Gothic Fiction (30.10.23)
Just in time for Halloween (The Bus 4.11)
Welcome aboard The Bus!
The Stop
The genre of Gothic fiction was first established - as a ‘sophisticated joke’ - with the publication of Horace Walpole’s dark, foreboding The Castle of Otranto (1764). Inspired by Walpole's ‘fascination with medieval history and artefacts,’ the novel - which he pretended was an ‘antique relic’ he’d discovered ‘in the library of an ancient Catholic family in the north of England’ - established numerous motifs which would follow the genre in its various presentations from the 18th into the 21st century.1
Characterised by dark, gloomy, fearful atmospheres, labyrinthine castles and dungeons, the threat of the supernatural, and the ‘intrusion of the past upon the present or the present being haunted by the past,’ Gothic fiction has ‘intrigued and unsettled readers’ since its inception. In large part, this is because the genre confronts head-on our ‘horrific, hidden ideas and emotions’ while providing a safe outlet for their expression. Similarly, by presenting ‘strong imagery of horror and abuse,’ the novels are able to invert our normal, acceptable understandings of morality, philosophy and religion by creating villains who become ‘metaphors for some sort of human temptation the hero must overcome.’
The ‘true trademark’ of a Gothic novel is a ‘battle between humanity and unnatural forces of evil (sometimes man-made, sometimes supernatural) within an oppressive, inescapable, and bleak landscape.’ From Walpole’s novel to Gothic literature today, this environment has captured countless authors’ imaginations - and led them to produce outstanding works of fiction. Nevertheless, it’s not a genre that’s easy to get started with, so here are five of my favourite examples of truly Gothic literature:2
The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins (1859). ‘Engaged as a drawing master to the beautiful Laura Fairlie, Walter Hartright is drawn into the sinister intrigues of Sir Percival Glyde and his ‘charming’ friend, Count Fosco, who has a taste for white mice, vanilla bonbons, and poison. Pursuing questions of identity and insanity along the paths and corridors of English country houses and the madhouse, The Woman in White is the first and most influential of the Victorian genre that combined Gothic horror with psychological realism.’
Dracula, Bram Stoker (1897). ‘A young lawyer on an assignment finds himself imprisoned in a Transylvanian castle by his mysterious host. Back at home, his fiancée and friends are menaced by a malevolent force which seems intent on imposing suffering and destruction. Can the devil really have arrived on England's shores? And what is it he hungers for so desperately?’
The Turn of the Screw, Henry James (1898). ‘The story begins when a governess arrives at an English country estate to look after Miles, aged ten, and Flora, eight. At first, everything appears normal. Then events gradually begin to weave a spell of psychological terror. One night, a ghost appears before the governess - it is the dead lover of Miss Jessel, the former governess. Later, the ghost of Miss Jessel appears before the governess and the little girl, and both the governess and the housekeeper suspect the two spirits have appeared to the boy in private. The children, however, adamantly refuse to acknowledge the presence of the two spirits, in spite of indications there is some sort of evil communication going on between the children and the ghosts .…’
We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson (1962). ‘Two sisters, Merricat and Constance Blackwood, live in a mansion that is, at times, compared to a castle. Merricat might be a witch while the unwanted visitor to their house, Charles, may or may not be a ghost or a demon. Meanwhile, most of the villagers hate and fear the two sisters, who have been living in seclusion with their ailing uncle ever since a poisoned sugar bowl killed the rest of the Blackwood family.’
Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice (1976). ‘This is the story of Louis, as told in his own words, of his journey through mortal and immortal life. Louis recounts how he became a vampire at the hands of the radiant and sinister Lestat and how he became indoctrinated, unwillingly, into the vampire way of life. His story ebbs and flows through the streets of New Orleans, defining crucial moments such as his discovery of the exquisite young child Claudia, wanting not to hurt, but to comfort her with the last breaths of humanity he has inside. Here are the confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly erotic, this is a novel of mesmerising beauty and astonishing force—a story of danger and flight, of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and of the extraordinary power of the senses.’
