Macabre and morbid - No Gothic tale is complete without a little death and destruction.
Omens and prophecies - The protagonist or a supporting character will often typically have distressing dreams, visions or prophecies connected to the setting or events of the story.Īgony and ecstasy - Gothic stories are often characterized by melodrama, inner turmoil, intrigue, and insanity as well as sweeping romance, grandiose passions and enchanting prose. Sometimes these supernatural figures are literal, and other times they are symbolic or have a natural explanation. Paranormal activity - Gothic novels are famous for featuring ghosts, vampires, monsters, and other shadowy figures. Called the Gothic because its power of thought was rooted in ancient buildings and ruins, such novels were often used in settings such as castles or monasteries with underground passages, dark battles, hidden panels and trap doors. For many readers, To Kill a Mockingbird was their first encounter with Southern Gothic. How many of these chilling stories have you read Travel Movies Books Food Other. Gothic mythology is a genre of books and films that covers the horrors, deaths and occasional romances. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960) The Southern Gothic genre is home to many of the 20th century’s literary greats: William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Barry Hannah, Zora Neale Hurston, and, of course, Harper Lee. Terror - The protagonist is haunted by supernatural or seemingly supernatural events such as doors suddenly closing, baying of dogs, footsteps, moans, and eerie sounds in the night. Here is a list of the top 34 gothic horror books of all-time according to Bookscrolling. Suspense - Gothic plot lines typically revolve around suspenseful events, familial mysteries, disappearances, unexplainable events, and frightening objects.
Examples include rain, storms, a chill in the air or howling wind.Īrchetypal character traits - Gothic literature typically has particular types of characters: a distressed heroine, tyrannical male characters (usually villains) and anti-heroes, also known as Byronic heroes after Romantic poet Lord Byron. Natural imagery - A hallmark of both Romanticism and Gothic literature is imagery, particularly pertaining to nature.ĭark atmosphere - No Gothic story is complete without atmosphere, including complementary weather conditions. Some common types of settings include castles, haunted houses, graveyards, and dark forests. This is because Gothic literature has specific characteristics like:Ĭreepy settings - In Gothic fiction, the setting is a character in its own right. There is a reason the word “gothic” brings to mind trap doors, castles, monasteries, and more.