Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings.   Today’s post is a list of must-read Gothic novels.   I have done lists like this before, but it has been a while, and the other lists are not specifically about novels.   This list is meant to give some inspiration for your next Autumnal read leading into Halloween and Samhain!   Without further ado, let’s look at the list of Gothic novels.   

Number 10: A LONG FATAL LOVE CHASE by Louisa May Alcott

~For my number ten, I had to include Louisa May Alcott’s novel about a young woman named Rosamund and her seduction by a mysterious man!   This book was not published in Alcott’s lifetime, as it was considered ‘too sensational.’   That being said, it was originally written for magazine serialization in 1866 before Little Women was published.   While Alcott gained fame for her sweet novels about home and family life, she had a passion for Gothic fiction!  The novel was finally published for the first time in 1995, and we are lucky that we can now enjoy this great work of fiction by one of the great American novelists! 

Number 9: THE WOMAN IN WHITE by Wilkie Collins

~For my number nine, I had to include this amazing novel by Wilkie Collins.   In many ways, it is a classic ghost story, making for ideal reading during October!

Number 8: THE ROMANCE OF THE FOREST by Ann Radcliffe

~For my number eight, I had to include this book by Ann Radcliffe.   It is well-known for its tension and mystery elements, with an examination of the balance between hedonistic tendencies and morals!   Other than that, I am leaving things vague, as I find that with these Gothic novels going in, knowing less makes for a better reading experience.

Number 7: THE MYSTERIES OF UDOLPHO by Ann Radcliffe

~For my number seven, I had to include my favorite novel by Ann Radcliffe.   I included two novels by Radcliffe because she is one of the most important authors of the Gothic genre.   This one has all the staples: a setting hundreds of years before it was written, a large castle, an orphaned protagonist, and an evil male relative!

Number 6: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY by Oscar Wilde

~For my number six, I had to include this iconic novel by Oscar Wilde.   This is the story of the beautiful young man whose painting ages and takes on the brunt of his atrocities while his youthful beauty remains unchanged!

Number 5: DRACULA by Bram Stoker

~For my number five, I just had to choose the most iconic Vampire novel ever written.   If you have only ever seen the films, I highly suggest giving the original source material a read!

Number 4: CARMILLA by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

~For my number four, I had to go with what is my favorite story of Vampire fiction from the 19th century.   This is a very short read, often categorized as a novella, but I had to put it on this list due to how influential and important his book is when it comes to Vampire literature!

Number 3: FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

~For my number three, I had to mention this classic by Mary Shelley.   It is said to have given birth to the Science Fiction genre, even if I consider it more Fantasy and Gothic Horror.   The mad scientist who created a man from corpses is one of the most important tales of the Gothic genre!   Just like with Dracula, if you have only seen the films, I suggest checking out the source material.

Number 2: WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Bronte

~For my number two, I settled on one of my two favorite novels of all time.   This book is the story of Catherine and Heathcliff, complete with deaths, romance, and hauntings!   It is a must-read of the Gothic genre.   This is also one of the books that makes you realize why it is called Gothic Romance so often, as it combines the elements of horror with a love story.   Wuthering Heights is not what many would consider a true horror novel, but it does have a deep sense of foreboding and tragedy, which is essentially Gothic!

Number 1: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA by Gaston Leroux

~For number one, I settled on my other favorite novel of all time, as this book is a bit darker in tone than the previous entry.    Both of my top two picks are very romantic in nature, but this one is a bit more over the top, in my opinion.   Erik even cosplays as the Red Death from the Poe story!   The Phantom of the Opera is a tale of a young singer being taught by a mysterious man, her Angel of Music, who turns out to be the one famously haunting the Opera House.   I think the Opera House setting lends to the over-the-top nature of the novel, as you have a bunch of artists who are very theatrical in nature at the heart of the plot!   If you want more of my thoughts on this book, I did a theme week last October (as my annual Gothic Romance Week) all about it here on White Rose of Avalon.

~I hope you have enjoyed this list.   Did you find your next Gothic read?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a cool Gothic Romance word collage I found online.   I found the image on https://ccplonline.org/blogs/teen/gothic-fiction/.

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