[whitebelly]

What are your favorite "gothic" reads?

As for mine:

19th century: Wilkie Collins's "The Woman in White" and esp. "Armadale" (Collins as in friend of Charles Dickens, NOT brother of Jackie http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif)

20th century: Sarah Waters "Affinity", (starts off real slow, but before you know it you're hooked - incredibly clever and VERY ADDICTIVE). New novel ("Fingersmith") out in February 2002 and I just can't WAIT !!
Read the raving reviews on amazon.co.uk

Caleb Carr "The Alienist" and "The Angel of Darkness" - dunno if these would qualify as gothic in everyone's book, but still. They're detective novels set in early 20th century New York - dark stuff, pretty scary!

wb

[Llama]

Well, I really like all of Patrick MacGrath's novels, I think he's the best neo-gothic writer going: THE GROTESQUE, SPIDER, ASYLUM, BLOOD AND WATER, etc.

I like Joyce Carol Oates's gothic novels, like BELLEFLEUR and MYSTERIES OF WINTERTHURN. They're a sort of a homage, but very good in their owen right. She also has a good anthology she edited of American gothic fiction.

I liked the first Caleb Carr book, it was very enjoyable. I like reading books about old New York. I haven' read the second, though, I'd heard it wasn't that good.

[whitebelly]

Well, there you go Llama, I actually liked the second Carr better! Whereas the first is in the more traditional vein of the detective (albeit a very good one & in a fascinating setting) the second has more horror qualities and a true gothic main character, in the same league as Wilkie Collins's unforgettable Lydia Gwilt. Carr has also written a sci-fi novel for which the reviews were not so good or mixed ("Killing Time"), but "The Angel of Darkness" is really worth a read!

I've read Patrick McGrath's "Martha Peak" but none of the others you mention. Will check them out.

grtz, wb http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Llama]

Interesting. Maybe I'll read AofD. Killing Time got brutally panned in the US.

Martha Peake is good and clearly a gothic, but I don't think his best. I think The Grotesque and Asylum are better. The first has something of a fantastical element, the second doesn't.

[whitebelly]

I'd forgotten it was by McGrath but I've actually read "Asylum" already ... it's the kind of story that sticks (though the name of the author had slipped my mind)

[Shadowen]

Henry James 'The Turn of the Screw' has a very gothic feel to it but I think was set in the 19th c. Horace Walpole's 'the Castle of Otranto' has been described as 'the definitive gothic novel' but I haven't read it yet - on my list though!

[SusF]

Anything by Barbara Michaels I love. She also publishes under the name Elizabeth Peters.

Susan

[Leiali]

Is Storm Constantine considered a gothic writer? She did an interesting trilogy a few years back which started off well - I think the first book was Stalking Tender Prey or something. But it didn't end well.
Don't know anything contemporary that I liked as much though, the Castle of Otranto is well worth reading, great fun. I have to say that a great pastiche of the gothic novel is Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. But you should read Anne Radcliffe, and the Monk (can't remember who wrote that) to get a feel of what she is lampooning!

[Shanoncia]

Does Jane Eyre count? I really loved that book... same with Dracual and Frankenstien (whom the author of was ONLY 18!) :)

[Evil Agent]

Really? I heard Mary Shelley was only 11! Anyone know the truth?