Gothic Literature
Gothic Literature
Horrifying or 'romantic', whatever it may seem to you, Gothic literature can never be ignored! Here is a look at some of the various aspects related with Gothic literature.
The Gothic culture has always drawn attention in terms of various aspects related to the same. Amongst the many facets, Gothic literature is known the world over due to the particular distinct qualities associated with this form of writing. This literature has even influenced other different genres of writing styles. There are certain prominent traits about Gothic literature that set it apart from the rest. Here is an in-depth look at some interesting facts with relation to Gothic literature.
Gothic Literature: Tales of Mystery and Terror?
Mention Gothic literature and the one name that crops up in the mind is Horace Walpole. This English writer/politician was known for his novel titled 'The Castle of Otranto'. This novel is also considered to be the first Gothic novel, which gained immense popularity and became the trendsetter for other authors of Gothic style literature. The plot makes the use of many supernatural events with the inclusion of ghosts and a lot of blood!
Gothic fiction is therefore considered to be the kind that involves a horror element, which is strangely combined with romance! 'The Castle of Otranto' thus set a trend that saw many more works being published in the same genre. Tales that belong to the typical Gothic literature revolve around mysterious castles, mansions, remote areas, murder, treachery, superstitions, curses, secrets' etc. If this has already sent chills down your spine, then this was just a word of warning. Gothic literature is also about villains, terrifying monsters, vampires, ghosts, devils and even demons. Gothic literature thus has always been at its 'horrifying' best! Many Gothic novels revolve around supernatural plots and the settings are often medieval with the mention of castles, crumbling ruins, Gothic buildings, etc. One can thus see the fascination writers had for medieval architecture and ruins. Stories that formed a part of Gothic literature often portray characters that have innocent young women who face men with all the shades of negative. Often such characters were set against haunted mansions! Supernatural fiction thus enjoyed a different status from thereon. During the Victorian Era, one saw a definitive change from the ghostly settings to a focus on the psychology of the characters.
Amongst the many books that belonged to the Gothic literature, 'The Horrid Mysteries' written by Peter Will is a Gothic novel that has invited criticisms as well as praise. Yet another famous novel worth a mention is 'The Castle of Wolfenbach' penned by Eliza Parsons. Both these novels are rated amongst the top seven horrid novels ever! 'Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' written by
Robert Louis Stevenson is one of his best selling works that discussed the psychology of split personality. The character of Hyde is shown as the evil side of Dr. Jekyll. This book is known for its descriptive narrative of the condition called multiple personality disorder.
Yet another factor associated with Gothic literature was the character of the vampire. Vampires have been used in many romantic stories that have the twist in the tale. The book, 'The Monk' penned by Matthew Lewis also discloses yet another aspect about Gothic literature. This book talks about the distrust towards Catholicism and some of the darker sides related to the Catholic monks. An anti-Catholic approach as well as parody was also an integral part of Gothic literature.
Elements of Gothic Literature
The mysterious world of Gothic novels is created with the help of elements such as a medieval setting, tyrants, villains, damsels, omens, curses, etc. These novels recreate the atmosphere of medieval times and take us into a world of tragedy, fear and horrifying events.
Horace Walpole is the novelist credited with the invention of Gothic genre. His novel, The Castle of Otranto (1764) had all the ingredients that are found in Gothic novels. The Gothic form of literature was the product of socio-political conditions that prevailed in medieval Europe. The dark period of medieval times was portrayed in this literature. The word, Gothic became associated with this literature because of the similar settings used in the novels. For example, the castle was a common feature in most of the Gothic novels. Mystery and terror depicted in these novels were the factors capable of attracting attention of people and in making this form of literature popular in those times.
Gothic Literature Elements
Human beings have a strange fascination with terror and the Gothic novels provide them (readers) with an opportunity to experience that terror, that thrill passively. There are many aspects of Gothic literature other than terror. The different Gothic literature elements are dealt with, in this article.
Mystery
It is the soul of Gothic literature and governs the entire process of storytelling. Something that is beyond our understanding leads to the development of mystery. A typical Gothic atmosphere is created with the help of this element. Objects or paraphernalia which help create the Gothic atmosphere are the burial vaults, suits of armor, flickering candles, portraits, evil potions, etc.
Environment and Setting
A forest area, mountains, stormy weather, etc. are the settings used for storytelling in Gothic novels. These are ideal settings to weave a story that revolves around terror, horror and supernatural events. The dungeons of castles, secret passageways and other such elements of Gothic literature adds to the enigma that surround the characters in these stories.
