is filled with disturbing body horror and imagery. Let’s just say the vampire doesn’t prevail in this tale.
I wish the graphic novel were slightly longer (it’s only 72 pages long), and not as cryptic as it appears to be, and if I hadn’t read the blurb for the book, I would never classify “When I Arrived at the Castle” under “sapphic erotica”. Even though, sure, there’s palpable sexual tension between the leading ladies of this story. On the other hand, you’d tend to view the countess’ intimate interest in anybody who walks through her door as her general thirst for blood and need to play with her prey before she consumes them.
Overall, “When I Arrived at the Castle” is a decent read, it’s the art that makes it worth your time.
Rating: 3 on 5.
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