The Unicorn (book review) Iris Murdoch

i have not read much gothic(45), so i do not know how it uses gothic structures beyond the obvious:

castle, sublime isolation, dangerous heath, bogs, rivers, sea, violent loves, emotional, irrational, religious motivations, mythic plot, dark legends, captive woman, semi-feudal, everyone has secrets, guilt…

sounds like i could follow it? yes and no. is she writing a deconstruction, a postmodern take? i do not know. she moves in and out of a few characters well. some remain mysterious. all, towards the end in particular, are almost ridiculously self-aware. how this captive unicorn came to be imprisoned by no force but herself. how her cruel, wounded, brutal husband returns at the end of her seven years- i wanted them to clash. i wanted fireworks. instead, things happen, the spell is broken...