15 'Flowers In The Attic' Facts: Read This Gothic Novel By V.C. Andrews

If you are a fan of Gothic novels, then 'Flowers In The Attic' is a must-read.

This book was written by V.C. Andrews and published in 1979. It tells the story of four siblings who are locked away in their grandparents' attic.

The children soon discover that their grandfather is a cruel and abusive man, and they are forced to endure many hardships. The novel is full of suspense, mystery, and romance.

It has been adapted into a movie several times. 'Flowers In The Attic' is the debut novel of V.C.

Andrews. It was the first book of the Dollanganger series. 'Petals On The Wind,' 'If There Be Thorns,' Seeds Of Yesterday,' 'Garden Of Shadows,' 'Christopher's Diary: Secrets Of Foxworth,' 'Christopher's Diary: Echoes Of Dollanganger,' and 'Christopher's Diary: Secret Brother' are the rest of the books in this series.

In this article, we will discuss 15 interesting facts about 'Flowers In The Attic.' So if you are ready to enter the dark and twisted world of the Dollangangers, keep reading.

Characters Of 'Flowers In The Attic'

The major characters in 'Flowers In The Attic' are the four siblings: Chris Dollanganger, Cathy Dollanganger, Carrie Dollanganger, and Cory Dollanganger. The secondary characters include their mother, grandmother, grandfather, and maid. A few other minor characters also play essential roles in the story.

Chris Dollanganger is the oldest of the four siblings. He has a complicated relationship with his father. Chris is determined to escape from his family's attic, no matter what it takes.

Cathy Dollanganger is a 12-year-old girl forced to live in the attic along with her brothers and sister. Cathy is an incredibly strong person who does everything she can to protect her siblings from their abusive grandmother.

Cory is the youngest of the four Dollanganger siblings. When the story begins, he is just a baby, and his sisters take care of him in the attic. Cory is a bright and happy child, despite the difficult circumstances he faces.

Carrie is the youngest child of Christopher and Corrine Dollanganger. She is five years old when she and her siblings are locked away in the attic and seven when they finally escape.

Corrine is the mother of the four siblings who are locked away in the attic. Olivia Foxworth is the grandmother of these four children. She is a cold and heartless woman who does not care for her grandchildren. Olivia is also the wife of Malcolm Foxworth.

Awards

'Flowers In The Attic' won the Secondary BILBY Award in 1993. In 2003, the BBC's The Big Read survey of the UK's 200 Best-Loved Novels included this book.

Although the film received generally poor reviews from book lovers and reviewers, Kristy Swanson won a Young Artist Award in 1989 for her depiction of Cathy Dollanganger, and Louise Fletcher was nominated for a Saturn Award in 1988 for her role as the grandmother in the film.

Plot Of 'Flowers In The Attic'

The plot of 'Flowers In The Attic' revolves around the four siblings who are locked away in their grandparents' attic. They are forced to endure many hardships, including abuse from their grandfather. The novel is full of suspense, mystery, and romance.

Dollanganger family has six members, father Christopher, mother Corinne, 14-year-old Chris, 12-year-old Cathy, and five-year-old twins Carrie and Cory. When the breadwinner of the family, Christopher, dies in a car accident, the family struggles to make ends meet.

When there is no way out, Corrine tells the kids about her father, Malcolm, a multi-millionaire who did not approve of her marriage with Christopher and had cut her off from the will.

Corrine tells the kids that they have to move into her father's house, who is now ill, to win his heart and restore her name in the will. For this to happen, her father must not know about the children.

So she asks them to hide in the attic. When Corrine and the children move into her father's house, Corrine's mother locks the children in the attic.

It is revealed that Christopher was Malcolm's half-brother, which is why he was against Corrine marrying him. Corrine's mother is obsessed with the concept of incest due to this incident and hence forbids all contact between the opposite sexes.

Eventually, Corrine's visits to the attic decreased. The kids suffer from malnutrition and lack of sunlight. As Cathy and Chris enter puberty, there is a brief romance between the two siblings, even though they try their best to deny their feelings for each other.

Upon noticing this, their grandmother cuts their food supply for several weeks. Shortly after this incident, one of the twins, Cory, dies of pneumonia. The children learn that their grandmother has been giving them food contaminated with rat poison. They also find out that their mother has left the house permanently with her second husband, Bart Winslow.

The rest of the story focuses on whether or not the children escape the attic.

Reviews Of 'Flowers In The Attic'

The novel was first published in 1979 and received mixed reviews. Some reviewers praised the book for its suspenseful plot and interesting characters, while others criticized it for its graphic content. However, the novel quickly became a bestseller and has sold over 40 million copies worldwide.

Some of the positive reviews talk about the refreshing tale of this book and how hard it was to put the book down. It was a brilliantly written tale that will keep any reader captivated until the very end and is one of the most suspenseful books to be read.

Did You Know...

'Flowers In The Attic' was adapted into a movie. The first adaptation was released in 1987. It starred Louise Fletcher, Kristy McNichol, Victoria Tennant, and Max Wright. In 2014, a second adaptation was released. It starred Kiernan Shipka, Ellen Burstyn, and Mason Dye.

This novel is written in first-person, from the point of view of Cathy Dollanganger.

FAQs

How long did V.C. Andrews take to write this novel?

It is believed that V.C. Andrews completed writing 'Flowers In The Attic' in just two weeks. The manuscript was returned to her with the request that she spices up things and broaden the plot.

Has this novel won any awards?

Yes, the novel won the Secondary BILBY Award in 1993.

Who are the author and the main characters in this novel?

'Flowers In The Attic,' the first book in the Dollanganger series, was written by V. C. Andrews. The main characters are the four siblings: Chris, Cathy, Carrie, and Cory. There are also a few other minor characters that play important roles in the story.

Are V.C. Andrews' stories true?

Though V.C. Andrews' novels are mostly fictional, some of her remarkable works like 'Flowers In The Attic' and 'Heaven' were based on true stories.

What is the true story behind 'Flowers In The Attic'?

According to the editor, Ann Patty, the story might be partially true. Andrews constantly informed Ann Patty that the central event of the narrative happened to a doctor she had previously seen while in the hospital for spinal surgery. Whether the twins and the time frame were real are all questions that are unlikely to be answered.