Nightmares
The portrayal of nightmares in Gothic literature is done for the purpose of adding elements such as terror and horror. Nightmares are used to depict the fear experienced by characters in these novel. Terrifying events are presented through their dreams. The nightmares are added in the plot of a story in order to let loose the writer's imagination which has limited scope in the context of events presented in the story. Elaborating more on the nature of a character, his insecurities, fears, etc. is possible through nightmares.
Omens and Curses
Visions, portents and omens are the concepts quite commonly used in Gothic novels. A tragic event is preceded by unlucky omens. The ancient curses included in these stories also make life miserable for the characters in Gothic novels.
Decline and Decay
The stories of Gothic novels revolve around a country or royal family that is in the process of decline. This process is reflected in the behavior or characters. The descriptions of ruins of castles in Gothic literature also give an idea about the process of decay.
Supernatural Events
The use of supernatural events is quite common in Gothic novels. Such events are planted in the story to make them dramatic. Examples of such events include inanimate objects coming to life, giants walking, etc. Inclusion of these elements make the Gothic novels interesting to read.
Damsel in Distress
Sufferings of women form an important part of Gothic novels. The story of these damsels revolve around sufferings, loneliness, etc. Characters of oppressed and ostracized women are generally portrayed in this genre of literature.
Villains
Autocratic male characters are the villains in Gothic novels. These are people in authoritative positions, most often kings. The villains are cunning and shifty in their behavior. Bandits, priests and other such characters are also portrayed as villains. The villains may exhibit a deceptive behavior of being initially sympathetic however, turning evil later on.
Protagonists
The Gothic heroes are endowed with qualities like intelligence, wisdom, strength, sensitivity, pride, etc. Most often they carry around guilt and are burdened by sorrow.
Romance
The romantic themes used in Gothic novels are lined by passion, sorrow and tragedy. The grotesque and mysterious events also form an important part of this genre of literature.
The elements of Gothic literature carved their way into the mainstream and were used in novels by notable writers. These elements can be found in the works of Sir Walter Scott, Emily Bronte, Charlotte Bronte, etc. A particular genre or style of writing appeals to those readers who can relate to or associate themselves with characters or events depicted in the stories. With changing times,
people may not find gothic literature as engaging as it was earlier. This is also the reason behind Gothic literature losing its sheen and in today's world becoming completely fossilized. This form of literature was however, one of the important genre back in olden times that followed the medieval period.
Gothic Fashion
A bizarre look or fashion with its own point of view; Gothic fashion has attracted attention for various reasons till date. Here's a look at some of the interesting aspects about Gothic fashion.
Gothic fashion to many may seem absurd but there is also a certain kind of beauty that is attached to it. Gothic fashion is bold and totters dangerously on being labeled as bizarre and weird. Black has ruled Gothic fashion and Goths had their own reasons behind this color being the highlight of their attire. Black ruled not only as far as the garments were concerned, it was seen even in the make up as well. Does this sound strange to you? Well, maybe not, if you completely follow fashion and are aware of the ancient and modern trends of the ever-changing fashion scenario. Need some dope about Gothic fashion and reasons behind their so-called strange attire? Read on for some interesting bits and bites about Gothic fashion.
Strange are the ways of Gothic Fashion!
For those who are newbies to Gothic fashion, this is a kind of clothing style that is worn by both the sexes that belong to the Goth Subculture. Goth subculture originated in the United Kingdom and is found in many countries. People who belong to the Goth culture may or may not share similar tastes in music and fashion. Fashion tastes of the Goth culture can range from being punk, medieval, it can include clothes that are from the Renaissance culture or can even be considered androgynous.
Spiky hair and black nails and what not! Gothic fashion has always been regarded as bizarre. This culture meant to express various things through fashion. In other words, Gothic fashion meant a
kind of freedom and sexual liberation. It also meant making an individual statement and sport a 'don't care attitude' about what the society would probably think about those who follow Gothic fashion. Gothic fashion is about being liberal about one's views on various aspects of life.
The most distinguishable factor about Gothic fashion is the use of the color black as mentioned earlier. This is often co-ordinated with bold colors. Gothic fashion is not completely anti-life just because black makes a strong statement. Although this has invited criticism, Goths believe that death is something that cannot be ignored. They believe this is also a part of our existence and it cannot be overlooked. This is probably why when women wear black eye shadow and clothing it can seem to be a way of expressing grief to people, who do not really know the beliefs behind Gothic fashion.
