This book triggered the huge burst of interest in medievalism and ‘terror’ fiction that still endures to this day. It is the very first Gothic novel that actually initiated the ‘Gothic horror’ genre. The Castle of Otranto, subtitled ‘A Gothic Story’, by Horace Walpole is a classic Gothic novel published in 1764. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo 1. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde The Vampyre: A Tale by John William Polidori Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Robert Maturin The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Gothic Tales by Edgar Allan Poe The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe Among them the most famous were Edgar Allan Poe, Mathew Lewis, Mary Shelley, Ann Radcliffe, Bram Stoker and others. Walpole’s novel inspired a number of writers who introduced the same mechanism of ‘terror’ in their writings and earned great popularity.
This first Gothic novel skillfully combined the elements of Romanticism with horror and the supernatural. The origin of Gothic novels is ascribed to Horace Walpole who wrote the first Gothic novel “ The Castle of Otranto” in 1764. The Gothic novelists, under the spell of medievalism, wrote novels of terror, suspense, and psychological thrill. For instance, even though man’s progress seemed to make him increasingly powerful, history continued to haunt him. The works of Gothic fiction also intertwined the past and the present. This unique pairing helped create a sense of eeriness and estrangement that Gothic fiction is specifically known for. It placed great emphasis on intense emotion and blending old with new, terror with pleasure, and death with romance.
Gothicism actually emerged in 18th century Europe as the sub-genre of the Romantic movement.
#EXAMPLES OF GOTHIC LITERATURE IN FRANKENSTEIN FULL#
The dark atmosphere, haunted houses full of passage ways, shadowy corridors, hidden rooms and underground tunnels, the windswept moors, and the gloomy and uncertain landscapes or architecture that create an atmosphere of suspense and mystery-all are the characteristic elements of Gothicism in literature. It encompasses novels and stories having Gothic elements such as horror, mystery, adventure, psychological torment and supernatural phenomenon. Gothic literature (also ‘Gothic fiction’ or ‘Gothic horror’) is one of the oldest and widely studied literary genres. But before heading to the topic, let me first tell you briefly about “ Gothic fiction.” What is Gothic fiction? Also, I highly recommend all these classic tales of terror and mystery. I have dedicated this blogpost to share with you some of my favorite classic Gothic novels of all the time. I am a die-hard fan of Gothic literature and all the tales of horror and mystery extremely fascinate me. Boo!!! Such spooky elements of Gothic novels really intrigue me. The creepy footsteps, the howling of wolves, and the weird noises… A horrible shriek of a damsel in distress… Knock! Knock!… the constant knock at the door in the dead of night… Suddenly the light went out…The uncanny movement of the curtain due to the wind or something more-especially the unknown…The horrible creaking at night and the flickering of candles.
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