Garden of Shadows

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Garden of Shadows

First edition cover
Author V. C. Andrews
Country United States
Language English
Series Dollanganger series
Genre(s) Gothic horror
Family saga
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Publication date 1986
Media type Print
Pages 384
ISBN 067172942X (1990 reissue)
Preceded by Seeds of Yesterday (1984)

Garden of Shadows is a novel by V. C. Andrews and was first published in 1987. V. C. Andrews had died in 1986, and her estate has commissioned a ghostwriter, Andrew Neiderman, to continue writing novels under her name, typically developed from plot outlines originally written by Andrews. There is some dispute over whether this particular novel was written in part by Andrews before she died, or whether it was written entirely by Niederman. In any event, this is the fifth and final novel of the Dollanganger series. It explains the origin of Olivia Winfield (the grandmother from Flowers in the Attic) and the events that cause her to become the cold, domineering mistress of Foxforth Hall and how Corinne's childhood and eventual betrayal come about.

Contents

[edit] Plot Summary

[edit] Part I

The story starts with tall, plain Olivia being rescued from spinsterhood by the smart and handsome Malcolm Foxworth. They soon get married and move to Foxworth Hall where Olivia starts to discover the dark secrets about Malcolm that start to kill her love for him.

She discovers he is still tormented because his beautiful mother Corinne "abandoned" him when he was five and that it was Olivia's plain looks and money that attracted him to her due to his hatred of beautiful women.

When exploring the house, she discovers The Swan Room that belonged to Malcolm’s mother and has been kept as a shrine to her. When Malcolm discovers her in the room, they finally consummate the marriage, but it is more of an attack than an act of love; Malcolm says his mother's name as they finish.

Nine months later, Olivia gives birth to a boy, Malcolm, though he is called Mal so it would be easier to distinguish between him and his father. About two years later, she gives birth to a second son, Joel. After this she cannot have any more children, and Malcolm ignores the boys for the rest of their lives because he can’t have a perfect daughter to remind him that all beautiful women are wicked and deceitful.

[edit] Part II

Malcolm’s father, Garland, comes back to Foxworth Hall with his new wife, Alicia. Olivia is disgusted to see she is only nineteen and far more beautiful than she will ever be, and Malcolm is enraged to discover she is pregnant, thinking that her child will inherit part of his Garland's fortune. She gives birth to a son, whom she names Christopher.

However, Malcolm falls in love with Alicia. When she spurns his advances, he is convinced that she is leading him on and vows to make her pay dearly.

On the night of Christopher’s third birthday, Garland catches Malcolm trying to rape Alicia, has a heart attack, and dies in the fight that follows. Then, Alicia confesses to Olivia that Malcolm has been doing this regularly and she is pregnant again. Olivia is humiliated and jealous. This is the moment when she hardens herself and begins to slowly transform into the vicious grandmother from Flowers in the Attic.

Olivia decides that the only thing to do is hide Alicia up in the attic while she is pregnant and then pass the baby off as hers. Alicia reluctantly says goodbye to Christopher. But while locked away in the attic Malcolm continues to see her and take advantage of her loneliness. So, to make her less attractive to Malcolm, Olivia coerces Alicia into cutting off her beautiful chestnut hair, which Olivia leaves on Malcolm’s desk to show that she now is the one in control.

Over the months that pass, Olivia begins to think of Christopher as her new son and is heartbroken when Alicia gives birth to a beautiful daughter and leaves quietly, taking Christopher with her. However, Olivia is soon enraged when she discovers Malcolm has named his new child Corinne after his mother and plans for her nursery to be next to his study. He acts like an only parent to the young Corinne, overriding all attempts by Olivia to raise her to be a proper young woman.

In the years that pass, Corinne grows up into a beautiful but spoiled young girl, and Malcolm Jr. dies in a motorcycling accident that resulted in him riding off a cliff near Foxworth Hall. Later, John Amos, Olivia's cousin, is hired as the butler and also serves to incorporate religion in the household. Soon after, Joel leaves on a tour of Europe with a professional orchestra and is famed in several European newspapers.

