Book Review: "House of Monstrous Women" by Daphne Fama

I've missed horror involving women and well, even though it's still September, it is approaching Halloween quite nicely. I've bought some new t-shirts involving cutesy ghosts and jumpers with witches on them. I'm prepping myself carefully but my main goal is to buy a pumpkin and of course, make pumpkin filled cupcakes or something. The book House of Monstrous Women is a novel which involves tragedy, brilliance, gore and the resilience of a woman against odds. I thoroughly enjoyed this book for its connections to Filipino culture and all its greatness...

Josephine is a precocious daughter of political dissidents, her father and her mother were both assassinated during her father's political campaign. She has since been left alone in her family home in Carigara, the maintainence and joy left to her as it crumbles around her. Her brother Alejandro has left for somewhere else - a man who is chasing his own political ambition. Josephine is a heartbroken, misunderstood soul who is often looked down on by others. She makes for the perfect character to star in this book. The author definitely sets her up as a character we as readers can rely on, the woman who stayed behind to look after a legacy. She often thinks about 'those who came before' and their lives. It's quite beautiful.

Josephine receives a letter from her childhood friend Hiraya Ranoco, a family rumoured to be "aswang" folk (in Filipino folklore, a shapeshifter/monster figure). It invites her to play a game like they used to and so, she goes to the house. The game is one of hide and seek but with much higher stakes. Basically, whoever wins will get exactly what their heart desires and for Josephine, that could change her life. As she moves through the house though, there is something desperately weird - the house is much more complex than Josephine could have dreamed. The author definitely wants us to feel the magical atmosphere, but she also wants us to experience the horror and the disgust because of the tension. There's mention of insects everywhere and everything feels entirely wrong. All she has to do is survive until morning, but the more the book goes on, the more impossible that seems.

Her brother’s absence, his ambitions, perhaps neglect or power over Josephine’s inheritance, create tension. Alejandro isn't necessarily a character the readers like - he seems like a horrid human but then again, he does have his own life to live. Be that as it may, he still seems to have power over Josephine in a way that she does not have herself. Josephine's agency can really only be completely realised if she wins the game and Alejandro is just another person in her way. We could say that she is 'strong' but honestly, I think she's just desperate for her own sense of self. Other people are always having a hold on her whether that be her brother or people who have been long dead. Winning the competition would mean she gets her own sense of agency, she gains access to herself and she gets to make her own decisions.

The novel grows more horrific as the supernatural elements intensify. The folklore of the Philippines, especially the idea of aswang or witchcraft, is real in the world of the book and not just rumour. You know how I feel about folk horror and well, I absolutely loved the way the author wove it into the reality of the book here. I was quite worried that it was going to be a bit far out as I had not encountered the folklore of the Philippines before but no, everything fit perfectly and you could really understand where it was all going. It felt more and more real as the book went on even though there was definitely a strong supernatural presence. I think the author's use of 'those who came before' earlier on in the book definitely solidified her ability to use the supernatural without it seeming like it was shoehorned in.

All in all, I quite enjoyed this book. I didn't think I would enjoy it so much but it felt all supernatural, folklorish and claustrophobic at once. The strong sense of culture was amazing and it was so incredibly atmospheric. This book is highly recommended.