Classic gothic novels you should read to get the spook on
All those goth chasers, Dracula lovers, this is for you.
The gothic has its own parlour tricks: old cathedrals, mystery woman in the shadows, man-made monsters, family curses, possessed heirlooms, or just a depiction of the psyche of the protagonist. The gothic genre has given inspiration to the horror movies we stream every day.
If you are looking for some thrill in the castle, here is a curated list of classic novels you can read.
The Mysteries of Udolpho: Ann Radcliffe is the mother of gothic literature. Radcliffe was an inspiration for Austen’s Northanger Abbey. Udolpho tells the tale of a young woman who must go live with her aunt and uncle in an Italian castle. Shrouded with mystery, the castle has its own tale, the forces of nature, one mystery upon another and of course, the supernatural.
The Picture of Dorian Grey:
Oscar Wilde’s only novel also happens to be a narcissistic man’s desire to be young forever. There’s his painter friend, there Dorian himself; there’s art, and a deformed psyche slowing closing in on the handsome man. The project is vain, but Wilde’s own life played a part on Dorian’s divided self and forbidden pleasures.
Turn of the Screw:
Mike Flanagan’s Haunting of Bly Manner is an adaptation from Henry James’ Turn of the Screw. An American nanny with issues of her own, travels to Bly Manor to take care of recently orphaned children – Miles and Flora. The children are adorable, the caretakers care deeply for them, but something is off about the children. The novella slowly mounts its suspense and keeps things interesting.
Wuthering Heights:
There’s a reason why Heathcliffe and Catherine’s love story is a cult classic. Emily Bronte’s gothic novel has the darkness of the moors, the labyrinths of rooms to thank for. It is about life in general: the despair, blood, terror, loss, and selfishness.
Great Expectations:
A bitter woman, lives in a castle all by herself. Dresses in the wedding gown she was supposed to be married in. Though there is no supernatural element to this Dickens’ novel, the setting of the novel is enough to pull you in its grasp. Peep in a graveyard, Miss Havisham’s eerie mansion, a love story that is being manipulated. Great Expectations is compelling in its own way: the tragic tale of not one, but two love stories.