Gothic fashion involves clothes that are in wild hues and use silhouettes that bring focus to one area of the body such as corsets or tight sleeves. The idea is to attract attention! There are various cultures that fall under the main Goth subculture such as the Victorian Goth, Goth Punk, Romantic Goth etc. Flowing skirts, stylish sweeping dresses, hats and canes for men all form a part of Gothic fashion. Gothic fashion always believes in an expression of yourself no matter what the gender may be or where you may come from. Gothic fashion has a symbolism, which is not known to everybody, though many love to follow this route. Dark eyeliner, tight jeans, chains and studs, powdered and white faces, black nails, pants with ripped edges all form a part of Gothic fashion. Tattoos also were used elaborately to make a style statement.
Gothic fashion lets one dress according to one's mood. Today, the ancient styles have evolved is such a way, that they are much easier to follow due to the various modifications. Although you may find it really bizarre to try it out, I am sure many are bound to feel a twinge of jealousy, once they see someone sport such a look with great style and attitude. Gothic fashion therefore is truly unique in its own way. One thing is for sure; this dramatic look is definitely here to stay for a long period of time.
Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror, is a genre or mode of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Gothicism's origin is attributed to English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto, subtitled "A Gothic Story". The effect of Gothic fiction feeds on a pleasing sort of terror, an extension of Romantic literary pleasures that were relatively new at the time of Walpole's novel. Melodrama and parody (including
self-parody) were other long-standing features of the Gothic initiated by Walpole.
Contents
[hide]
? 1 Early Gothic romances
o 1.1 The Castle of Otranto
o 1.2 Clara Reeve
o 1.3 Ann Radcliffe
? 2 Developments in continental Europe, and The Monk
? 3 The Romantics
? 4 Victorian Gothic
? 5 Parody
? 6 Post-Victorian legacy
o 6.1 Pulp
o 6.2 New Gothic Romances
o 6.3 Southern Gothic
o 6.4 Modern horror
o 6.5 Other media
?7 Elements of Gothic fiction
o7.1 Archetypes in the Gothic Novel
o7.2 Role of Architecture and setting in the Gothic Novel o7.3 The Female Gothic and the Supernatural Explained ?8 Notes
?9 References
?10 External links
[edit] Early Gothic romances
The Castle of Otranto (1764) is usually regarded as the first Gothic novel.
[edit] The Castle of Otranto
Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto (1764) is often regarded as the first true Gothic romance. Walpole was obsessed with medieval Gothic architecture, and built his own house, Strawberry Hill, in that form, sparking a fashion for Gothic revival.[1]
His declared aim was to combine elements of the medieval romance, which he deemed too fanciful, and the modern novel, which he considered to be too confined to strict realism[2]The basic plot created many other Gothic staples, including a threatening mystery and an ancestral curse, as well as countless trappings such as hidden passages and
oft-fainting heroines. The first edition was published disguised as an actual medieval romance from Italy discovered and republished by a fictitious translator. When Walpole admitted to his authorship in the second edition, its originally favourable reception by literary reviewers changed into rejection. The romance, usually held in
contempt by the educated as a tawdry and debased kind of writing, had only recently been made respectable by the works of Richardson and Fielding.[3]A romance with superstitious elements, and moreover void of didactical intention, was considered a setback and not acceptable as a modern production. Walpole's forgery, together with the blend of history and fiction that was contravening the principles of the Enlightenment, brought about the Gothic novel's association with fake documentation.
[edit] Clara Reeve
Clara Reeve, best known for her work The Old English Baron (1778), set out to take Walpole's plot and adapt it to the demands of the time by balancing fantastic elements with 18th century realism. The question now arose whether supernatural events that were not as evidently absurd as Walpole's would not lead the simpler minds to believe them possible.
[edit] Ann Radcliffe
Ann Radcliffe developed the technique of the explained supernatural[citation needed], in which every seemingly supernatural intrusion is eventually traced back to natural causes. Radcliffe made the Gothic novel socially acceptable. Her success attracted many imitators, mostly of low quality, which soon led to a general perception of the genre as inferior, formulaic, and stereotypical. Among other elements, Ann Radcliffe also introduced the brooding figure of the Gothic villain, which developed into the Byronic hero. Radcliffe's novels, above all The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794), were best-sellers, although along with all novels they were looked down upon by well-educated people as sensationalist women's entertainment, despite some men's enjoyment of them.
