Category: The Gothic: Novel

Guest Post: Wicked Women and the Female Gothic, Du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’ & ‘My Cousin Rachel’

As the sun in the northern hemisphere gains strength, many of us seek the coast. Always geographically close, on this island as I am, the coast I seek is literary: Du Maurier’s sharp and unforgiving coastline, haunted by traumas past and present. Though born in London in 1907, Du Maurier is intrinsically linked to the… Read More Guest Post: Wicked Women and the Female Gothic, Du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’ & ‘My Cousin Rachel’

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Raising Ghosts: ‘The Haunting of Hill House’

To those who don’t follow along on Instagram and have been wondering where I’ve been, I will quickly catch you up. So far this year, I have:danced with Lolly and the devil,escaped the lab with Algernon,picnicked at Hanging Rock, witnessed Bloody torture in unending Chambers,followed Snowman seeking Crake across a desolate wasteland,heard the Crawdads Sing,felt… Read More Raising Ghosts: ‘The Haunting of Hill House’

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Love Letters to Poe: A Convergence of Wonder and Terror

“[D]iscover a convergence of wonder and terror, romance and horror within its pages.” This is the introduction and invitation offered by Sara Crocoll Smith, publisher and editor-in-chief of Love Letters to Poe. In its first issue, the new gothic fiction magazine brings six short pieces together, each inspired by the life and works of Edgar… Read More Love Letters to Poe: A Convergence of Wonder and Terror

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Guest Post: ‘Geek Love’, An Intimate Portrait of a Nuclear Family

Before the dust of the departing circus train settles, there is time for a post or two more. June, which was dedicated to the Circus of Horrors (that is, the horror of the circus) certainly lived up to the name. Rather than head into July leaving no trace of the circus behind, I’m bending time… Read More Guest Post: ‘Geek Love’, An Intimate Portrait of a Nuclear Family

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Hawai’i, History, & the Unexpected Gothic: ‘The Hala Tree Walks in Darkness’

As if by magic it is barely June any longer, but one witch flies, still, through the sky. The month may have turned long ago – whilst I was soaring through the night myself, as it happens – but I have one last tale to discuss before May’s Season of the Witch fades completely. Today’s… Read More Hawai’i, History, & the Unexpected Gothic: ‘The Hala Tree Walks in Darkness’

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Curate a Library to Help You See: in Maya’s Words

With a light brightly shining on the ugly face of police brutality and racial inequality in the United States of America, the whole world has stood up, has begun to question systemic racism across the countries of the world, has pledged to stay standing until we achieve an anti-racist normality. Against the bleak backdrop of… Read More Curate a Library to Help You See: in Maya’s Words

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Generally Gothic Book Club Readalong: ‘The Masque of the Red Death’

As the world’s population becomes increasingly locked away indoors, many of us are feeling panic or anxiety in the face of change and uncertainty. Whilst we all strive to maintain our collective physical well-being, it’s important not to let our mental health slip. The Bookstagram community thrives on indoor activity and online connection, but it’s… Read More Generally Gothic Book Club Readalong: ‘The Masque of the Red Death’

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A Dream Dreaming Itself: ‘Hiraeth’ Author Interview

In her ambitious debut novel, Sabina Lungeanu builds a deliciously gloomy gothic world, at once familiar and entirely new. Set along the rugged coastline of rural Scotland, with the almost mythical Merriver mental institution at its core, Hiraeth (2020) expands into a poetic portrait of the human psyche. Initially focused upon the interconnecting stories of… Read More A Dream Dreaming Itself: ‘Hiraeth’ Author Interview

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An Unutterable Wretchedness of the Mind: ‘Jane Eyre’

Born in Yorkshire, England, on the 21st of April, 1816, Charlotte Brontë was the third of six Brontë children, and the longest surviving. Along with her younger sisters Emily (1818-1848) and Anne (1820-1849), Charlotte remains a popular author to this day. She completed four novels in her lifetime, three of which she saw published (the… Read More An Unutterable Wretchedness of the Mind: ‘Jane Eyre’

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Stone upon Stone: ‘Circe’ Readalong

Madeline Miller’s 2018 international number 1 bestseller, Circe, takes classical Greek literature, in turn based upon classical Greek mythology, as its subject. The title character is perhaps most famous for her appearance in Homer’s ancient epic poem, The Odyssey. This original text follows a war hero named Odysseus on his journey home after ten years… Read More Stone upon Stone: ‘Circe’ Readalong

