Hey fellow readers! I’m in AP Lit and we’re about to start an independent book study. We read Frankenstein earlier this year and I LOVED it (easily one of my favorite books), and also enjoyed reading Dracula although there was a lot of build-up (still worth it in the end for me though). What mainly led me to like Frankenstein was the descriptions of the creature and how, through Victor, Shelley revealed the cruelty of humans and truths that are applicable to more than just fictional monsters, and that it was framed in a time crunch as Victor was chasing the creature so there was a need for action.
I was thinking about The Picture of Dorian Gray and I know there’s not a monster obviously but I kind of want something that will keep me reading and in suspense. I’m not really familiar with Wilde’s work but I read a couple of pages of Gray so far and it seems manageable to read; that being said, I would like a book that isn’t too prose-y or difficult to complete (loved The Scarlet Letter, but I’m lookin’ at you, Hawthorne!).
Are there any Gothic novels close to Frankenstein or Dracula or Dorian Gray that I should consider? I’ve also thought about The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – would this maybe be what I’m looking for? I’m looking for something that I can pretty easily analyze while still enjoying. Also, I love classics and especially given that I’m in AP Lit I would really like if I could get recommended a classic that I can write about on my exam.
Any insights or advice would be appreciated, thanks!
edit: I know I put it in my title but I’m totally open to things that aren’t gothic or horror as well
by ball_of_cells
4 Comments
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
If you want to go a little more modern (and more weird) I’d recommend Leech and What Moves the Dead.
Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Try Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole. Never read it myself but it should be quite interesting to write about in your exam, as it was the very first gothic novel.