Radcliffe also provided an aesthetic for the genre in an influential article "On the Supernatural in Poetry"[4], examining the distinction and correlation between horror and terror in Gothic fiction [5]
[edit] Developments in continental Europe, and The Monk
Contemporaneously to English Gothic, parallel Romantic literary movements developed in continental Europe: the roman noir ("black novel") in France, by such writers as Fran?ois Guillaume
Ducray-Duminil, Gaston Leroux, Baculard d'Arnaud, and Stéphanie
Félicité Ducrest de St-Albin, Madame de Genlis and the Schauerroman ("shudder novel") in Germany by such writers as Friedrich Schiller, author of The Ghost-Seer(1789) and Christian Heinrich Spiess, author of Das Peterm?nnchen(1791/92). These works were often more horrific and violent than the English Gothic novel.
The fruit of this harvest of continental horrors was Matthew Gregory Lewis'lurid tale of monastic debauchery, black magic, and diabolism The Monk (1796). Though Lewis' novel could be read as a pastiche of the emerging genre, self-parody was a constituent part of the Gothic from the time of the genre's inception with Walpole's Otranto.
Lewis' tale appalled some contemporary readers; however his portrayal of depraved monks, sadistic inquisitors and spectral nuns, and his scurrilous view of the Catholic Church was an important development in the genre and influenced established terror-writer Anne Radcliffe in her last novel The Italian (1797). In this book the hapless protagonists are ensnared in a web of deceit by a malignant monk called Schedoni and eventually dragged before the tribunals of the Inquisition in Rome, leading one contemporary to remark that if Radcliffe wished to transcend the horror of these scenes she would have to visit hell itself. [6]
The Marquis de Sade used a Gothic framework for some of his fiction, notably The Misfortunes of Virtue and Eugenie de Franval, though the marquis himself never thought of his work as such. Sade critiqued the genre in the preface of his Reflections on the novel (1800) which is widely accepted today, stating that the Gothic is "the inevitable product of the revolutionary shock with which the whole of Europe
resounded". This correlation between the French revolutionary Terror and the "terrorist school" of writing represented by Radcliffe and Lewis was noted by contemporary critics of the genre [7]Sade considered The Monk to be superior to the work of Ann Radcliffe.
Other notable writers in the continental tradition include Jan Potocki (1761–1815) and E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776–1822).
[edit] The Romantics
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus (1818) has come to define Gothic fiction in the Romantic period. Frontispiece to 1831 edition shown.
Further contributions to the Gothic genre were provided in the work of the Romantic poets. Prominent examples include Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Christabel and Keats'La Belle Dame sans Merci (1819) and Isabella, or the Pot of Basil (1820) which feature mysteriously fey ladies (Skarda and Jaffe 1981: 33-5, 132-3). In the latter poem the names of the characters, the dream visions and the macabre physical details are influenced by the novels of premiere Gothicist Anne Radcliffe (Skarda and Jaffe 1981: 132-3). Percy Bysshe Shelley's first published work was the Gothic novel Zastrozzi(1810),
about an outlaw obsessed with revenge against his father and
half-brother. Shelley published a second Gothic novel in 1811, St. Irvyne; or, The Rosicrucian, about an alchemist who seeks to impart the secret of immortality.
The poetry, romantic adventures and character of Lord Byron, characterised by his spurned lover Lady Caroline Lamb as 'mad, bad and dangerous to know' were another inspiration for the Gothic, providing the archetype of the Byronic hero. Byron features, under the codename of 'Lord Ruthven', in Lady Caroline's own Gothic novel: Glenarvon (1816).
Byron was also the host of the celebrated ghost-story competition involving himself, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley, and John William Polidori at the Villa Diodati on the banks of Lake Geneva in the summer of 1816. This occasion was productive of both Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818) and Polidori's The Vampyre (1819). This latter story revives Lamb's Byronic 'Lord Ruthven', but this time as a vampire. The Vampyre has been accounted by cultural critic Christopher Frayling as one of the most influential works of fiction ever written and spawned a craze for vampire fiction and theatre (and latterly film) which has not ceased to this day. Mary Shelley's novel, though clearly influenced by the Gothic tradition, is often considered the first science fiction novel, despite the omission in the novel of any scientific explanation of the monster's animation and the focus instead on the moral issues and consequences of such a creation.
A late example of traditional Gothic is Melmoth the Wanderer (1820) by Charles Maturin which combines themes of Anti-Catholicism with an outcast Byronic hero (Varma 1986).
