Classics discussion

I want to hear your opinions on what I believe are the core four horror novels: Frankenstein: The 1818 Text, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, and The Picture of Dorian Gray.

These novels paved the way for the horror genre as a whole with their unique ways of storytelling and their ability to enrapture their readers in a world of terror. I believe there are still many lessons to be found in them that are still relevant today, and I want to see what you guys learned!

I agree, Diksha! What makes Frankenstein such an excellent horror novel is just how relatable and human 'the monster' is. I think a lot of readers, especially young ones, understand that feeling of being neglected by a parent. Victor always frightened me when I was younger because his habit of just sort of vanishing and sleeping all day for several weeks or months at a time when something went wrong reminded me of my own habit of procrastinating. It's just full of lessons about responsibility, which I think are very important lessons for people to learn.

The Picture of Dorian Gray has some more obvious warnings about vanity and corruption. There are so many stories about eternal youth and how it would corrupt a person over time, at first being simply a luxury but later resulting in boredom that leads the immortal person to commit all sorts of crimes and sins. I think the way the book is written helps emphasize Dorian's luxury and beauty on the surface, which opposes directly with his hideous portrait, which represents his true self.