Reading Notes on Uncle Silas

Reading Notes: Sheridan LeFanu, Uncle Silas
January 2-4, 2009. Transcribed from Twitter.

Set-up of "Uncle Silas" surrounds young Maude with malign cast of characters, notably the comically devious governess Mdm de la Rougiere. 11:25 AM Jan 2nd from txt

Mdm Rougiere persuades Maud: "come, come, tell me little obstinate or I will break your little finger. Tell me everything." 1:26 PM Jan 2nd from txt

Maud's widowed father a Swedenborgian. He paces in and out of darkness -- and their house situated between visible and spirit worlds. 1:30 PM Jan 2nd from txt

The two portraits of Uncle Silas: the oval of golden-haired boy and full-length of the young rake: "a most expensive and vicious young man" 8:47 AM Jan 3rd from txt

Looking at the childhood portrait, Maud ponders from "what a small seed the hemlock or the wallflower grows." Her shy father the wallflower 8:59 AM Jan 3rd from txt

Cousin Monica speaks of Silas as a "sphinx" and Maud finds his expression unreadable: "derision, or anguish, or cruelty, or patience?" 9:51 AM Jan 3rd from txt

Silas, caustic, on his daughter Milly: "a very rustic Miranda and fitted rather for the society of Caliban, than of a sick old Prospero." 9:56 AM Jan 3rd from txt

LeFanu compares the reluctance of a sleepy child to go to bed with the struggle of the elderly to resist "the great sleep of death" 10:06 AM Jan 3rd from txt

Silas on Maud's report of beating of miller's daughter: "What a romantic little child, people of that rank think nothing of a broken head." 1:29 PM Jan 3rd from txt

Monica on Silas' ancient butler: "I won't wait for your butler, who would give me cakes baked by King Alfred and Danish beer in a skull." 3:33 PM Jan 3rd from txt

Silas subject to catatonic fits -- "queer spells" -- as well as selective quotation from the Bible, thus creating a new reputation for piety 3:37 PM Jan 3rd from txt

Monica sees Silas for the 1st time in 20 yrs: "Angels and ministers of grace! Such a specter! That odious smile makes me feel half insane." 3:59 PM Jan 3rd from txt

The bitter Silas to Monica: "We are very like turkeys, we have so much sense and generosity. Fortune wounded me, and the whole brood were upon me pecking and gobbling, gobbling and pecking, and you among them dear Monica. It wasn't your fault only instinct" 4:07 PM Jan 3rd from txt

Silas' fits: "hoverings between life and death, between intellect and insanity -- a dubious marsh fire existence, horrible to look on!" 5:09 PM Jan 3rd from txt

Silas' inner life a "systematic blasphemy" hidden beneath a deceptive surface that takes on rainments of humanity in order to lure others. 9:13 AM Jan 4th from txt

Silas akin to "goblin of the desert who appear in friendly shapes to stragglers from the caravan, lead them to where they're found no more" 9:18 AM Jan 4th from txt

"How marvelously lie our anxieties, in filmy layers one over the other! Take away that on the surface and straight you find a new stratum." 9:57 AM Jan 4th from txt

Toward end of "Uncle Silas," Mdm Rougiere asks Maud if she is cruel or just stupid. 450 pages spent in her dismal company confirm the latter 8:38 PM Jan 4th from txt

"Uncle Silas" fully partakes of British convention of centering a novel on an insipid figure, with real interest lying in subsidiary figures 8:42 PM Jan 4th from txt

Maud consistently ignores broad hints from other characters as to the plots against her: Christian charity taken to extreme of idiocy. 8:45 PM Jan 4th from txt

Supernatural in "Uncle Silas" just so much Gothic decor. Silas' demonism explained by opium addiction. Swedenborgian veil goes unlifted. 8:49 PM Jan 4th from txt