Call for Nomination for Gothic Poll

[Michael, Mod Prometheus]

We are doing Gothic fiction soon so we need nominations for the poll. Let us know what book you are suggesting.

Rules
* can't nominate your own book
* only one nomination per person
* first 6-8 books will be chosen
* need to tell us why you are suggesting this book
* be respectful of other people's choices

[Breanne]

I nominate Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. I'm nominating it because I'm sure most people have read Jane Eyre and this is supposed to be a great tie-in/prequel. It also deals with some really important themes like racism and forced displacement.

[Michael, Mod Prometheus]

Since we are not getting many nominations, I'm going to nominate and push this a long a little. I'm nominating The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis because it's a classic gothic novel that doesn't get much attention

[Leanne]

Hi Michael, can I check what we are defining as "gothic" in this instance please? Some groups are very strict about the definition whereas others tend to be more liberal.

[Laurie]

I nominate Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. It has all the classic gothic elements and is an amazingly good novel.

[Leanne]

I second "Rebecca" Laurie :-)

[M.L.]

There was a huge GR outage yesterday, parts of the US, UK, India, Argentina, and it lasted a long time so that could be slowing things down.

I'll nominate The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. It's a classic with many adaptations and would be good to read the original.

[Janet]

How about The Phantom of the Opera? The book itself has been overshadowed by the success of the stage and screen versions but I think it would be interesting to read the original.

[MK]

Leanne wrote: "Hi Michael, can I check what we are defining as "gothic" in this instance please? Some groups are very strict about the definition whereas others tend to be more liberal."

I'd be interested too :).

I do have a nomination tho, how about The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis? It is one of the first books I added to my TBR on goodreads, and it sounds like a pretty good read. Since it also includes "Gothic Fiction" in its description, I feel pretty solid in its qualifying ;-).

The Monk
by Matthew Gregory Lewis, Christopher MacLachlan (Introduction)
3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 · rating details · 9,164 ratings · 664 reviews



‘Few could sustain the glance of his eye, at once fiery and penetrating’

Savaged by critics for its supposed profanity and obscenity, and bought in large numbers by readers eager to see whether it lived up to its lurid reputation, The Monk became a succès de scandale when it was published in 1796 – not least because its author was a member of parliament and only twenty years old. It recounts the diabolical decline of Ambrosio, a Capuchin superior, who succumbs first to temptations offered by a young girl who has entered his monastery disguised as a boy, and continues his descent with increasingly depraved acts of sorcery, murder, incest and torture. Combining sensationalism with acute psychological insight, this masterpiece of Gothic fiction is a powerful exploration of how violent and erotic impulses can break through the barriers of social and moral restraint.

This edition is based on the first edition of 1796, which appeared before Lewis’s revisions to avoid charges of blasphemy. In his introduction, Christopher MacLachlan discusses the novel’s place within the Gothic genre, and its themes of sexual desire and the abuse of power.

Paperback, 386 pages
Published June 1st 1999 by Penguin Classics (first published 1796)
original titleThe Monk
ISBN 0140436030 (ISBN13: 9780140436037)
edition languageEnglish
charactersMatilda, Agnes, Ambrosio, Antonia, Raymond
settingMadrid (Spain)

[MK]

Michael wrote: "Since we are not getting many nominations, I'm going to nominate and push this a long a little. I'm nominating The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis because it's a classic..."


Oops :p


I second The Monk *sheepish smile*

[M.L.]

Janet wrote: "How about The Phantom of the Opera? The book itself has been overshadowed by the success of the stage and screen versions but I think it would be interesting to read the original."

I loved the opera (musical) - now you've got the music going in my head! :)

[Catherine]

I'd like to nominate Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. It's a great example of the Gothic genre.

[Franky]

I'm liking a lot of the nominations, but if you need one more I'll add The Turn of the Screw. It is regarded as a spooky classic with Gothic elements.

[Sam]

I second The turn of the screw. It's been on my tbr for ages in spite of me really wanting to read it.

[Mish]

I would like to nominate something recent.

I was thinking of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. It's a book I've been meaning to read for a while. I've heard it very good and quite imaginative.

Yet I'm not sure if this falls under the Gothic genre....The cover looks Gothic

[Michael, Mod Prometheus]

Awesome, we now have a poll; https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...