The Detour
Today’s Detour is to ‘The Jack O’Lantern from the Mind of Christine McConnell.’ A high-concept instructional video (21:01), this is a great guide to carving perfect pumpkins for Halloween. And making them smell good, too. Interesting, and at least worth a skim.
The Jack O'Lantern from the Mind of Christine McConnell
The Recommendation
Today’s Recommendation is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818).3 Subtitled The Modern Prometheus, it’s the story of Victor Frankenstein, a gifted young scientist who unravels the mysteries of life and death and decides to animate a gargantuan, human-like creature. With ‘no room for thought of his family or even his own health,’ Frankenstein plunders graves and morgues to find ‘components for his future creation’ - and, unfortunately, his experiment works.
Frankenstein brings the creature to life, but is horrified by his creation and abandons it. The creature, who is both intelligent and articulate, is devastated by his creator’s rejection. Searching for companionship and understanding, he instead encounters fear and hatred from everyone he meets, with result that his anger overcomes him and he decides to seek revenge on his creator for bringing him into existence.
Frankenstein is one of those novels that - because of the prevalence of the story in popular culture - most people think they know, even if they haven’t read it. This isn’t to say the various film versions - whether it’s Boris Karloff (1931), Mel Brooks (1971), Kenneth Branagh (1994) or one of many Scooby Doo episodes - aren’t worth watching,4 but the novel is so much better. If you’re going to read one piece of gothic literature this Halloween, make it Frankenstein - and let me know what you think.
The Sounds
Today’s playlist is a selection of five tracks that certainly convey the Gothic vibe:5 ‘A Forest’ (The Cure, 1980), ‘Atmosphere’ (Joy Division, 1980), ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ (Bauhaus, 1982), ‘Venus in Furs’ (The Velvet Underground & Nico, 1967) and ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ (The Cult, 1985). Enjoy!
The Thought
Today’s Thought is from ‘Mutability,’ an 1816 poem by Mary Shelley’s husband, the Romantic poet Percy Shelley, eight lines of which - including this one - she quotes in Frankenstein:6
‘One wandering thought pollutes the day.’
If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:
And that’s the end of this Stop - I hope you enjoyed the diversion!
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Until the next Stop …
I enjoy Gothic literature and music the same as I like any other genre. However, as tomorrow’s Halloween, I thought the topic appropriate. Sources for today’s Stop include Gothic Novel (Britannica), Gothic Fiction (Wikipedia), The Gothic Novel (UC Davis) and The Origins of the Gothic (British Library). For a bit more about Walpole, see The Bus Issue 4.8 (Strawberry Hill).
Of this selection, my favourite is The Turn of the Screw - it’s also the shortest of the suggestions, but that makes no difference to the punch it packs. All of the comments are from Amanda Pagan (which, must be said, is a great name) of the New York Public Library, found here: Brief History of Gothic Horror (NYPL). I was going to do my own summaries, but there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel.
The creation of the book is a story worth reading itself. For more information, see: Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (Britannica).
Though, to be honest, the Branagh version (with Robert De Niro as the creature) isn’t as good as the Scooby Doo ones.
These are all great tracks - but there are SO many artists I could have included. Notably absent are Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, etc. But, in the moment, the mix has to work. And, at least when I finalised it, this one does. ‘Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart’ indeed.
A typically insightful - and powerful - observation by Shelley, my polluting wandering thought usually finds me when I’m washing up the dinner dishes. Intrusive, unshakeable and dark. What’s more Gothic than that? When do your polluting thoughts intrude?
i'd add to this Matthew Lewis's The Monk (1796); salacious, infernal, censored in its day, praised by de Sade; constitutive of the genre, make your damn blood run cold
Much thanks for the Walpole title! I found it in an omnibus of Gothic Horror which I had on my Kindle, and am enjoying it now. I’ve read the first three on the list of others. It’s an interesting genre, especially since horror any mystery are my favorites.