The semester has gotten off to a rousing but exhausting start, so I’ve been a bit lax in updating. For that, I do apologize. However, we are one month and two days away from the release of my new Louisiana gothic novel, The Casquette Rose. And the more I look back at the manuscript, the more I realize that, without planning, I drew heavily upon Marlowe’s handling of one of my favorite legends, the Faust legend. I knew I was writing a Faustian tale in a loose sense, but the more I reflect on what I wrote, how I structured the novel, and how I planned the character interactions, I really took Marlowe’s tragedy and shifted the focus slightly to give the story a different feel.
While my protagonist, Danielle Sanders, does not have the reputation born from mastering Philosophy, Law, Medicine, and Theology that Faustus had, both are scholars who seek a practical application of their learning to bring real and meaningful help to those in need. Faust lamented that for all his mastery of medicine, he could not prevent sickness or death. Danielle seeks to find ways to improve the literacy rates of urban and underserved communities.
Like Valdes and Cornelius did for Faustus, both her dissertation chair (Professor Hays-Grey) and the enigmatic witch (Catherine-Marie Trichet) serve that similar function. Her chair introduces her to Catherine-Marie, who then introduces her to a more occult side of New Orleans. And as a result, she introduces Danielle to the novel’s Mephistopheles.
Now, that being said, Catherine-Marie has a dual role in that she is also, to borrow from Goethe’s handling of the legend, the Marguerite; only here, she is an inverted Marguerite. What does that mean? Well, in Goethe’s Faust, Marguerite’s suffering and death puts the idea that perhaps repentance and turning away from his pact might be something Faust should consider. In The Casquette Rose, the more the loving relationship between the two women deepens, well… redemption isn’t the path the reader will fear Danielle will tread.
Now, I’ve not touched on my Mephistopheles, but if you know your French folklore and the history of possessed nuns in France, his name will ring a bell. That said, he plays a more subtle role in my story than Mephisto played in either Marlowe or Goethe’s tales.
But, if you want to see how this gothic and romantic tragedy plays out, The Casquette Rose releases on 28 October. You can pre-order the eBook by following this link, and you can pre-order the paperback here (and elsewhere across the web). Presale on my website will go live on 21 October.
-Robin
cursingravenbooks.com 