Old Books, New Readers discussion
BOTM Nominations & Polls
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October 2025 BOTM Nominations
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We Have Always Lived in the CastleI would argue that several of the characters in this book could fall into "unsettling demeanor" and while Shirley Jackson has written actual horror, this book isn't horror in the traditional sense.
Plus I just really want to read it. :D
Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Robert Maturin
I nominate Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
I nominate "A Wedding in Brownsville" by Isaac Bashevis Singer. The setting is New York. The main character is a doctor. All familiar but then strange things happen at a wedding. The entire story is here and freehttps://freeebook.jagranjosh.com/free...
Highly recommend it and it fits all the criteria.
The Exorcist by William Peter BeattyCarmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Found an interesting list here: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
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Old Books, New Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
Madame Butterfly (other topics)We Have Always Lived in the Castle (other topics)
The time is now to start choosing our next BOTM for October.
Fall is approaching, which conjures up images of gothicism in both scene and character. However, some of these elements are not so conspicuous and may show themselves in other ways. There could be a story that is not considered horror but has a character who has an unsettling demeanor. The same can be said about an environment that is not steeped in traditional darkness. For example, in The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield's detachment and cynicism could be uncomfortable for some reader's to process, creating an effect that is not overtly scary but disturbing in its own right. Keep this notion in your mind when choosing our next read.
Again, for those not familiar with the criteria, these selections should be over 50 years old, have literary merit, and most importantly, have relevance to the theme. Please list your suggestions on the thread below. Once we have six, I will make a poll.