Gothic Charm School
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Product Description
Product Description
Goth has become a permanent fixture in mainstream culture, but there are a lot of misconceptions about the people who choose to embrace the lifestyle. "Gothic Charm School" is the ultimate, fully-illustrated handbook for day-to-day Gothic living and an 'insider's look' at the subcluture for people who are curious about, but not necessarily part of the subculture. Jillian Venters, aka 'The Lady of the Manners', was a fairly spooky and morbid child, with parents who never objected to her eccentric taste in clothing. Her father raised her to be his revenge upon the universe, while her mother rolled her eyes a lot and frequently had an air of amused patience. When the Lady of the Manners discovered the existence of the whole Gothic subculture, she clapped her hands with glee. Eventually the Lady of the Manners came to realise that excellent clothes were not, contrary to popular opinion, a substitute for excellent manners, and that being a Black-Clad-Freak didn't have to mean being depressed and snarly. (Witty, sarcastic, and possibly a touch cynical, yes. Mean-spirited, sullen, and rude, no.) Since then, the Lady of the Manners has spent a not-inconsiderable amount of time trying to gently persuade others in her chosen subculture that being Goth and being polite is much, much more subversive than just wearing black t-shirts with 'edgy' sayings on them.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having read all of the Gothic Charm School online posts, I was pleased to discover that the book contained much more than just a collection of these. I found the articles about goth music vs fashion particularly interesting. Excellent read, and very funny and informative and well written, for both goths and non goths. I would particularly recommend this book to the fledgeling goth as it contains a great deal of information on starter goth mistakes to avoid!
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
No matter who you are, goth, a goth's mum, boyfriend to a goth or someone who works with a goth this is the book for you. Not only does it explain about goth culture, it explains about how to behave as a goth (not running up to toddlers cackling) and how not to treat a goth (no rubbing up the velvet). as well as being informative it's also very very funny! there are tips for what to wear in the summer (not PVC) and how to behave at weddings, and even how to dress for an interview with out scaring the potential employer :D
My favourite part of the book delt with goths becoming parents and how to treat your child if they wander over to the dark side (i.e don't panic and call over the local priest). I managed to read this in two days, as I couldn't put it down, I only hope this is the first of many books :)
My favourite part of the book delt with goths becoming parents and how to treat your child if they wander over to the dark side (i.e don't panic and call over the local priest). I managed to read this in two days, as I couldn't put it down, I only hope this is the first of many books :)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
While this book may not offer much that is new to a seasoned goth in terms of information as really, those of us old enough to be out in the wider world working and being terribly grown up now should know better than to do things like "The great internet flounce-off" or going to the gothic club dressed like the Crow (well, unless you have that Brandon Lee kind of figure and can do the makeup accurately and convincingly and carefully) or try and scare small children and strangers for giggles, but it does offer a cheering good read, and it gives good advice to those outside the sub-culture, beyond simply clearing up the common misconceptions - it gives advice on what are good and bad reasons to visit a goth club, and how to behave once you're there as a tourist, it gives advice to parents on how to handle their children around goths (don't hide them away and tell them we're evil people and conversely, don't expect us to be entertainment for them.) and what to do if their children become goths (don't panic) and those things are valuable and rarely said pieces of advice. It is also written in the same "Headmistress" style as her wonderful website and videos, which may be off putting to some, but I find it wonderfully charming. Her husbands illustrations are worth a few giggles each, my favourite being the cyber/industrial looking chap looking at his phone with the shadow he casts being that of demon with a knife -a distortion of the shadows of the tubing on his goggles and his phone, except for the glowing eyes in the section "How to reassure people you aren't a Satanist, drug fiend or pyscho-killer" and the illustration of the Victoriana goth and the Deathrocker at the start of Chapter 7 - those polarities really do confirm that the joke about goths non-conforming by all wearing the same black uniform doesn't really stand much except for about Certain groups of teenage "Mall goths" for whom it IS a phase. Altogether a charming, witty and enjoyable book that you'll find yourself reading with a glass of red wine or absinthe late at night, black cat perched on your looming chair, while listening to Sisters of Mercy and cackling at comments such as "Does that mean gothy gentleman should refrain from raising a lady's hand to their lips? No, but it should be just a quick brush of the lips, not a lingering or, erm, damp experience. Yes, Snarklings, this means no licking a lady's hand. That sends a somewhat different message." :P
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent and entertaing
This is a must for Goth and the Goth curious alike. Jillian Venters (aka The lady of the Manners) writes with humour whilst imparting much good, and relevant, advice about Goths... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Nocturnus
A simple, classy and very useful book
I haven't come across any similar books dealing with the gothic subculture, and Jillian Venters has done an excellent job. Read more
Published 2 months ago by SprocketTalker
WORST BOOK!
As a goth I thought... THOUGHT this would be a nice thing to read... I was wrong.
Do NOT buy this if you are a gothic or not. Read more
Do NOT buy this if you are a gothic or not. Read more
Published 15 months ago by KultKayleigh
Charming...
This is a fun little bo0k of etiquette tailored toward Goths, but it is worthwhile for anyone to read. It's funny and fun, which is her intention, rather than pretentious. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Ghost Gurrl
Charmed, I'm Sure
If pushed to describe Jillian Venters's book in a single adjective, it would, appropriately enough, be 'charming', but it did make me thank God for the invention of personal... Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2009 by James Rattue
A Goth: To be or not to be!
Whether you are already a Goth or know someone who is, or you have seen them gather together and wonder what it is all about, this is the book to read. Read more
Published on 30 Sep 2009 by Chique
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