The Routledge Companion to Gothic

Routledge Companions

by Catherine Spooner, Emma McEvoy (Editor)

In a wide ranging series of introductory essays written by some of the leading figures in the field, this essential guide explores the world of Gothic in all its myriad forms throughout the mid-eighteenth Century to the internet age. The Routledge Companion to Gothic includes discussion With ideas for further reading, this book is one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date guides on the diverse and murky world of the gothic in literature, film and culture.

Genres: Gothic, Nonfiction, Literary Criticism, History, Reference

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Phillip]

This edited collection has essays about a wide range of subjects related to the Gothic, from early novels up through contemporary horror film parodies. And because the essays are relatively short, and mostly quite clearly and accessibly written, they are pretty quick reads.

[Jonathan Walker]

A collection of short essays on various aspects of the Gothic, grouped into four sections: Gothic tradition (the history of Gothic), Gothic locations (case studies from various countries, plus cities, empire), Gothic concepts (uncanny, abject and grotesque, several chapters on gender), and Gothic media (cinema, tv, etc.). I read all of the first section (fairly good), skipped most of the second, read all of the third (fairly good), and sampled about half of the last section (the ones I read were disappointing). Overall, a decent survey.

[Karleah Olson]

I don't often log my study books in GoodReads, but this was one that I read cover to cover more than once this year. This book has been invaluable to my uni work. It's interesting and informative, and offers so much insight into the Gothic genre and a number of important works. Great references for further reading, and it covers a range of relevant topics. This is a great reference work for students and anyone looking for a base understanding of the genre. I have a few other Routledge companion works and they're all wonderful. Highly recomended this series across all subjects.

[Lilian]

Really amazing book! I would read this for fun not just research

[Michael]

This is just incredible. SO much insight about stories I already thought I knew. Layers and layers like peeling an onion. Brilliant. A great reference.

[Ashley]

I used this to prep me for my dissertation, it's enriched in both useful and interesting information. It doesn't just focus on 19th Century literature, but also touches 20th century, and contemporary fiction. I'd definitely recommend to anyone else with an interest in Gothic literature, or are themselves also studying it.