Few characters I’ve encountered are as utterly ghastly as Caroline Blackwood’s Great Granny Webster. The cold-blooded matriarch of an aristocratic family wracked by tragedy and decay, her callousness brings about the destruction of those she’s supposed to love. Not that Webster cares. She is dedicated only to the trappings and duties of her station.
Maeve Brennan's novella THE VISITOR, also examines the impact of a ageing female recluse on her descendants. Although Brennan's matriarch doens't have quite the same toxic impact as Blackwood's the story is beautifully written. Unfortunately it was the only one she wrote.
Maeve Brennan's novella THE VISITOR, also examines the impact of a ageing female recluse on her descendants. Although Brennan's matriarch doens't have quite the same toxic impact as Blackwood's the story is beautifully written. Unfortunately it was the only one she wrote.