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Decadence and Dark Ages’ Guest Post: Medieval Gothic

January has been dedicated (half-absently, thanks to a vicious virus) to the exploration of the Gothic Muses, to historical and artistic influences on our beloved genre. For today’s post, I am delighted to hand the keyboard over to the delectable Decadence and Dark Ages; a professional spooky nerd and devout medieval gothicist! I am particularly… Read More Decadence and Dark Ages’ Guest Post: Medieval Gothic

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Words Curling Round Me: 2020 Reading List

Welcome to 2020! It is the year of the rat, and so I begin by rummaging through the dark corners of my bookcase for the texts that I have hoarded this past year, but not yet read. “𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓘 𝓬𝓪𝓷𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓼𝓮𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭𝓼 𝓬𝓾𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓼𝓶𝓸𝓴𝓮 𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓶𝓮 𝓘 𝓪𝓶 𝓲𝓷 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓼 – 𝓘… Read More Words Curling Round Me: 2020 Reading List

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Generally Gothic Bookworm Readalong: Lore in ‘Little Sister Death’

Whilst some of you are still making your way through Little Sister Death for the #generallygothicbookworm read-along which Gothic Bookworm and I have been hosting throughout December, we’ve decided to postpone our final, spoiler-filled blog posts until after Christmas… Having finished the novel ourselves, however, we’re both too filled with feelings to stay silent until… Read More Generally Gothic Bookworm Readalong: Lore in ‘Little Sister Death’

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Generally Gothic Bookworm Readalong: Midway Musings on ‘Little Sister Death’

“𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓻𝓲𝓯𝔂𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵 𝔂𝓸𝓾’𝓵𝓵 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝔂𝓮𝓪𝓻.” Now there’s a claim that’s hard to refuse! During the summer I spent a month, entitled 🥀 Southern Spell 🥀 , exploring the southern gothic. I first posted (on Instagram) about William Gay’s Little Sister Death then. Some of you praised the novel, or declared adoration for… Read More Generally Gothic Bookworm Readalong: Midway Musings on ‘Little Sister Death’

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Into that Eden of Poisonous Flowers: ‘Rappaccini’s Daughter’ Readalong

Welcome to the very second Generally Gothic Book Club read-along, and thank you for your patience as this week’s read-along turned into this fortnight‘s read-along… As explained over on Instagram, November, dubbed ‘Nature is Gothic’, has been dedicated to exploring the – you guessed it – gothic within our natural world. Whilst many of us are… Read More Into that Eden of Poisonous Flowers: ‘Rappaccini’s Daughter’ Readalong

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Generally Gothic Book Club Readalong: ‘Rappaccini’s Daughter’

“𝕲𝖎𝖔𝖛𝖆𝖓𝖓𝖎 𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖋𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖉 𝖓𝖔 𝖇𝖊𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖈𝖈𝖚𝖕𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝖉𝖔𝖜𝖓 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖌𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖊𝖓 𝖇𝖊𝖓𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖜𝖎𝖓𝖉𝖔𝖜.” This week, I will be reading the short story, RAPPACCINI’S DAUGHTER, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and you are invited to read with me. Born in Salem, Massachusetts with direct connections to the historic American witch trials, Hawthorne is famously the… Read More Generally Gothic Book Club Readalong: ‘Rappaccini’s Daughter’

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The Ecstasy of Admiration: ‘The Flowering of the Strange Orchid’ Readalong

Welcome to the very first Generally Gothic Book Club read-along! As explained over on Instagram, November, dubbed ‘Nature is Gothic’, has been dedicated to exploring the – you guessed it – gothic within our natural world. Whilst many of us are enjoying dark, drawn-out evenings in the arms of autumn, and the weather is getting… Read More The Ecstasy of Admiration: ‘The Flowering of the Strange Orchid’ Readalong

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Between One Cap and One Period: Reading William Faulkner

In an interview in the spring of 1956, Southern Gothic author William Faulkner was asked to advise readers who remained unable to understand his writing after two or three attempts. His response was simple: “Read it four times.”“I am trying to say it all in one sentence,” he continued, “between one cap and one period.”… Read More Between One Cap and One Period: Reading William Faulkner

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Understanding Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’, Part 1

The Truth about Frankenstein PART ONE OF TWO Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus is victim to a whole host of misconceptions. As we began this year with the 200th anniversary of the first publication of the novel (which took place on January 1st, 1818), and as today, February 1st, is the anniversary of Mary Shelley’s (1797 –… Read More Understanding Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’, Part 1

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