[edit] Victorian Gothic
Edgar Allan Poe was an important reinterpreter of Gothic fiction.
By the Victorian era Gothic had ceased to be the dominant genre and was dismissed by most critics (in fact the form's popularity as an established genre had already begun to erode with the success of the historical romance popularised by Sir Walter Scott). However, in many ways, it was now entering its most creative phase. Recently readers and critics have begun to reconsider a number of previously overlooked Penny Blood or Penny Dreadful serial fictions by such authors as G.W.M. Reynolds who wrote a trilogy of Gothic horror novels: Faust (1846), Wagner the Wehr-wolf (1847) and The Necromancer (1857) [8]. Reynolds was also responsible for The Mysteries of London which has been accorded an important place in the development of the urban as a particularly Victorian Gothic setting, an area within which interesting links can be made with established readings of the work of Dickens and others. Another famous penny dreadful of this era was the anonymously authored Varney the Vampire (1847). The formal relationship between these fictions, serialised for predominantly working class audiences, and the roughly contemporaneous sensation
fictions serialised in middle class periodicals is also an area worthy of inquiry.
Influential critics, above all John Ruskin, far from denouncing mediaeval obscurantism, praised the imagination and fantasy exemplified by its Gothic architecture, influencing the
Pre-Raphaelites.
An important and innovative reinterpreter of the Gothic in this period was Edgar Allan Poe. Poe focused less on the traditional elements of gothic stories and more on the psychology of his characters as they often descended into madness. Poe's critics complained about his "German" tales, to which be replied, 'that terror is not of Germany, but of the soul'. Poe, a critic himself, believed that terror was a legitimate literary subject. His story "The Fall of the House of Usher" (1839) explores these 'terrors of the soul' whilst revisiting classic Gothic tropes of aristocratic decay, death, and madness [9]. The legendary villainy of the Spanish Inquisition, previously explored by Gothicists Radcliffe, Lewis, and Maturin, is revisited in "The Pit and the Pendulum" (1842). The influence of Ann Radcliffe is also detectable in Poe's "The Oval Portrait" (1842), including an honorary mention of her name in the text of the story.
The influence of Byronic Romanticism evident in Poe is also apparent in the work of the Bront? sisters. Emily Bront?'s Wuthering Heights (1847) transports the Gothic to the forbidding Yorkshire Moors and features ghostly apparitions and a Byronic hero in the person of the demonic Heathcliff whilst Charlotte Bront?'s Jane Eyre (1847) adds The Madwoman in the Attic (Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar 1979) to the cast of Gothic fiction. The Bront?s' fiction is seen by some feminist critics as prime examples of Female Gothic, exploring woman's entrapment within domestic space and subjection to patriarchal authority and the transgressive and dangerous attempts to subvert and escape such restriction. Charlotte's Jane Eyre and Emily's Cathy are both examples of female protagonists in such a role [10]. Louisa May Alcott's Gothic potboiler, A Long Fatal Love Chase(written in 1866, but published in 1995) is also an interesting specimen of this subgenre.
Elizabeth Gaskell's tales "The Doom of the Griffiths" (1858) "Lois the Witch", and "The Grey Woman" all employ one of the most common themes of Gothic fiction, the power of ancestral sins to curse future generations, or the fear that they will.
The gloomy villain, forbidding mansion, and persecuted heroine of Sheridan Le Fanu's Uncle Silas (1864) shows the direct influence of both Walpole's Otranto and Radcliffe's Udolpho. Le Fanu's short story collection In a Glass Darkly(1872) includes the superlative vampire tale Carmilla, which provided fresh blood for that particular strand of the Gothic and influenced Bram Stoker's Dracula(1897). According to literary critic Terry Eagleton, Le Fanu, together with his predecessor Maturin and his successor Stoker, form a sub-genre of Irish Gothic, whose stories, featuring castles set in a barren landscape, with a cast of remote aristocrats dominating an atavistic peasantry, represent in allegorical form the political plight of colonial Ireland subjected to the Protestant Ascendancy[11]
The genre was also a heavy influence on more mainstream writers, such as Charles Dickens, who read Gothic novels as a teenager and incorporated their gloomy atmosphere and melodrama into his own works, shifting them to a more modern period and an urban setting, including Oliver Twist (1837-8), Bleak House (1854) (Mighall 2003) and Great Expectations (1860–61). These pointed to the juxtaposition of wealthy, ordered and affluent civilisation next to the disorder and barbarity of the poor within the same metropolis. Bleak House in particular is credited with seeing the introduction of urban fog to the novel, which would become a frequent characteristic of urban Gothic literature and film (Mighall 2007). His most explicitly Gothic work is his last novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870). The mood and themes of the Gothic novel held a particular fascination for the Victorians, with their morbid obsession with mourning rituals, mementos, and mortality in general.
Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde(1886) was a classic Gothic work of the 1880s, seeing many stage adaptations.
The 1880s, saw the revival of the Gothic as a powerful literary form allied to fin de siecle, which fictionalized contemporary fears like ethical degeneration and questioned the social structures of the time. Classic works of this Urban Gothic include Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde(1886), Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), George du Maurier's Trilby (1894), Richard Marsh's The Beetle: A Mystery (1897), Henry James'The Turn of the Screw(1898), and the stories of Arthur Machen. The most famous Gothic villain ever, Count Dracula was created by Bram Stoker in his novel Dracula (1897). Stoker's book also established Transylvania and Eastern Europe as the locus classicus of the Gothic [12].
In America, two notable writers of the end of the 19th century, in the Gothic tradition, were Ambrose Bierce and Robert W. Chambers. Bierce's short stories were in the horrific and pessimistic tradition of Poe. Chambers, though, indulged in the decadent style of Wilde and Machen (even to the extent of having a character named 'Wilde' in his The King in Yellow).
[edit] Parody
The excesses, stereotypes, and frequent absurdities of the traditional Gothic made it rich territory for satire [13]. The most famous parody of the Gothic is Jane Austen's novel Northanger Abbey (1818) in which the naive protagonist, after reading too much Gothic
fiction, conceives herself a heroine of a Radcliffian romance and imagines murder and villainy on every side, though the truth turns out to be much more prosaic. Jane Austen's novel is valuable for including a list of early Gothic works since known as the Northanger Horrid Novels. These books, with their lurid titles, were once thought to be the creations of Jane Austen's imagination, though later research by Michael Sadleir and Montague Summers confirmed that they did actually exist and stimulated renewed interest in the Gothic. They are currently all being reprinted by Valancourt Press [14].
Another example of Gothic parody in a similar vein is The Heroine by Eaton Stannard Barrett (1813). Cherry Wilkinson, a fatuous female protagonist with a history of novel-reading, fancies herself as the heroine of a Gothic romance. She perceives and models reality according to the stereotypes and typical plot structures of the Gothic novel, leading to a series of absurd events culminating in catastrophe. After her downfall, her affectations and excessive imaginations become eventually subdued by the voice of reason in the form of Stuart, a paternal figure, under whose guidance the protagonist receives a sound education and correction of her misguided taste [15]
[edit] New Gothic Romances
Gothic Romances of this description became popular during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, with authors such as Phyllis A. Whitney, Joan Aiken, Dorothy Eden, Victoria Holt, Barbara Michaels, Mary Stewart, and Jill Tattersall. Many featured covers depicting a terror-stricken woman in diaphanous attire in front of a gloomy castle, often with a single lit window. Many were published under the Paperback Library Gothic imprint and were marketed to a female audience. Though the authors were mostly women, some men wrote Gothic romances under female pseudonyms. For instance the prolific Clarissa Ross and Marilyn Ross were pseudonyms for the male writer Dan Ross and Frank Belknap Long published Gothics under his wife's name, Lyda Belknap Long. Another example is British writer Peter O'Donnell, who wrote under the pseudonym Madeleine Brent. Outside of companies like Lovespell, who
carry Colleen Shannon, very few books seem to be published using the term today.[citation needed]
[edit] Southern Gothic
William Faulkner who wrote novels and short stories in the Southern Gothic genre.
The genre also influenced American writing to create the Southern Gothic genre, which combines some Gothic sensibilities (such as the Grotesque) with the setting and style of the Southern United States. Examples include William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Harper Lee, and Flannery O'Connor[18]. Contemporary American writers in this tradition include Joyce Carol Oates, in such novels as Bellefleur and A Bloodsmoor Romance and short story collections such as Night-Side (Skarda 1986b) and Raymond Kennedy in his novel Lulu Incognito. The Southern Ontario Gothic applies a similar sensibility to a Canadian cultural context. Robertson Davies, Alice Munro, Barbara Gowdy, and Margaret Atwood have all produced works that are notable exemplars of this form. Another writer in this tradition was Henry Farrell whose best-known work was the Hollywood horror novel What Ever Happened to