Synopsis
SOON TO BE A FEATURE FILM STARRING MAIKA MONROE, THOMASIN MCKENZIE AND JASON ISSACS
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by The New Yorker, TIME, Bookpage, and the Chicago Public Library • The American Booksellers Association’s #1 Indie Next Great Read for February 2025
“[A] savage thriller… Victorian Psycho offers a wickedly subversive look at a woman on the verge of a murderous rampage.” ―Shannon Carlin, TIME
“The bloody belle of the 2025 literary ball” (Oprah Daily), Victorian Psycho unleashed an iconic new antihero on us all.“
Simmering with rage, propulsive and laugh out loud funny” (Catriona Ward), Victorian Psycho hacked its way into the hearts of readers and critics alike. In this gruesome tale, Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House prepared to play the perfect governess. But long, listless days spent within the estate’s dreary confines come with an intimate knowledge of the perversions and pathetic preoccupations of the Pounds family, and Winifred struggles to stifle the violent compulsions of her past. Blissfully, Christmas is coming, and she has very special gifts planned for these dear, ugly souls…
One of the most horrifyingly beloved novels of the year, Victorian Psycho “lives up to its literary namesakes, delivering unrelenting gore and shock” (Jac Jemc, New York Times Book Review) and affirming Virginia Feito as a master of the darkest craft. 4 black-and-white illustrations
Review
Grabbed this one from a bookstore in Sleepy Hollow, NY, on a day trip this summer. It had been on my radar for quite a while, but I decided to get to it before the movie dropped.
Winifred has taken employment as a governess to the Pounds family. Christmas is approaching fast, and it’s her job to whip Andrew and Drusilla into shape in short order. This would be alright if the two of them weren’t dreadfully dull and incredibly misbehaved. To say that Winifred has ulterior motives for being there, though, would be quite the understatement. That, and the fact that she has some awfully dark desires and proclivities—ones that she just barely holds at bay (and sometimes not at all)—makes for a quick and interesting (albeit dark) read. The longer she stays, the more these things spill over, and by Christmas, things are not all merry and bright.
For starters, I would like to think the name Winifred is a nod to Hocus Pocus. Why? Because I adore that movie, and this character represents several traits that the witch embodies too. Her last name of Notty felt like a little cheeky twist on “naughty,” which she most definitely is. She battles with her inner darkness, which her stepfather thought was satanic evil, and the reference to it felt almost like a gothic take on Dexter’s Dark Passenger. Although you can trust me when I say that Winifred is not worried about whether anyone is innocent or guilty.
With a title like this, which brings to mind the likes of Psycho and American Psycho (obviously), I have to be honest that I was quite surprised by the darkness and depravity in the book. And above that (if you can believe it), the crassness of the writing, with its potty talk and its unbecoming, “unladylike” thoughts, which do wonders in bringing the psyche of Winifred Notty to life. She is both humorous and vile all at once. I can’t say I’ve seen much about it, or that I have super high hopes for the film, but I do think Maika Monroe will do well taking on the character.
SPOILERS AND HARD TO STOMACH MENTIONS BELOW:
The book, whose title should be trigger warning enough, still has some hard-to-digest plot points. I, for one, in no way expected infanticide or kidnapping/baby swapping of an infant. That was so wild to me. But there’s also cruelty to children, if not outright abuse, and then worse too. There is seriously no contemplation on innocence for Notty, nor hesitation. Even with that wildness said, the first two deaths had me seriously wondering where all the blood was. These were not planned, nor were they neat, so where was the gore? I think in some respect, it was to lessen the intensity of what I’ve stated above, a lengthier or more detailed scene perhaps teetering off the edge into the “absolutely not, way too much” territory. There’s also the commentary on how staff was viewed back then, how beneath the Pounds’ they were, so of course they didn’t think to actually look down. I do, and also do not get it, because given the time period, there weren’t exactly cleaning products readily available. Surely someone would notice? Blood-soaked rags, stained rugs and floorboards? That is, of course, a somewhat small nitpick in a wild ride of murder and evil.
The ending, which meshes my love of Christmas with my love of horror, is something of a blast. Parts of the climax made me think of Samara Weaving in Ready or Not, but this isn’t a good-for-her. Rather, it’s a what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-her, but sometimes those can be fun to read too. It’s depraved. Callous. Morally dead. Salacious. Dark as hell. And if any of that sounds like your thing, then this book is the one for you.
“Women! Theatrical bitches.”
That is the novel in a nutshell.
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