Disclaimer: I was fortunate to win a copy of 'The Gothic Wanderer' in a Goodreads giveaway. However, any opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. There may be potential spoilers.
'The Gothic Wanderer' originated in the author's doctoral thesis. This is reflected in the style of language chosen by the author and the structure of the book, which retains the greater formality of an academic text by comparison to, for example, a work of popular non-fiction.
The work is divided into three major parts. The first of these is the creation of the Gothic Wanderer. In this the author defines what he means by this term and looks at the influence of the French Revolution, Paradise Lost, The Wandering Jew, gambling and Roscrucianism on the development of the Wanderer in Gothic literature.
The second part focuses on the subversion of the traditional Gothic Wanderer, looking at the Wandering Jewess in Fanny Burney's work, as well as the more existential Wanderer such as Frankenstein's Monster.
The third part focuses on the theme of redemption and includes an analysis of Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities, vampire literature such as Glenarvon, The Vampyre and, of course, Dracula, and finally brings us up to the present day with the Twilight phenomenon.
This book is perhaps of most value to those studying the Gothic novel as part of a Literature degree. It contains a number of interesting points and makes considered comparisons to various authors and their writings, as well as historical events such as the French Revolution.