On Paths Unknown discussion

Hi guys, time to start thinking about what you'd be reading to get into the mood for Hallow e'en!

Since I don't have a lot of spare time this October, I've been thinking of going for a short story, something preferably Gothic, something Edgar Allan Poe-ish.

I found a bunch of stories online:

The Pit and the Pendulum
by Edgar Allan Poe: https://americanliterature.com/author...

The Black Cat
by Edgar Allan Poe
https://americanliterature.com/author...

The Call of Cthulhu
by H. P. Lovecraft
https://americanliterature.com/author...

The Hanging Stranger
by Philip K. Dick
https://americanliterature.com/author...

The Moonlit Road
by Ambrose Bierce
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-sto...



Then, I have also thought that I should investigate Collected Ghost Stories of M.R. James.

I've also found out that Edith Wharton wrote some ghost stories, The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton which I thought might be worth a bash.

I'm sure I've left out a lot of possibilities - please add more to our list!

If you've read any of the stories mentioned above, please give feedback on them?

Happy pre-Halloween!

^Whoo, those are some excellent suggestions!

I'll just add some of the ones I've dug up in my collection that I am still trying to get to:

John Polidori - The Vampyre
(according to my old vampire research this is supposed to be the first literary vampire story, before Bram Stoker.)

James Malcolm Rymer: Varney the Vampire
(another oldie)

Sheridan Le Fanu: Carmilla
(I still haven't gotten to anything by Le Fanu yet)

Washington Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Oh I just want to add, I have the complete collection of Edgar Allan Poe so anything by him would be fine for me :)

Yolande wrote: "^Whoo, those are some excellent suggestions!

I'll just add some of the ones I've dug up in my collection that I am still trying to get to:

John Polidori - The Vampyre
(according to my old vampir..."

Ah, yes The Vampyre: A Tale by John William Polidori is one of the very first vampire stories and precedes Bram Stoker's Dracula, IIRC. Didn't know about Varney.

I'd forgotten about Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu...and actually that is one that I would LOVE to discuss! I've read it before, but I don't mind reading it again.

Since that is a novella, how about we choose one short story, one novella, and, if members want to, you people can also choose a novel. We can decide here in the thread, and/or I can also add a poll or 2 if you like.

I suppose The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole is worth at least a mention as being supposed to be one of, or THE very first Gothic horror story.

Traveller wrote: "Yolande wrote: "^Whoo, those are some excellent suggestions!

I'll just add some of the ones I've dug up in my collection that I am still trying to get to:

John Polidori - The Vampyre
(according..."

Ah yes The Castle of Otranto :) I don't remember if I completely read that one or not. I think I remember little bits of it and I have a feeling, probably since it was the very first Gothic novel that it wasn't very good, but I'm not sure. I think I remember medieval armour men moving about and something about the main character's daughter but that's about it.

If one thinks about the start of sophisticated Gothic novels though, Anne Radcliffe is not only the start but the Queen of 18th century Gothic fiction (I think it was Walter Scott who referred to her as the Queen of Gothic and I agree. I've read "The Romance of the Forest"; "The Mysteries of Udolpho" and "The Italian". Her novels are also referenced many times in a lot of Austen's books, especially Northanger Abbey since that is a parody of the genre. I find it sad that she was very sensitive to criticism and later stopped writing novels and retreated into privacy.

Gothic novels that I still want to get to at some point are:

Dracula (I have a new edition so want to reread)

Mary Shelley: Frankenstein (I can't believe I still haven't read that one!)

Charles Robert Maturin: Melmoth the Wanderer

Wilkie Collins: The Moonstone

William Beckford: Vathek

Robert Louis Stevenson: Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (one of my favourites and of this also I have a new edition from which to reread)

Charlotte Dacre: Zofloya or The Moor

Sheridan Le Fanu: Uncle Silas

And I'm almost too scared to say but: The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. I thought it was a novel but I now see it described as a novella.

I love Dracula. I've read most of it, but I too, managed to get hold of a critical edition, so I wouldn't mind redoing it.

Personally, I found Frankenstein a bit boring so I never finished it, but I've seen from reviews that I should perhaps have read more critical material dealing with it. As you might have seen from other threads, a few other members also mentioned they want to do The Moonstone, and I do too.

I was not aware of Vathek or Zofloya, and of course, Uncle Silas by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu is a classic (which I have not read myself :P )

I suppose we could put all of these on a poll and see which draw the most interest. If not a lot of people are interested, we can maybe do "buddy reads".

PS. Don't you just hate autocorrect?

Yes, hate it :p

Dracula is also one of my favourites.

Books like Vathek and Zofloya are ones I came across through mention of the various Gothic novels of the time period in critical books about Gothic novels. I've gone through a few of those. I liked this one the most: "Robert Miles - Gothic writing 1750 - 1820. A Genealogy". (Our uni library has such useful books :p)

Sounds great: I'm game for anything creepy. I just read the Walpole. I have some big-ass collections of Poe and Lovecraft here presently but would read anything.

Yolande wrote: "Yes, hate it :p

Dracula is also one of my favourites.

