It’s just so much easier to write a Gothic novel, when you’re writing it from inside a castle, right? Well, several of the earliest writers of Gothic fiction thought so. I’ve touched before on the inextricable ties that link the Gothic genre of literature to the style of architecture with which it shares a name. The term “Gothic” first began to be applied to a specific medieval style of architecture after it had fallen out of favor in the 1500s. As the Renaissance spread through Europe, many new designers found the ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and towering spires of the earlier style to be excessive and barbaric, thus naming them after the Gothic “barbarians” who had destroyed Rome. But after another couple of centuries, public opinion came around again and prominent members of European society began to show renewed interest in the medieval era, and especially medieval architecture. One of the most influential of those figures was Horace Walpole. Continue reading Gothic Residences
Tag: Horace Walpole
Anonymity and Pseudonyms in Gothic Literature
Publishing works either anonymously or under a pseudonym has been a tradition in the Gothic literary genre since its very creation. Such deception might be done for a variety of reasons. Early works of Gothic literature often tried to pass themselves off as something older—long-buried ancient manuscripts newly discovered and translated by an enterprising soul—to both increase their mystique and shield the author’s reputation from critiques of this untested new style. As Gothic novels became increasingly popular with female authors, many of them adopted male pen names or left their name off entirely to avoid the stigma of their gender. Today, pseudonyms give authors the opportunity to depart from their usual genres, to step away from their existing fame, or simply to add to the fun. Continue reading Anonymity and Pseudonyms in Gothic Literature
Classics: The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
It’s about time I wrote a post solely centered on the very first Gothic novel. I’m aiming for this to be the first in a new series of posts, much like my Gothic Tropes series. In this new Classics series, I will be discussing classic works from the original Gothic literary movement in greater depth, providing plot summaries, context, and a discussion of the work’s influence on the genre. And where better to start than at the very beginning? The Castle of Otranto was the very first novel to adopt the mantle of “Gothic.” Published in 1764 by English author and art historian Horace Walpole, the novel initially tried to pass itself off as a newly discovered Italian manuscript of far older origin. With its second edition, the story was acknowledged to be a modern creation and was subtitled “A Gothic Story,” thus giving a name to the genre it would soon inspire. Continue reading Classics: The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
Dead and Vengeful Cats in Gothic Fiction
I spend a lot of time thinking about how much I love cats. They’re cute, cuddly, clever, and just a little bit demonic. Sadly, I don’t own an adorable fluff-ball myself, so I must find other venues for my cat appreciation. This generally involves visiting friends who own cats, looking at cats on social media, and of course, reading books that feature cats. Fortunately, cats—long associated with magic, mystery, and devilry—often feature prominently in gothic literature. Less fortunately, they also have a tendency to die in these stories… But cats are not creatures to be trifled with, and they are particularly adept at exacting revenge. Below are some of my favorite tales starring dead and/or vengeful cats: Continue reading Dead and Vengeful Cats in Gothic Fiction
The Roots of Gothic Literature
The term “Gothic” (with a capital G) refers to an era of literature and its accompanying trend in architecture during the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century. Both the literary and architectural movements were characterized by a return to medieval aesthetics. Fashionable English aristocrats, such as Horace Walpole, began to fill their estates with highly ornamented turrets and towers reminiscent of medieval churches.
Meanwhile, many authors began to abandon the Enlightenment principles of rationality and reason in favor of exploring the pleasure that can be found in emotions like terror. The original Gothic stories featured Gothic castles, abbeys, and ruins of the sort that were now being recreated and were often set in a vaguely medieval past. They generally included elements of the supernatural in reaction against the recent trend of realism and were characterized by melodrama, mystery, and suspense. Listed below are some of the seminal works of early Gothic fiction. Continue reading The Roots of Gothic Literature