What do you think?
Rate this book
Gothic Horror
This highly accessible anthology of Gothic writings and criticism provides an essential guide to the genre. The second edition of this critically acclaimed book has been thoroughly revised to include material from the early gothic and a fresh set of contemporary essays, with a supporting timeline and thought provoking introductory material.
- GenresHorror
334 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 2007
49 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 27, 2007
While this is without a doubt a noteworthy book, and one of those any student or "just anybody" interested in the gothic horror genre should definitely read, it is strangely uneven.
The bulk of the book is a selection of old introductions and essays dealing in various ways with the genre and the authors writing in it. Much of the material is from out-of-print publications, and for that reason alone it is a must-have! That it includes such groundbreaking essays as Edgar Allan Poe's notes on writing an effective short story (really about poetry, in casu "The Raven", but since used as the definition of a short story that works) and H. P. Lovecraft's introduction to his "Supernatural Horror in Literature" shows that it takes the "old masters" of the genre serious, which is great. The inclusion of up-to-date material is wonderful too, since we can today better appreciate and see the more academic aspects of the genre, and it shows what a marvel treasure hoard of angles from which it can, justifiable, be interpreted.
Unfortunately the editor's introduction seems hurried and is flawed; too flawed, in my opinion. I have a particular fondness for Lovecraft, and it frustrates me that, although there are often references to Lovecraft (proving that he is indeed becoming an established figure in the field), there are factual errors. For instance, Lovecraft has never been editor of the pulp magazine, Weird Tales . He only contributed stories and the occasional comment.
When we're talking about factual errors, and not matters of interpretations, it gives the impression of laziness on part of the editor; and it too easily results in providing a distorted picture of the genre, overall. A shame, because otherwise it is a collection I'd have recommended at any time.
The bulk of the book is a selection of old introductions and essays dealing in various ways with the genre and the authors writing in it. Much of the material is from out-of-print publications, and for that reason alone it is a must-have! That it includes such groundbreaking essays as Edgar Allan Poe's notes on writing an effective short story (really about poetry, in casu "The Raven", but since used as the definition of a short story that works) and H. P. Lovecraft's introduction to his "Supernatural Horror in Literature" shows that it takes the "old masters" of the genre serious, which is great. The inclusion of up-to-date material is wonderful too, since we can today better appreciate and see the more academic aspects of the genre, and it shows what a marvel treasure hoard of angles from which it can, justifiable, be interpreted.
Unfortunately the editor's introduction seems hurried and is flawed; too flawed, in my opinion. I have a particular fondness for Lovecraft, and it frustrates me that, although there are often references to Lovecraft (proving that he is indeed becoming an established figure in the field), there are factual errors. For instance, Lovecraft has never been editor of the pulp magazine, Weird Tales . He only contributed stories and the occasional comment.
When we're talking about factual errors, and not matters of interpretations, it gives the impression of laziness on part of the editor; and it too easily results in providing a distorted picture of the genre, overall. A shame, because otherwise it is a collection I'd have recommended at any time.
Displaying 1 of 1 review