The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis
"Male Gothic" Victorian romance. Murder, lust, deceit, witchcraft, dark passages, torture. Good tension throughout, and maybe a little bit fun to read.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
"Female Gothic" Brooding, introspective. Short ghost story or tale of insanity? Tense, atmospheric. A classic.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
"Female Gothic" Tedious, introspective, and chatty exploration of vanity. Quite tedious at time.

The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
Good, fun read.

Twice-Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Collection of short stories. I'm not a big fan, so no comment.

Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe
Collection of short stories: horror, science fiction, fantasy, and detective stories. Many seem to be for children.

Others I reviewed in "What are you reading now & then, what's next?"

The Mysteries of Udolpho, Ann Radcliffe
Very long "female Gothic" / Victorian-style exploration of a woman's perseverance under threat & duress. This defines "female gothic", with hidden corridors, ghosts, misdirection, and so forth. Tedious, but rich in experiences, intricacy, character, and scenery. Too much tedium inside the protagonist's head. For all the tedium and travelogue, the author's skill makes it almost tolerable. Of historical interest.

The Devil's Elixirs, E T A Hoffman
Twisted, complex mix of the base and sublime in a monk. Quite dated. Schizophrenia, doppleganger, intrigue, murder, incest, hand of fate. Possibly of historical interest, but more interesting for the approach taken by the author.

Varney the Vampire, Rymer?
Fun popcorn and "dark & stormy night" serial. A "poverty row" serial. Focused on action and shock, with a lot of "male gothic" romance. Very spotty. Of enormous historical interest, yet quite accessible to the (not too) modern reader.

Last Edited By: SiBurning Jan 13 11 2:19 PM. Edited 6 times.