These Riveting Gothic Novels Will Keep You Turning the Pages

Think of Gothic literature as a mood. Most books considered Gothic share a few of the same motifs, like a gaze to the past; crumbling old mansions; brushes with the supernatural; remote locations; family cruses; and lingering mysteries. But Dr. Sorcha Ní Fhlainn, a founding member of Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University and editor of Visions of the Vampire, says defining Gothic literature is not a concrete science. Essentially, you know it when you read it (or see it).

"It's a sickening sense that something very bad is about to happen, and it's inescapable. You just feel like you're trapped in it," Ní Fhlainn tells OprahMag.com. This atmospheric mood is what distinguishes the Gothic novel from the adrenaline of the horror genre. "Horror tends to be more about immediate fear. With the Gothic, it's about building tension. When you get the revelation, it does give you fear, but it also makes you want to know more."

Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto, published in 1764, is believed to be the first Gothic book—though Walpole's use of the word "Gothic" meant "medieval." "What the term Gothic meant then is very different to what we understand by it now," Dr. Xavier Aldana Reyes, another founding member of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies, says. Following a boom in popularity in the Victorian Era, which saw defining works like Dracula and Frankenstein published, the Gothic novel continued to evolve through the 21st century. Modern Gothic books, including 2020's Mexican Gothic, are in conversation with years of tradition.

Here, the experts recommend the best Gothic novels and writers of all time, including offerings for young adults.