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Discover 21 Dark Tales with These Classic and Contemporary Gothic Novels
In the mood for brooding heroes, windswept moors, and creepy manors with creaky floors? Then there's nothing quite like picking up a Gothic novel—a literary combo of horror, death, and romance.
To help you out, we've gathered up some popular Gothic novels both old and new for your next rainy day read!
Readers keen on canon classics can check out Wuthering Heights for a tale of trauma and tortured love, find newlywed bliss goes bust in Rebecca where secrets and shattering truths threaten to wreck the lives of a young bride and the husband she barely knows, and dig into Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and its particular blend of love and madness.
Meanwhile, contemporary authors have dusted off the genre in a big way in recent years. So if your tastes run more to new novels, try a Gothic book from the past five years like Mexican Gothic's spooky 1950s take on family toxicity or The Shape of Darkness, which teams up a struggling silhouette artist and child spirit medium in Victorian Bath.
Scroll over the book covers to learn more about each title, and add the ones that pique your interest to your Want to Read shelf!
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Feeling moody? Tell us about your favorite gothic reads in the comments below!
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Feb 11, 2022 01:05AM
Interesting selection of gothic novels.
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British Gothic:Gothic Tales Elizabeth Gaskell
Florence & Giles John Harding
Southern Gothic:
The Elementals Michael McDowell
The Beguiled Thomas Cullinan
A Rose for Emily William Faulkner
Gothic Fantasy:
Titus Groan Mervyn Peake
Gormenghast Mervyn Peake
I did not know that Beloved fell into this category. (It's been on my list of books to read for a while!)
Rebecca, Wuthering Heights and The Thirteenth Tale are my favorite Gothic novels. My Cousin Rachel (by the same author as Rebecca) is also really good.Ooh, and if you want something short and less well-known but with similar vibes, you could try Rappaccini's Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Skip the fake introduction that has nothing to do with the rest of the story: once the actual story starts, it's got a great flawed narrator and haunting descriptions of flowers.
I've read so many of these, & most of what I haven't are on my to-read list haha. Time to add the rest, I guess! 😆
Woman in Black is a great Gothic Novel. All the elements - an empty castle by an English Moor, a ghost and an unbelieving man. Perfect!!
My gothic recommends are: We Have Always Lived in the Castle, The Sign of Four, The Hound of Baskervilles, The Speckled Band, The Lost Apothecary, Death Comes at the End, Peril at End House, The Last Seance, The Forgotten Garden, Once Upon a River, Dracula, Interview with the Vampire, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Prestige, The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, and The Devil and the Dark Water, in addition to several of the books listed here. Hopefully these recommendations are helpful!
20 female authors. 1 male author. The usual gender ratio in Goodreads book recommendations I guess.
I find it strange you didn't include Jane Eyre in this list. The gothic elements included are some of the most genius and memorable parts of the book
Tiffany wrote: "My gothic recommends are: We Have Always Lived in the Castle, The Sign of Four, The Hound of Baskervilles, The Speckled Band, The Lost Apothecary, Death Comes at the End, Peril at End House, The La..."Finally someone else who knows We Have Always Lived in the Castle! So few people seem to know this book.
