Publication details
Gothic elements in the novel Valerie a týden divů
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Citation | |
| Description | The paper discusses the Gothic motifs in the Surrealistic novel of the Czech poet, writer and translator Vítězslav Nezval. The novel Valérie a týden divů was written in 1935 but remained unpublished until 1945, becoming Nezval’s least known but most Surrealistic fiction. As critics have shown, Nezval drew on many sources – M.G. Lewis’s The Monk, K.H. Mácha’s poem May, F.W. Murnau’s film Nosferatu, or Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho. Valérie is a variation on the Gothic novel as Nezval was a Gothic enthusiast. There are several Gothic motifs in Valérie: the grandmother’s house which resembles a Gothic castle; anti-Catholic sentiment embodied in the figure of the priest Gratian, who is a great orator able to control crowds through the force of his prayer, but also a rapist who attempts to seduce Valerie; disguises, which sometimes bring about comic effects; and an almost baroque theatricality in scenes like the wedding procession and reception. Nezval’s Valérie a týden divů inspired the director Jaromil Jireš who created the film of the same name in 1970. |