Today is World Goth Day! So, I thought I’d talk about my favourite gothic novel.
Before I start talking about books, I just want to give a little high-five to all the Goth’s out there who are celebrating today. When I was a teenager, I tended to wear a monochrome wardrobe, an ankle-length double-breasted coat and big boots, but I would never have described myself as a Goth.
What is a Goth?
Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the term, according to what is Goth dot com, a Goth is “someone who finds beauty in things others consider dark”. The site also says that Goths don’t always wear black; like any culture, it’s diverse and crammed with unique individuals. What binds it is a love of mythology, the mysterious, the supernatural, traditions, romanticism and nature.
What Makes a Novel Gothic?
The term Gothic was first used to describe the ornate and intricate style of medieval architecture. It wasn’t until the Romantic era in the late 18th century that it was applied to literature. Horace Walpole described his work, The Castle of Otranto (1764), as “A Gothic Story.” His tale of love, death and elements of the supernatural paved the way for a new genre of novels.
Gothic literature tends to encompass mystery, fear, omens or curses, dark atmospheres and settings, supernatural activity, and a sense of unease.
While I worked for the library service, we had a teenage volunteer who was the president of the Gothic literature society at his high school. He put together a lovely display of gothic novels and I was quite surprised by the wide range he included, and even more surprised by how many I’ve read.
There were the obvious classic contenders: Dracula, Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. But he’d also included modern gothic novels which I’d never heard of.
I asked him about Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, and then we had a long chat about how that’s more of a satirical take on gothic novels, but he did come back with a copy of The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, bless him.
Which is my Favourite Gothic Novel?
I’m going to be honest, I haven’t read a lot of Gothic literature, so I don’t have a large pool to choose from.
In my post where I decry the overuse of vernacular in Charlotte Bronte’s Shirley, a reader commented about Wuthering Heights. I replied that I’d only read that once because I disliked the dialect, but I also don’t like both Catherine and Heathcliff. Now, many will probably argue they are the epitome of the Gothic hero and heroine for their selfish romanticism. But I’m not here to debate that, I’m just saying it’s not my favourite Gothic novel.
My favourite, however, is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. The opening line alone sets a scene of mystery and unease.
“Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”
Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
I enjoyed the novel because it kept me on edge throughout, what with the metaphorical ghost of Rebecca de Winter lingering about the old, expansive stately home of Manderley. Plus, creepy Mrs Danvers and her unhealthy obsession with her former mistress give the reader that sense of unease essential for a Gothic novel.
Writing this post has inspired me to delve into the Gothic genre again and try out some modern examples. What’s your favourite Gothic novel, and do you have any recommendations? Let me know in the comments.
I have to say that I’ve read the novel Dracula by Brahms Stoker borrowed
from my Uncle, it was a small light blue book with tiny writing. I’m not a fan of anything to do with scary films and certainly not books I read it with great trepidation and was even scared reading it but i finished it and would never read it again.