Today's resurgence of interest in horror stories featuring vampires, werewolves, and zombies harkens back to the classic Gothic mystery genre. Initially established in the 1700's, Gothic mysteries combine elements of romance and horror, typically in some type of haunted setting, drawing the reader into a love story with supernatural elements.
A tortured hero characterizes the story. His torments are often related directly to the horror abounding in his world, perhaps as he is some type of supernatural entity himself. The romance plays out between the hero and an innocent but flawed maiden, who finds herself both frightened by and drawn to him. He will oftentimes find himself at odds with his own community in efforts to shield or protect his love from the horror within.
Haunted castles and woods, old graveyards, ancient ruins, and once opulent but now run-down homes are the primary settings for these stories, adding a dark and mysterious aura to the proceedings. The writing tends to be fanciful and dialogue old-fashioned and romantic.
Early novels tended to heavily feature sentiments against religion in general and the Catholic church in particular. This was due to overwhelming public displeasure with the Church at the time. Characters often found themselves faced with situations common sense could have prevented but their religious beliefs precluded them from considering taking the best actions.
While the novel is perhaps the most common type of Gothic mystery, many short stories and poems are excellent examples of the genre as well. The collected works of Edgar Allen Poe, for example, are classically Gothic tales.
'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' by Victor Hugo, 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley, and 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte are just a few more widely known instances of Gothic mystery in the novel. Today, book series such as Anne Rice's vampire stories and the 'Twilight' series by Stephanie Meyer draw upon the classic Gothic style in order to paint vivid pictures of fascinating and strange worlds readers are irresistibly drawn to.
A tortured hero characterizes the story. His torments are often related directly to the horror abounding in his world, perhaps as he is some type of supernatural entity himself. The romance plays out between the hero and an innocent but flawed maiden, who finds herself both frightened by and drawn to him. He will oftentimes find himself at odds with his own community in efforts to shield or protect his love from the horror within.
Haunted castles and woods, old graveyards, ancient ruins, and once opulent but now run-down homes are the primary settings for these stories, adding a dark and mysterious aura to the proceedings. The writing tends to be fanciful and dialogue old-fashioned and romantic.
Early novels tended to heavily feature sentiments against religion in general and the Catholic church in particular. This was due to overwhelming public displeasure with the Church at the time. Characters often found themselves faced with situations common sense could have prevented but their religious beliefs precluded them from considering taking the best actions.
While the novel is perhaps the most common type of Gothic mystery, many short stories and poems are excellent examples of the genre as well. The collected works of Edgar Allen Poe, for example, are classically Gothic tales.
'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' by Victor Hugo, 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley, and 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte are just a few more widely known instances of Gothic mystery in the novel. Today, book series such as Anne Rice's vampire stories and the 'Twilight' series by Stephanie Meyer draw upon the classic Gothic style in order to paint vivid pictures of fascinating and strange worlds readers are irresistibly drawn to.
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