Gothic Reads for Dark Nights

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is a dramatic tale set on the Yorkshire moors, exploring intense emotions and destructive relationships. The story follows the passionate and tumultuous lives of the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, primarily focusing on the dark, brooding character of Heathcliff and his unyielding love for Catherine Earnshaw. Themes of revenge, love, and social class intricacies weave through this haunting narrative.

Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a classic tale that follows Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who becomes obsessed with creating life. After succeeding in animating a being made from various body parts, he is horrified by his creature's appearance and abandons it. The novel explores themes of ambition, the quest for knowledge, and the consequences of playing God, all set against a backdrop of Gothic and Romantic elements.

Rebecca

DISCOVER THE DU MAURIER DARK ROMANCE COLLECTION Rebecca has woven its way into the fabric of our culture with all the troubling power of myth or dream. A stunning book – SARAH WATERS It's the book every writer wishes they'd written – CLARE MACKINTOSH The greatest psychological thriller of all time – ERIN KELLY * He did not belong to me at all, he belonged to Rebecca. . . Everyone knows that Maxim de Winter was obsessed with his glamorous wife – and devastated by her tragic death. So when he proposes to a shy, anxious young woman after a whirlwind meeting in the South of France, no one is more surprised than the new bride herself. But when they reach Manderley, his beautiful, isolated Cornish mansion, the...

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray, written by Oscar Wilde, explores the story of a young and handsome man who becomes enchanted with the idea of eternal youth and beauty. Under the influence of a charismatic friend, he begins to live a life of hedonism and moral corruption while a portrait of him reveals the effects of his indulgent lifestyle. This classic work delves into themes of vanity, morality, and the consequences of living a life devoted to pleasure without responsibility.

Dracula

Dracula has been one of my favourite stories, not just because it's original, but because it also mixes mystery, thriller, supernatural, religion and horror into one. One takeaway from this literature is: I think it's a curse to be given eternal life; it's a shackle, forcing you to relive all the memories over and over when your beloved ones keep dying. Death is a real blessing in this case. I remember the BBC remade this into a mini 3-episode TV series starring Claes Bang and Dolly Wells. It made me reread the book again with its striking visuals, cinematography and impactful performances. For me, Dracula doesn't really die. It just transforms and lives on in other stories. Just like how it took the world by storm as The...

My Cousin Rachel

DISCOVER THE DU MAURIER DARK ROMANCE COLLECTION Du Maurier is mistress of the sleight of hand in fiction . . . brilliantly, marvellously chilling - MAGGIE O'FARRELL Moody and unnerving – GILLIAN FLYNN Sinuous and undeniably feral – JULIE MYERSON * Every day, haunted still by doubt, I ask myself a question which I cannot answer. Was Rachel innocent or guilty? Philip Ashley has been raised by his cousin Ambrose as heir to his beautiful Cornish estate. But this close-knit world is shattered when Ambrose travels to Florence, where he unexpectedly falls in love and marries - only to die of a strange illness. Before long, his beautiful, mysterious widow arrives in England - and despite himself, Philip is caught in her spell. But is Rachel a victim,...

The Complete Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan Poe

The Complete Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan Poe offers a rich collection of chilling and atmospheric tales and poems from a master of Gothic literature. The volume includes Poe's most famous stories, such as those exploring themes of madness, mystery, and the macabre, as well as his haunting poems that delve into love, loss, and the supernatural. This collection showcases Poe's pioneering influence on the horror and detective genres.