Thread: Early Gothic Literature

Im interested on what people have to say about early gothic literature. Im not talking about the garbage that developed from it, but the beginnings of gothic literature such as The Monk by Mattew Lewis, The Castle Ontranto by Horace Walpole, and such. So if you have read any early gothic literature, I would be interested in your opinion. In addition, do you think that Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is considered gothic literature?

Personally I think Jayne Eyre is more gothic than Wuthering Heights which wallowed in melodrama. I will never understand why people rave about it's greatness - Charlotte and Anne Bronte were superior writers to Emily.

Sorry that went slightly off topic. I liked The Monk and can see why it was considered outrageous back in the day. I like gothic literature in general, but have not read The Castle Ontrano as yet

I've read and more or less enjoyed the Monk, the Castle of Otranto, and a few of Ann Radcliffe's novels, which aren't easy to find these days. Lewis' novel is more correctly seen as roman noir, and is in the same branch of the "family" of gothicism as Gaston Leroux' original the Phantom of the Opera.
Victorian Gothic pieces (like Wuthering Heights) are descended from both of these branches of the tree, as are the works of ETA Hoffman, EA Poe, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, et al...which extends through Dickens, Stoker, Arthur Machen, and the others of the British side, and Robert W. Chambers and Bierce on the American side (most of this paraphrased from the article referenced above, which is extremely good).

Hey guys thanks. And moderan thanks for the reference. I was starting to think that I was not going to get any answers and then I get these awesome replies.

It's a holiday weekend in the US and some folks are busy
You're welcome.

Ya I figured as much. I usually try to work on Thanksgiving because I do not feel it is right to observe a holiday that celebrates the massacre of a nation. However, this just proves me to be more of a hippy so I will shut up.

Wouldn't Marry Shelly's Frankenstein fit in here somewhere?

Yes...that work is referenced in the article my original rejoinder is linked to. I don't think it is as representative of the genre as some of the other works that are cited, though.

I wouldn't mind trying out some gothic literature but I was advised against Wuthering Heights by a dear friend. Anything you can recommend to a relative newbie to the culture?

Depends...what are your usual reading tastes? Your friend's disinclination for Wuthering Heights may be incorrect for your needs also. Better you peruse that than Twilight.

I'm hoping for something action/fantasy based. I'm not much of a romance person, but I do like a little bit of it in my stories. And prefer writing that is fast-moving, not meandering, although I do have an appreciation for well-written description.

Any suggestions you can give are highly appreciated.

Given your comments in the brilliant/awful writing thread and above, gothic literature is probably not for you. Gothic doesn't mean romance in the Harlequin sense, and there's very little faux-fantasy content or modern action content. It generally isn't fast-paced, though seldom do the stories meander. I'd use the word stately to describe the pacing as that maintains the context of elegance that the best Gothic work resides within.
Ambrose Bierce is probably your best bet as an introduction, and you can work backward from that. A volume of his short stories should be readily available. Either that or Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus.

It's entirely possible it's just not suited to my style, but I'll certainly give it a look. I have my tastes but I always like to try something at least once. Thank you for your suggestions.

dudes, you gotta go German for early gothic stuff. cool trip.

Thank you for those pearls of wisdom, nacreous. Would you be so kind as to provide titles and authors, please?