[edit] Part III

Unfortunately, Joel meets his end in an avalanche. His parents are informed of his death in a telegram that also revealed that his body was not recovered. Olivia and Malcolm turn to religion and bond slightly until Olivia receives a letter from Alicia,who is dying from breast cancer, she is pleading with her to give Christopher a home and put him through medical school. Olivia convinces Malcolm to acquiesce, and Christopher comes to live with them.

When they meet for the first time, Corinne and Christopher fall deeply in love. Everyone is blinded from this love, however, as they all adore Christopher; he could discuss intricate business plans with Malcolm; he impressed John Amos with his knowledge of the scriptures; Olivia loved him as one of her own. But later, John Amos begins to suspect incest, although Olivia brushes it off as jealousy.

Then, Olivia discovers Christopher and Corinne making love in the Swan Room. They were banished and cursed, and Corinne was disowned. Malcolm has a stroke as well as a heart attack afterward, and he is forced to use a wheelchair. Olivia soon reveals to John Amos that Christopher was not Corinne's half uncle but her half brother. She also tells of the sins and events that led to it.

Malcolm is a changed man after the discovery of Chris and Corinne's scandal. Finally, he breaks and asks Olivia to hire a private detective to find out what happened to Corinne. The P.I. returns and informs Olivia that they live in Gladstone, PA under the name of Dollanganger. She was also told of their bright, beautiful children, Chris, Cathy, and the twins, Cory and Carrie.

Years later, Corinne writes a letter to Olivia, seeking shelter and telling of Christopher's death by a car accident. Olivia allows her to return to Foxworth Hall, bring her children with her. The book ends with Olivia silently vowing to hide the children from the world forever.

[edit] Clarifications

This book, though a prequel, actually changes the entire scandalous nature of the series. Instead of half-uncle and niece, it is revealed Chris and Corinne are also half-brother and sister. The book also gives a sympathetic side to Olivia and to Malcolm, previously unseen in the other books. However, Olivia's softer side was implied in Flowers in the Attic, when Cathy theorizes at one point, though briefly, that Olivia was trying to prevent them from eating the poisoned donuts their mother sets out for them, when Olivia agrees with Cathy's demands that the dying twin Cory be taken to a hospital, when Olivia gives them a plant, and when Christopher witnesses Olivia in prayer at the foot of her bed.

This book also clarifies the suspicious marriage of Corinne and John Amos (mentioned in If There Be Thorns), considering the latter's obvious disgust with incest. As Corinne is not Olivia's biological daughter, she and John Amos are not genetically related.

[edit] Errors/Inconsistencies

  • In Flowers in the Attic, Corinne and her four children arrive at Foxworth Hall in the month of August. Yet in this book, a light snow is falling when they arrive.
  • The Doll house that belongs to Olivia stays at her old house. There is no mention of it ever arriving at Foxworth Hall, as it does in Flowers in the Attic.
  • In Flowers in the Attic, Christopher Sr. dies at age 36; in Garden of Shadows he dies at age 34.
  • In Garden of Shadows, Malcolm Jr. dies at Foxworth Hall trying to impress Corinne; in Flowers in the Attic, Corinne tells her children that he died at a resort he had built. Differences lie in the location of death and who was present.
  • In the previous Dollanganger books, Corinne's name is spelled "Corinne", however, in "Garden of Shadows", it is spelled "Corrine".
  • In "Flowers in the Attic", Corinne tells her children Joel ran away from home and sent a single postcard, while in "Garden of Shadows", Olivia mentions many newspaper clippings were sent home. Also, she recalls Joel saying goodbye to his parents.
  • In "Garden of Shadows", Olivia mentions her loving and affectionate relationship with Corinne, while in "Flowers in the Attic", Olivia proudly states that she thought Corinne to be trash from birth.

[edit] References