GOTHIC NOVELS

What better way to enjoy the warmth of the indoors than to read a gothic novel?


Gothic novels combine elements of horror and romance and often contain melodramatic plotlines. The birth of gothic novels is often attributed to The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, written in 1764. The era of gothic novels only lasted until about 1820; however, you can still find great gothic novels written today.


The main attributes that make up gothic novels consist of a castle setting, a mysterious and suspenseful atmosphere, a prophecy, omens and visions, supernatural or inexplicable events, high emotions, a woman in distress, a powerful and tyrannical man, and/or the prevalence of gloom and horror. While not all of these elements must be present for a book to be considered a gothic novel, more than one must be prevalent throughout the story.



There is a lot of fear, terror, surprise, and darkness in these books which makes for fun reads on gloomy winter days: perfect for sitting next to a warm fire or curling up in your favorite chair to get lost in the sensationalism of the story.

Looking for some suggestions?  Check out the books below.

Newer Titles:

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
The Ghost Writer by John Harwood
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
Mary Reilly by Valerie Martin
Gad's Hall by Norah Lofts

Classic Gothic Tales:

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories of the Supernatural by Robert Louis Stevenson
Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Picture from: http://rockcat.als.lib.wi.us/search/?searchtype=X&SORT=D&searcharg=the+distant+hours&searchscope=29