Books like Vathek and Zofloya are ones I came across through mention of the various Gothic novels of the time period in critical books about ..."

Hmm, I have one or two as well. I wrote a silly review a few years back where I mention them. They're The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction and Gothic (actually: Gothic : The New Critical Idiom).
I'd forgotten about that and Poppy Z. Brite. We can add her to the mix, I suppose.

Jonfaith wrote: "Sounds great: I'm game for anything creepy. I just read the Walpole. I have some big-ass collections of Poe and Lovecraft here presently but would read anything."

Well, you can vote for something here, or we can see what a poll nets us? What do you people want to do?

Oh! And I wrote a huge-ass review for The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, but it pains me how many people trash it for being boring. :(:(:(. I obviously loved it, but....

Can't remember if I ever read The Mysteries of Udolpho, but yeah, it's a prominent one as well.

Re: Traveller's first list...Loved Poe's Pit :) Hated Lovecraft's Call... :(

Am very much open to the rest of the list :)

Personally, although to my great surprised I really liked Dracula, it is too recent for me to want to reread it.

I should read Frankenstein but I don't really want to...

Ruth wrote: "
I should read Frankenstein but I don't really want to..."

LOL! I understand exactly how you feel on that.... XD.
Re Dracula: I loved the style of Dracula, but not all contemporary people like that refined Victorian style.

I'm starting to think I should try and push Carmilla in as a discussion. It's not too short and it's not too long, and it breaches a few interesting issues. Not sure what I should say about it to peak interest. It has lesbian undertones, which was a bit risque at the time of writing.

On the other hand, I am equally open to spending my time on stuff I have not read yet.

I've read the Cam Companion to Gothic fiction and the New Critical Idiom one as well. Both also good.

The Turn of the Screw sounds like a very interesting book, but it also sounds very scary which is why I was afraid to mention it. I won't really know until I read it though. But I've heard the writing is excellent :)

Yolande wrote: "The Turn of the Screw sounds like a very interesting book, but it also sounds very scary which is why I was afraid to mention it. I won't really know until I read it though. But I've heard the writing is excellent :)..."

Nope, it's not scary. It's ambiguous. He kind of writes on at least 2 levels. You can see it as a straight ghost story or a Freudian parallel. Actually, it would probably make for even better discussion fodder than Carmilla...

Traveller wrote: "Nope, it's not scary. It's ambiguous. He kind of writes on at least 2 levels. You can see it as a straight ghost story or a Freudian parallel. Actually, it would probably make for even better discussion fodder than Carmilla... "

I was just about to reply, before seeing this, that I read your review (except for the spoiler bits) and I am starting to think that this would be the perfect Halloween story.

Hmm. It's not spooky though, as in WHOOOO spooky. It's.... disturbing as in hair is raising at the back of my neck disturbing. Agreed though, that it would be interesting to see how other members interpret the story...

Traveller wrote: "Hmm. It's not spooky though, as in WHOOOO spooky. It's.... disturbing as in hair is raising at the back of my neck disturbing. Agreed though, that it would be interesting to see how other membe..."

Yeah, that hair raising disturbing stuff is what I find scary ;p

At any rate, now I definitely want to read Turning of the Screw.

Yolande wrote: "At any rate, now I definitely want to read Turning of the Screw."

As you've seen, I can spout off about it at length, and I also don't mind making a thread for it. How urgent is your Turn of the Screw urge? :P

Traveller wrote: "As you've seen, I can spout off about it at length, and I also don't mind making a thread for it. How urgent is ..."

It doesn't matter, any time that would be convenient for the group.

I may adjust my vote if someone suggests something later, as it stands -- I'll go with Carmilla or the Collected Ghost Stories of MRJ.

Hmm, okay, I'm seeing a poll or 2 looming on the horizon if we don't get some more suggestions in the next day or two, because I don't have a strong agenda in any specific direction here.

MRJ sounds good - been wanting to do him for a long time now, but I've now also become curious about Edith Wharton's stories...

Yes I don't have a specific agenda either and can just as eagerly go for Carmilla.

I have read Turn of the Screw (dislike, but I have seen some arguments that are persuasive for an improved opinion) and Castle of Otrano (hated) both this year. I'm reading MRJ right now. I've read Carmilla, but so long ago that the details are hazy; I think I liked the story. Love Dracula and Frankenstein both. I should probably re-read Irving sometime this month. Basically, I'm game for any of that. MRJ or Camilla probably sound best to me as well.

Okay, thanks Amy. Looks like we're starting to narrow things down unless someone comes with new recs. (Or likes the idea of Edgar Allan Poe or H. P. Lovecraft...)

Poe and Lovecraft are both good ideas, especially for short stories of course.

Michael Dirda has reviewed in the last few months a couple novels which would qualify. The Daylight Gate is fairly short, about 200 pages, but does not have a great rating here. Better rated, but longer (~350 pages) is The Beetle.

Ted wrote: "Poe and Lovecraft are both good ideas, especially for short stories of course.

Michael Dirda has reviewed in the last few months a couple novels which would qualify. The Daylight Gate

Thanks, Ted. The Winterson novel looks interesting, but I think I will personally pass on the Beetle, thanks. I have a personal disaffinity with zombies. :P

Actually, the books you mentioned made me wonder if we shouldn't add this one to the mix: Let the Right One In ?

Hey, I just recently put "Let the Right One In" on my TBR shelf and it seems like a really good novel.

The description of the Winterson novel made me think of this play The Crucible It uses one historical event - the Salem witch trials of 1692-3 to act as an allegory for another historical event - McCarthyism, where the fear of communism got out of hand and was almost its own witch trials. The play is quite disturbing.

I also recently added Let the Right One In to my TBR.

Hmm, if we don't get to read all of this literature popping up in this thread now, right away for Halloween this year, I think we should definitely consider them for still discussing later on. (Such as The Crucible, for example).

All of this has led me to really want to read and discuss this story/novella Hunger. Oh boo, I hope it's not only available in Kindle edition...

"Hunger" sounds intense and good.

Yolande wrote: ""Hunger" sounds intense and good."
It does! I must look see if it's available on Google books or Kobo. I have a Kindle, but I prefer not to buy from Amazon if I can help it.

" Turn of The Screw" sounds fun. I did enjoy it, but I don't remember why I only gave it only three stars at the end. All of you have made some lovely suggestions. I can't think of anything new except " The Yellow WallPaper" and the " The Canterville Ghost"by Oscar Wilde since Traveller suggested short stories.

Disha wrote: "" Turn of The Screw" sounds fun. I did enjoy it, but I don't remember why I only gave it only three stars at the end. All of you have made some lovely suggestions. I can't think of anything new exc..."

Hi Disha! Thanks! Good suggestions. Now you mention it, I've been wanting to read The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories for the longest time! How about we add it to our schedule in any case, and save it for "non-Halloween" reading?

Traveller wrote: "Disha wrote: "" Turn of The Screw" sounds fun. I did enjoy it, but I don't remember why I only gave it only three stars at the end. All of you have made some lovely suggestions. I can't think of an..."

Great! The " Yellow Wallpaper" has been sitting on my shelf for a few years now. Let's do it! We can put in our schedule for sure. I am game. Thanks, Traveller!

Disha wrote: "Traveller wrote: "Disha wrote: "" Turn of The Screw" sounds fun. I did enjoy it, but I don't remember why I only gave it only three stars at the end. All of you have made some lovely suggestions. I..."

Okay, doing it. I seem to remember that long ago some other members also mentioned they want to do it. Shall we read it around January - February 2016?

I have wanted to read The Yellow Wallpaper for a long time so I'm tentatively in (will have to see how busy those months are)

Yolande wrote: "I have wanted to read The Yellow Wallpaper for a long time so I'm tentatively in (will have to see how busy those months are)"

We don't have to do it at exactly that point in time. I'm easy.

HP Lovecraft wanted to read him since he was inspiration for Trude detectives season one.

Sumant wrote: "HP Lovecraft wanted to read him since he was inspiration for Trude detectives season one."

Well, now that is interesting! I had personally watched and enjoyed the HBO show True Detectives, so I was eager to see the connection between it and Lovecraft, of whom I have read some, including, of course, the iconic call of cthulu, and I found this: http://www.fastcodesign.com/3027126/t...
How extremely interesting! So -that- was what the Yellow King was about! I really wish I had known about that before I watched the show!

So thank you for bringing that up, Sumant, and the book you'll actually be wanting to read, is this one: The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers. He influenced, so it appears, H.P. Lovecraft himself and a slew of other authors.

Well, that book should be available in the public domain by now, so you should be able to find it online at places like Gutenberg.com and others.

I am definitely going to read it - anybody else with me?

This is another very interesting article around a few related subjects http://www.salon.com/2014/03/16/the_d...

Oh! And I also wanted to mention that King in Yellow sounds very Borgian! Therefore a must read!

Sure, Traveller! I'm game.

I will read it for sure. I did not like the sample of Lovecraft I tried a couple of years ago. I'm curious whether I might like his inspirations better. (I'll also be tracking down that ghost story by Wilde mentioned earlier; I didn't realize he'd written one. And I'm in whenever you want to schedule "The Yellow Wallpaper"; I haven't read it since I was in school and I think it would be a good thing to revisit.)

I'm game, too! I love things that make people insane; that's why I like myself so much! :D

I grabbed a copy of Carmilla from the library just now. Covering bases as to this spooky-ooky read.

Hmm, come to think of it, I think Carmilla is also available in the public domain.
Yeah, here it is online at Gutenberg, but you can also dld it: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/10007/...

..and here it is on Feedbooks- as you can see Uncle Silas is also available there: http://www.feedbooks.com/book/1506/ca...

..and here you can get The King in Yellow for free: http://www.feedbooks.com/book/1376/th...

...okay... so which stories have we all (or most of us) agreed on? It looks to me that if we choose Carmilla, the first story in The King in Yellow and Other Horror Stories, and at least one M.R. James story, that we have at least one story for everyone to get into the Halloween mood? ...or is there something I have left out?

Maybe for good measure, we can add just one Poe and just one Lovecraft story? Most of them are pretty short, so, easy to fit in.

All of the above sounds good to me.