The Gothic

This guide provides an overview of the most significant issues and debates in Gothic studies.

The guide is divided into four parts: The opening section explains the origins and development of the term Gothic, considers the particular features of the Gothic within specific periods, and explores its evolution in both literary and non-literary forms, such as art, architecture and film.

The following section contains extended entries on major writers of the Gothic, pointing to the most significant features of their work.

The third section features new readings of key works, ranging from Horace Walpole's "The Castle of Otranto" to Bret Easton Ellis' "American Psycho".Finally, the text considers recurrent concerns of the Gothic such as persecution and paranoia, as well as key motifs, such as the haunted castle, and figures such as the vampire and the monster.

Supplementary material includes a chronology of key Gothic texts, including fiction from the 1760s to fiction and films in the 21st century.