![]() ![]() I don’t think Jayne Eyre really counts as “modern” gothic, exactly, but then again, neither do all of the books in this list. Maybe she even decides to marry this man, but then it turns out that he’s got his mad first wife hidden in the attic, and … wait: I’m just describing the plot of Jayne Eyre now, aren’t I? Maybe she’s a poor, struggling governess, who has nowhere else to go, and who is forced to throw herself on the mercy of her new employer – a haughty, and yet devastatingly attractive man, who our heroine is strangely drawn to, even although his aloof demeanour suggests that he, too, is hiding a dark secret. Maybe she’s writing a book set in the past, and is doing some research. Maybe she’s discovered an old letter amongst a dead grandparent’s belongings, and it’s piqued her curiosity. There’s normally a young woman, living in the 21st century, who, for various reasons, finds herself arriving at the gates of a mysterious old house, buried deep in the countryside. Most of these modern gothic novels follow a similar kind of format. I know there have been various spoof versions over the years, but I would totally read a real one, complete with smugglers, and monkeys, and lashings and lashings of ginger beer wine…). I suspect this is just the natural continuation of my childhood obsession with mystery and adventure stories: I’ve always loved a good mystery, and these modern gothic novels are essentially the grown-up version of the Famous Five (Side note: I REALLY wish someone would write a grown-up version of the Famous Five. Especially if it contains a dark secret, obviously. I’m not joking, by the way: I actually have a collection on my Kindle which has the title “Books About Mysterious Old Houses”, and it currently has over 20 titles in it, so… yeah, I enjoy a mysterious house story, for sure. When it comes to fiction, my favourite genre by far is one that would probably be best described as “modern gothic novels”… but which I think of simply as “ books about mysterious old houses which conceal a dark secret“. ![]() Madness, morality, entrapment, and the cruelty of nature are frequent focal points of Gothic literature.The Ultimate List of the Best Modern Gothic Novels Themes tend to revolve around alienation and persecution, often in connection to deep psychological or social conflict of the times. Tales within this genre are full of secrets and mystery, often in relation to some horrible, life-altering event. Related: 9 Award-Winning Psychological Horror Novels ![]() It often touches upon a claustrophobic atmosphere, surrounding its characters with ruin and no safe place to turn. More than fear, it is perhaps a grim dread that encompasses this genre. The genre is deeply rooted in the personal reflections of this fear, employing bleak yet picturesque scenery amidst a melodramatic narrative. Gothic books rely heavily on the dynamics of fear, though it would be incorrect to paint the wider genre as horror. And, like the Gothic architecture previously mentioned, this collision of past and present is heavily obscured by shadow. Setting it apart from the broader spectrum of historical fiction, the past in these stories often looms overhead menacingly-a haunting reminder of a time that refuses to stay buried. The main and defining feature of the Gothic genre is its link to the past. ![]()
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