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"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity." ~ Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), American author |
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| The Scarlet Gospels by Clive BarkerIn The Scarlet Gospels, two of author Clive Barker's best known characters from earlier books square off in a "perversely glorious" (Booklist) good-vs-evil battle. Pinhead, the evil priest from Hell, kidnaps supernatural detective Harry D'Amour's blind friend Norma Paine, forcing Harry to confront Pinhead in the Underworld. Readers familiar with Barker's early works will be thrilled, and horror fans new to Barker will find interesting, well drawn characters, a touch of humor, and a vivid, satisfying bloodletting to rival Armageddon itself. |
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| The Woman in White by Wilkie CollinsThe Woman in White, first published in 1860, is an early Gothic horror story, involving a beautiful heiress, a mysterious woman dressed in white who bears secrets about the heiress' husband, and the Victorian-era practice of bundling inconvenient women off to insane asylums. The atmosphere of mystery and menace gradually builds throughout the plot, culminating in a frightening and satisfying conclusion. If you want to read some contemporary novels with similar themes, try Sarah Waters' Fingersmith and Joanne Harris' Sleep, Pale Sister. |
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| The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel HawthorneThe House of the Seven Gables features an old New England house where generations of the Pyncheon family have lived. Hepzibah Pyncheon, the current resident, is desperately poor, and readers learn that the Pyncheons have suffered from a curse ever since the building was constructed. The vividly described gloomy atmosphere, intensified by accounts of murder and other crimes, is somewhat lightened by a young character named Phoebe, but anxiety builds to dread as the plot develops. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel first appeared in 1851; for a 21st-century portrayal of the effects of a family curse, read Diane Setterfield's Bellman & Black. |
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| The Turn of the Screw by Henry JamesAt a country estate in Victorian England, an unnamed governess takes up a new position in charge of two young children. After a few quiet summer weeks, ghosts of former servants begin to appear, and though the children clearly recognize them, they refuse to admit that they do. As the spectral visits escalate and the children's behavior changes, the governess and her ally the housekeeper become increasingly frightened -- until two events bring affairs to a crisis. For another chilling Victorian-set novella featuring children in peril, read Susan Hill's 1983 Woman in Black. |
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| The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston LerouxThe Phantom of the Opera, originally published serially in 1909-10, has appeared in numerous adaptations, including Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical and several movie versions. Author Gaston Leroux's novel relates the tale of Christine Daaé, a young singer in the Paris Opera chorus. Christine discovers a man called Erik with an ethereally beautiful voice and accepts his offer to give her voice lessons. A series of horrible events follows, and Erik presents Christine with a terrifying ultimatum. For a clever modern follow-up to Leroux's original story, try Frederick Forsyth's The Phantom of Manhattan. |
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