It is officially Spooky Season and what better way for a book nerd to celebrate than to spend the spooky season with the top five Gothic literature books. Not only can reading get you into the spirit, but it can help to enrich your mind and even help you to discover a new route of literature. Gothic literature can be described as “a style of writing that is characterized by elements of fear, horror, death, gloom, and as well as romantic elements” as stated in Study.com. This genre suits perfectly as usually around this time the weather could be cold and gloomy.
Aiden Brown, an English teacher at Kennedy High School, talked about their opinion on the top five best Gothic literature books. Brown explains what sets gothic literature apart from other forms of literature, “It investigates love in a unique way, with romanticism in a gothic twist unlike regular forms of literature it questions if people are really good and what makes us good.”
Their list of the top five Gothic literature books are as follows; Macbeth, Haunting of the Hill House, Wuthering Heights, Carmilla, and Beloved. Brown explains why they decided on these stating, “They all deal with haunting in a different way and deal with regret with some form of supernatural element to it and that even Wuthering Heights and Carmilla are during Gothic time periods.”
1)If you are intrigued by the world of Shakespeare, Macbeth could be right up your alley. It can be shortly described as the physical and psychological effect of political ambition and perfectly appropriate for the Halloween season with elements of murder, mystery, and witches.
2) The Haunting of the Hills House by Shirley Jackson could also suit people who are interested in a psychological thriller with the perfect build of tension. The author perfectly creates an uneasy and unpleasant atmosphere for the reader, which could be perfect for people not looking for a gory depiction.
3) With a more “romantic” gothic side, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is perfect for the season as it deals with the depiction of the selfish side of being in love. Dealing with a romantic tragedy, this could spark some interest in readers looking for romance with a darker twist.
4) Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu offers an LGBTQ+ representation as the main character and protagonist are lesbians. Carmilla also deals with the supernatural, mysterious atmosphere, and an ominous setting. Readers also looking specifically for a vampy gothic romance may find that Carmilla is the perfect choice for them.
5) Beloved by Toni Morrison, is set in the period after the American Civil War and represents the idea of the past coming back to haunt the present. The book is a perfect gothic novel as it contains a haunting element which is perfect for the Halloween season.
Brown says that their personal overall favorite Gothic literature book is Frankenstein since the book within itself asks the question of what makes a monster, how can we become one, and the overall book history is interesting since the author, Mary Shelly, wrote Frankenstein when she was just 19.
