Just finished reading Her Fearful Symmetry (Niffenneger) and I liked the premise and the themes of death, Victorian England, haunting(but not horror). Unfortunately the ending was a letdown for me. Can anyone recommend books with similar themes?
I’ve read the classics like Jane Eyre and the Brontes, and am searching for books written in this century.
by kate4249
3 Comments
“The Essex Serpent” by Sarah Perry (the book is better than the Apple TV series!). Set in the 1890s, about a recently widowed woman with an interest in naturalism who takes it upon herself to investigate possible sightings of a mysterious sea monster in Essex.
Joanne Harris has a couple of books that are very Victorian gothic – Sleep Pale Sister and The Evil Seed.
Sarah Waters also has some that might fit what you’re looking for.
The Beloved Children and Spirit Burns by Tina Jackson are set in the world of early 1900s vaudeville theatre and are full of mysticism, fortune tellers and spiritualism, plus they’re a really interesting take on life as a woman at the time of the suffragettes.
Also look at Jonathan Strange And Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke and We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson.
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. The Poison Thread (also known as The Corset) by Laura Purcell. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood.