Best Gothic Books of All Time (585 books)

Making its debut in the late 18th century, Gothic fiction was a branch of the larger Romantic movement that sought to stimulate strong emotions in the reader—fear and apprehension in this case. Gothic fiction places heavy emphasis on atmosphere, using setting and diction to build suspense and a sense of unease in the reader. Common subject matter includes the supernatural, family curses, mystery, and madness.

When adding books to the list, please make sure "gothic" is listed on the book's main genre page.

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1	Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 4.16 avg rating — 2,309,718 ratings score: 111,816, and 1,131 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 3.90 avg rating — 1,866,637 ratings score: 111,650, and 1,136 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 3.90 avg rating — 2,027,454 ratings score: 100,503, and 1,018 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 4.25 avg rating — 715,342 ratings score: 86,645, and 884 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 3.83 avg rating — 661,898 ratings score: 52,240, and 542 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux 3.96 avg rating — 275,744 ratings score: 40,971, and 425 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 4.13 avg rating — 1,859,333 ratings score: 37,794, and 390 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Dracula by Bram Stoker 4.02 avg rating — 1,465,910 ratings score: 36,862, and 382 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 3.81 avg rating — 390,888 ratings score: 36,059, and 376 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson 3.91 avg rating — 292,707 ratings score: 34,034, and 355 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu 3.87 avg rating — 192,983 ratings score: 32,956, and 345 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins 4.01 avg rating — 165,606 ratings score: 30,759, and 321 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (Goodreads Author) 3.98 avg rating — 326,114 ratings score: 27,700, and 286 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman 4.07 avg rating — 354,675 ratings score: 23,827, and 252 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Turn of the Screw by Henry James 3.38 avg rating — 179,121 ratings score: 19,720, and 212 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis 3.86 avg rating — 33,464 ratings score: 19,530, and 204 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe 4.29 avg rating — 169,235 ratings score: 18,623, and 199 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo 4.02 avg rating — 217,424 ratings score: 17,075, and 183 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes, #5) by Arthur Conan Doyle 4.13 avg rating — 386,085 ratings score: 16,994, and 184 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe 4.24 avg rating — 123,032 ratings score: 13,555, and 145 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole 3.19 avg rating — 42,244 ratings score: 13,375, and 144 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter 3.90 avg rating — 64,970 ratings score: 13,277, and 142 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving 3.77 avg rating — 154,508 ratings score: 13,008, and 143 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Woman in Black by Susan Hill 3.76 avg rating — 81,719 ratings score: 11,751, and 128 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe 3.43 avg rating — 17,105 ratings score: 11,210, and 121 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier 4.01 avg rating — 68,778 ratings score: 9,852, and 107 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe 3.85 avg rating — 88,073 ratings score: 8,014, and 88 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters 3.57 avg rating — 59,501 ratings score: 7,992, and 87 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Goodreads Author) 3.66 avg rating — 438,952 ratings score: 7,873, and 83 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe 4.06 avg rating — 47,217 ratings score: 7,592, and 84 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Uncle Silas by J. Sheridan Le Fanu 3.74 avg rating — 7,156 ratings score: 6,952, and 77 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Collected Ghost Stories by M.R. James 4.12 avg rating — 7,865 ratings score: 6,641, and 74 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier 3.90 avg rating — 59,736 ratings score: 6,569, and 74 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne 3.45 avg rating — 42,892 ratings score: 6,539, and 73 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) by Anne Rice 4.02 avg rating — 647,204 ratings score: 6,106, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 4.27 avg rating — 1,600,078 ratings score: 5,648, and 61 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Gormenghast Novels (Gormenghast, #1-3) by Mervyn Peake 4.03 avg rating — 9,889 ratings score: 5,493, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Robert Maturin 3.73 avg rating — 5,585 ratings score: 5,465, and 61 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 4.09 avg rating — 929,021 ratings score: 5,365, and 59 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	The Shining (The Shining, #1) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 1,695,533 ratings score: 5,276, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind 4.04 avg rating — 549,077 ratings score: 5,194, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Italian by Ann Radcliffe 3.53 avg rating — 6,155 ratings score: 4,550, and 52 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Gothic Tales by Elizabeth Gaskell 3.80 avg rating — 3,107 ratings score: 4,419, and 52 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt 3.92 avg rating — 9,831 ratings score: 4,377, and 49 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	The Willows by Algernon Blackwood 4.05 avg rating — 17,297 ratings score: 4,284, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon 3.78 avg rating — 26,547 ratings score: 4,167, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe 4.03 avg rating — 56,928 ratings score: 3,975, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Dragonwyck by Anya Seton 3.79 avg rating — 7,012 ratings score: 3,927, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Affinity by Sarah Waters 3.75 avg rating — 28,596 ratings score: 3,866, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 3.80 avg rating — 276,142 ratings score: 3,673, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen 3.85 avg rating — 451,246 ratings score: 3,362, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Distant Hours by Kate Morton (Goodreads Author) 3.89 avg rating — 84,564 ratings score: 3,337, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe 4.14 avg rating — 72,239 ratings score: 3,255, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	In a Glass Darkly by J. Sheridan Le Fanu 3.84 avg rating — 5,963 ratings score: 3,085, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg 3.67 avg rating — 9,794 ratings score: 2,929, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë 4.03 avg rating — 130,153 ratings score: 2,890, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Lost Souls by Poppy Z. Brite (Goodreads Author) 3.90 avg rating — 19,026 ratings score: 2,881, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 4.14 avg rating — 94,935 ratings score: 2,855, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 4.31 avg rating — 715,501 ratings score: 2,746, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	The Ghost Writer by John Harwood (Goodreads Author) 3.45 avg rating — 6,977 ratings score: 2,633, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Vathek by William Beckford 3.24 avg rating — 7,318 ratings score: 2,504, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart 4.06 avg rating — 17,039 ratings score: 2,424, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	The Vampyre and Other Tales of the Macabre by Robert Morrison (Editor) 3.68 avg rating — 3,687 ratings score: 2,349, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Rappaccini's Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 3.89 avg rating — 7,875 ratings score: 2,332, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter 3.79 avg rating — 13,677 ratings score: 2,327, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire 4.19 avg rating — 80,031 ratings score: 2,288, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	On the Night of the Seventh Moon by Victoria Holt 3.99 avg rating — 6,034 ratings score: 2,190, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	Don't Look Now by Daphne du Maurier 3.82 avg rating — 9,572 ratings score: 2,187, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	The Shivering Sands by Victoria Holt 3.92 avg rating — 6,215 ratings score: 2,154, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Coraline by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 778,794 ratings score: 2,080, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	Selected Tales by Edgar Allan Poe 4.17 avg rating — 7,375 ratings score: 2,033, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton 3.89 avg rating — 5,050 ratings score: 1,966, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Mary Reilly by Valerie Martin (Goodreads Author) 3.67 avg rating — 2,919 ratings score: 1,936, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	The Meaning of Night (The Meaning of Night, #1) by Michael Cox 3.73 avg rating — 9,588 ratings score: 1,931, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	Bride of Pendorric by Victoria Holt 3.87 avg rating — 4,929 ratings score: 1,858, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 50,765 ratings score: 1,838, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart 3.98 avg rating — 7,348 ratings score: 1,798, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger, #1) by V.C. Andrews 3.85 avg rating — 237,087 ratings score: 1,780, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Asylum by Patrick McGrath 3.97 avg rating — 41,093 ratings score: 1,759, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	The Manuscript Found in Saragossa by Jan Potocki 4.09 avg rating — 4,165 ratings score: 1,744, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Thornyhold by Mary Stewart 3.87 avg rating — 7,963 ratings score: 1,729, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	The Bride of Lammermoor by Walter Scott 3.66 avg rating — 2,193 ratings score: 1,726, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Dracul by Dacre Stoker 4.14 avg rating — 18,942 ratings score: 1,434, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe 3.39 avg rating — 4,784 ratings score: 1,398, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen 3.67 avg rating — 16,518 ratings score: 1,395, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	The Prince of Mist (Niebla, #1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 3.80 avg rating — 66,523 ratings score: 1,383, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	My Sweet Audrina (Audrina, #1) by V.C. Andrews 3.87 avg rating — 30,071 ratings score: 1,371, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	Kirkland Revels by Victoria Holt 3.87 avg rating — 3,442 ratings score: 1,342, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	What Moves the Dead (Sworn Soldier, #1) by T. Kingfisher 3.85 avg rating — 136,253 ratings score: 1,304, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	Zofloya by Charlotte Dacre 3.61 avg rating — 2,690 ratings score: 1,295, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	The Ballad of the Sad Café and Other Stories by Carson McCullers 3.78 avg rating — 26,236 ratings score: 1,290, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart 4.06 avg rating — 10,515 ratings score: 1,261, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	The Beetle by Richard Marsh 3.49 avg rating — 4,072 ratings score: 1,252, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Wieland and Memoirs of Carwin the Biloquist by Charles Brockden Brown 3.37 avg rating — 2,320 ratings score: 1,222, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 102,001 ratings score: 1,198, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales by Robert Louis Stevenson 3.82 avg rating — 3,088 ratings score: 1,152, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	American Gothic Tales by Joyce Carol Oates (Editor) 4.12 avg rating — 1,387 ratings score: 1,149, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Bellefleur by Joyce Carol Oates 3.78 avg rating — 2,736 ratings score: 1,133, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins 3.91 avg rating — 98,594 ratings score: 1,109, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	The Lottery by Shirley Jackson 4.04 avg rating — 108,945 ratings score: 1,101, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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585 books · 3,501 voters · list created December 15th, 2008 by Rachel (votes) .

Tags: fiction, gothic, horror, mystery, romance, supernatural, suspense

2257 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (3501)

Rachel 441 books
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Julenew 615 books
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Cathy 3038 books
96 friends

Corine 534 books
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Clarice 262 books
43 friends

Andy 521 books
92 friends

Laura 13062 books
316 friends

Ana 793 books
67 friends

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message 1: by Julenew (last edited Dec 15, 2008 10:41PM) (new)

Dec 15, 2008 10:38PM

I'm afraid I'm not up on the latest authors. And I can't vote for a book or an author I haven't read . . .

But, if we're talking "Greatest Gothic Novel of ALL TIME" one would be a fool to limit oneself only to authors who have published in the last 10 - 25 years. To be truly considered for the crown of "Greatest of All Time," a book must stand toe-to-toe with those known to have stood the test of time: Shelley's Frankenstein; Dracula; some of Edgar Allen Poe's works, to name only a few.

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message 2: by Elettaria (new)

Jul 02, 2009 05:35AM

There are a few problems with this list. One is that some of the texts aren't novels, they're short stories, such as "The Yellow Wallpaper", or collections of short stories, such as M.R. James. Then we get to Poe's poetry, which is even further away from a novel! Others are indeed novels, but they're not gothic novels, they're novels which include parodies of gothic, namely "Northanger Abbey" and "Lady Oracle". I'd suggest pruning the list of anything which is very definitely not a novel, to begin with. Novellas such as "Carmilla" are probably OK, but anything ten pages long is nowhere near a novel.

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message 3: by Clarice (last edited Jul 06, 2009 11:10PM) (new)

Jul 06, 2009 11:08PM

The list is titled "Best Gothic Books of All Time" - this makes our life easy as any type of fiction can be included, no matter whether novella, short story, short story collection or novel. Why should we limit ourselves to novels unnecessarily? I do agree that Northanger Abbey, for example, is a parody of the genre. However, as a parody it still contains all the elements necessary to be classed as a "gothic novel". It therefore should not be excluded from the list.

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message 4: by Werner (new)

Jul 23, 2009 04:20PM

Elettaria has a case, in that collections of short stories may have diverse subject matter and not all be Gothic in nature; and poetry is rarely "Gothic," since that's mainly a type of fiction. Both points would apply to Poe's collected fiction and poetry; but I still voted for that selection, because it includes so many masterpieces of Gothic literature, such as "The Fall of the House of Usher." I'm inclined to side with Christine's more inclusive approach.

That said, I don't think that "Gothic" is the most accurate description of The Island of Dr. Moreau. Wells was a writer of the Romantic school (in his own time, his novels were called "scientific romances"), and he certainly evoked fear and dread in that novel. IMO, though, it doesn't have a traditionally Gothic setting or subject matter. But maybe I'm just nit-picking! :-)

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message 5: by Wallace (new)

Aug 28, 2009 09:10PM

What about Beloved? Am I completely off base? Why is Beloved considered a gothic novel. Also, doesn't gothic refer to a specific time period? There is some fairly modern literature on this list...

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message 6: by Werner (new)

Aug 29, 2009 04:25AM

Coconut Library, I haven't read Beloved, so I'll let somebody else comment on that. But as to your question about the time period, the answer, at least as far as the publishing industry and book trade is concerned (I'm a librarian, so I have to keep up with that milieu), is "no." The Gothic school of fiction originated in the late 1700s; but literature written later --even books being written today-- are still called "Gothic" if they have the same characteristics.

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message 7: by Wallace (new)

Sep 11, 2009 02:56PM

Werner wrote: "Coconut Library, I haven't read Beloved, so I'll let somebody else comment on that. But as to your question about the time period, the answer, at least as far as the publishing industry and book t..."

Thanks... good to know.

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message 8: by Seth (new)

Mar 16, 2010 03:42AM

I demand more Shirley Jackson. She is right up there with Poe himself. The Sundial please.

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message 9: by Werner (new)

Mar 16, 2010 06:05AM

Actually, Seth, it isn't only the person who created this list (whoever he/she is) who can add books to it --you, and the rest of us, can too. So, you can consider yourself duly authorized to see that Ms. Jackson gets the representation here that she deserves. (I haven't read The Sundial myself, but I sure voted for The Haunting of Hill House!)

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message 10: by Seth (new)

Mar 16, 2010 06:40AM

Thanks Werner. :)

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message 11: by Kristy (new)

Apr 11, 2010 01:50PM

I think the best darkest and most Gothic tale was Bram Stoker's Dracula. Vlad was truly evil in every sense and even love wasn't strong enough to smother the demon inside him.

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message 12: by J10 (new)

Apr 27, 2010 01:26AM

Cool list, this provides me with lots of ideas for new books to read!

One thing... As much as I love Germinal - I wouldn't consider it Gothic in any way. If I'd want to put a label on it, I would rather say it's realist, naturalist or socialist.

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message 13: by E (new)

Jun 30, 2011 07:41AM

Hi guys, bit of a loose end now. I am trying desperately to think of some ideas for an extended essay on Gothic Novels. I was thinking along the lines of gender differences for authors or within the novels themselves. Any of you lovely people fancy giving me any more ideas? Get in contact with me however you like! Much appreciated!

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message 14: by Joanna (new)

Apr 14, 2012 10:49PM

'Beloved' does not belong on this list.

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message 15: by Katarzyna (new)

May 21, 2012 08:59AM

Beloved often gets read in relation to the Gothic by lit scholars, and does feature a lot of tropes usually found in Gothic lit (like ghosts). Clarissa, on the other hand, is not Gothic at all. I would love to hear why the five people who voted for it feel that it belongs on this list.

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message 16: by Leslie (new)

Oct 08, 2012 03:19PM

I think that the graphic novel of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" should be replaced with the actual book, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving... I suspect a lot of people voted for this thinking it was the original book (I know I almost did)

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message 17: by Werner (new)

Oct 08, 2012 08:37PM

Done, Leslie! Thanks for catching that mistake.

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message 18: by Noel (new)

Oct 14, 2012 08:01AM

Lem's Solaris isn't a Gothic book, why is it in this list?

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message 19: by Anitha (new)

Oct 19, 2012 04:58AM

I think you should also include Patrick McGrath's "Grotesque" and "Dr.Haggard's Disease".

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message 20: by Werner (new)

Oct 19, 2012 06:09AM

Anitha, you can add those yourself! Just click on the "add books" link near the top, and then use the search function to bring up the titles you want to add.

Noel, I haven't read Solaris (so, of course, I'm not the person who added it here!). But I have read a friend's review of it, and I'd have to say that while it's not traditionally Gothic, the plot and premise DO make use of some basic Gothic tropes. The lonely, isolated research station with its handful of humans functions as a sort of haunted house, and the protagonist sees hallucinations (or are they hallucinations?) of a dead love interest while he grapples with an ominous-seeming mystery. I could see how whoever put it on this list could reasonably argue that it's appropriate.

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message 21: by Alyne (new)

Dec 22, 2012 05:38PM

Pleas add The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.
I hope someday my novel Mara, Book One of The Roses of the Moon will make this list!

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message 22: by Alyne (new)

Dec 22, 2012 05:42PM

Also The Bloody Chamber and Magic Toy Shop by Angela Carter also ed as Blood by Tanith Lee and her Secret Books of Paradys. Must be on here! :)

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message 23: by Werner (new)

Dec 23, 2012 05:34AM

Alyne, The Turn of the Screw is already on this list (it's number 41). You can add the ones by Carter and Lee yourself. And best wishes for success with Mara!

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message 24: by Iris (new)

Jul 12, 2013 07:29PM

great list....much appreciated! great way to find books in the genre i'm interested in....found some great creepy horrors on this list also.

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message 25: by David (new)

May 13, 2014 01:29PM

Nice list but I'm pretty sure Lovecraft and his fellow Weird authors are fairly far removed from the Gothic definition. Granted Otranto has the mysterious limb of the Galactus-sized Giant in the hall so perhaps I'm wrong in this belief.

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message 26: by Pd (new)

May 12, 2015 08:20AM

great list indeed

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message 27: by MomToKippy (new)

Jun 07, 2015 02:00PM

Does "gothic" refer to writing from a certain era or about a certain era or is it only the stylistic elements described above? Can a story that takes place in the present time be considered gothic?? thanks!

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message 28: by MomToKippy (new)

Jun 07, 2015 02:11PM

Rhiannon wrote: "Aren't some of these more... historical horror than gothic?"
I'd like to know too.

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message 29: by Werner (new)

Jun 07, 2015 04:15PM

As I understand it, the term Gothic refers to a particular literary style/subgenre. So yes, a book that exhibits those kinds of characteristics is Gothic, regardless of when it's written.

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message 30: by Neveen (new)

Jul 27, 2015 02:04PM

MomToKippy wrote: "Does "gothic" refer to writing from a certain era or about a certain era or is it only the stylistic elements described above? Can a story that takes place in the present time be considered gothic..."

It's mostly about the elements no matter when or where the story takes place. There is also Gothic Horror as sub genre.

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message 31: by Hildaguard (new)

Aug 12, 2015 05:46AM

I voted for Bram Stoker's Dracula because I believe it holds the top spot of gothic masterpieces. The first book that actually made me feel multiple emotions on every single page it hung onto every word. I still can't stop talking about how much I loved this book. Dracula is the book I be seen reading on my death bed.

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message 32: by Alice (new)

Feb 02, 2016 07:36AM

Gothic isn't gothic without a castle, monastery, convent, some living architecture with its own secrets. Haunting of Hill House is the best example.
http://flickeringlamps.com/2015/04/03...
Go here to see Walpole's house.

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message 33: by George P. (new)

Oct 03, 2016 09:17PM

The Shadow of the Wind, which I've read, is not listed as Gothic genre on it's Goodreads listing page, and I don't see it as belonging, it's more of a creepy mystery.

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message 34: by Sandra (new)

Aug 08, 2017 05:38PM

Inheritance by Tom Savage. I don't know if it completely fits the genre, but it's as close as I have found in recent books. Excellent book, anyway, regardless, but to me it was gothic.

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message 35: by Mary (new)

Feb 17, 2018 10:58AM

Gothic fiction, which is largely known by the subgenre of Gothic horror, is a genre or mode of literature and film that combines fiction and horror, death, and at times romance or happiness. Its origin is attributed to English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto, subtitled (in its second edition) "A Gothic Story". Wikipedia

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message 36: by Werner (new)

Sep 17, 2019 08:42PM

The rockabilly werewolf from Mars wrote: "I'm not quite sure why The Catcher In The Rye is on this. It has been a while since I read it, but I don't recall anything especially gothic about it."

