Blair's Reviews > The Parson

Anna Kavan does Gothic with a novella that feels like it could belong in a short story collection by Daphne du Maurier. The Parson wasn’t published until after Kavan’s death, but is estimated to have been written at some point between the late 1950s and early 60s, which places it after Sleep Has His House but before the success of Ice. It’s about the relationship between a young lieutenant, nicknamed ‘the Parson’ for his pious bearing, and Rejane, an initially charming woman whose beauty and refinement conceals her scheming nature. The plot hinges on their visit to a ruined castle, where Rejane’s true nature becomes clear. These scenes are deliciously melodramatic and full of portent: ‘an aura of sadism and terror clung to the walls’... Much has been made of how The Parson prefigures Ice; I’ll be honest, I didn’t really get that from it, but I liked it a lot. I particularly enjoyed the cryptic setting, a ‘small northern country’ with scenic extremes right out of a fairytale (plus a hotel with the glorious name of The Hope Deferred).

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