Gothic Literature
In order to fully understand Gothic literature, it is important to know where it came from and why it became such a popular fiction genre.
In the most general terms, Gothic literature can be defined as writing that employs dark and picturesque scenery, startling and melodramatic narrative devices, and an overall atmosphere of exoticism, mystery, fear, and dread. Often, a Gothic novel or story will revolve around a large, ancient house that conceals a terrible secret or serves as the refuge of an especially frightening and threatening character.
Gothic fiction as a genre was first established with the publication of Horace Walpole’s dark, foreboding The Castle of Otranto in 1764. In the centuries since, gothic fiction has not only flourished, but also branched off into many popular subgenres
There are many aspects of Gothic literature that make it compelling to audiences both then and now, which include mystery and suspense, atmosphere and setting, and omens and curses.
Originating in eighteenth-century Europe, Gothic fiction explores paranormal and existential themes amid eerie backgrounds.
Introduction to gothic fiction, gothic novels or gothic style.
The origins and conventions of Gothic literature, such as castles, extreme emotions and the supernatural.
Other features include confinement, doubling, the hero-villain, metonymy, poor weather, unnatural desires, violence, wild nature and women in distress. The origins and social context of the Gothic are also examined. Examples from well-known Gothic novels are included to illustrate the features discussed.
Top 10 features of Gothic Literature explained, including Castles, Extreme Emotion, the Supernatural and more.
This BBC Select art history documentary spends some time down in the dungeon as it delves into the world of the Gothic.
Acclaimed art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon explores how a group of 19th-century architects and artists spurned the modern age and turned to Britain’s medieval past to create iconic works and buildings with a distinctly creepy edge.
But what attracted them to the dark side?
Professor John Bowen discusses key motifs in Gothic novels, including the uncanny, the sublime and the supernatural. Filmed at Strawberry Hill House, Twickenham.