My guess is that putting it on this list was somebody's idea of a joke. I'm a Goodreads librarian, so I can delete it, if you'll tell me what number it is on the list. (That'll save me some time hunting for it!)

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message 37: by Werner (new)

Sep 19, 2019 06:13AM

The rockabilly werewolf from Mars wrote: "I'm not quite sure why The Catcher In The Rye is on this. It has been a while since I read it, but I don't recall anything especially gothic about it."

Since this comment was posted, I've discovered that there are LOTS of books on this list that don't have anything especially Gothic about them, not just this one! In the last two days, I've probably deleted at least two dozen improperly added books, and expect to delete a lot more.

"Gothic" might be a hard term for many modern readers to define, but the list description gives you a convenient rule to follow: add only books that list "Gothic" as a genre on the book's main Goodreads page. Not every book set in the historical past, or every book that involves a murder mystery, or even every book with a supernatural premise, is automatically "Gothic!" (And just because an author wrote one Gothic novel doesn't necessarily make everything else that he/she ever wrote automatically "Gothic," either.)

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message 38: by Werner (new)

Sep 19, 2019 10:19AM

The Catcher in the Rye has been found and deleted!

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message 39: by Jon (new)

Oct 29, 2019 06:45AM

Werner, I appreciate the work you've done on cleaning up the list. It needed it. But it appears that a lot of books that most fans of the genre would consider 'gothic' are no longer there. The most apparent example being Dracula, which was at one time in the forefront on this list. If the main consideration for a book's inclusion is it having the genre listing of Gothic on its book page, is there a way to make such a thing happen? I have considered this list a valuable resource for finding good reads for some time. And will consider it so still. Just not quite so highly as I once did. Thanks for listening (er, reading... :)

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message 40: by Werner (last edited Jan 03, 2023 03:11PM) (new)

Oct 31, 2019 07:20AM

Jon wrote: "If the main consideration for a book's inclusion is it having the genre listing of Gothic on its book page, is there a way to make such a thing happen?"

Jon, good question! There is; but one person can't do it alone. When you join Goodreads, the program automatically sets your bookshelves up with three basic shelves (read, currently reading, and to read). But many people go on to create customized shelves of their own, sometimes by genre (including "Gothic"). Some very simple, generic shelf names, like Gothic, are used by a LOT of people, even though they don't coordinate with each other.

On the book records, where a list of "Genres" is supplied, the Goodreads program apparently lists every customized shelf name (like "Gothic," "Fiction," "Horror," etc.) that a certain number of people have all shelved the book as. (I don't know how large that number has to be.) The more people who have a "Gothic" shelf (I don't myself) and list a particular book on it, the more likely it is that Goodreads will list "Gothic" as one of the book's genres.

"Gothic" can be a relatively subjective term, not as cut-and-dried and easy to define as such even for people who know literature; and many other people are relatively clueless about what it is (as some of their list additions demonstrate!) I don't know the list creator, Rachel; but I'm guessing she set up that criteria as a way of bringing in an objective yardstick, and replacing idiosyncratic individual judgement with the collective perspective of many readers (in the hope that the latter would be more likely to be accurate).

All of that said, I can see Gothic elements in Dracula, though I personally usually associate "Gothic" with something set strictly in or around one particular sinister building. If you want to re-add it, I won't delete it again, even if it's not on the requisite number of people's "Gothic" shelves. :-)

Hope this helps!

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message 41: by Werner (last edited Oct 31, 2019 04:25PM) (new)

Oct 31, 2019 04:24PM

Just by way of update, Dracula is on the list as #158. It doesn't look like a recent re-addition, so I'm guessing it wasn't deleted after all.

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message 42: by Denise (new)

Oct 26, 2020 10:04AM

The Ghosts of Glenisia

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message 43: by Suzanne (new)

Jan 03, 2023 11:04AM

I found a lot of M. R. James on this list that I have yet to read and I'm excited because James is my favorite Gothic author. I also found a lot of books I read as a young lady and completely forgot, so I was able to update my Read list. Keep highlighting the Gothic genre, it's so underrated.

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message 44: by Mitchell (new)

Dec 23, 2023 11:01PM