The Gothic novel is a particular style of literary imagination. The first novel in the genre was published in 1754. Several writers like Ann Radcliffe and Mary Shelley have published books that are important to the genre. Some even consider Jane Austen as one of the major literary voices who added to the genre because of her book Northanger Abbey. Despite their relative outnumbering in the profession, lots of women writers were able to successfully publish in this genre for a number of reasons.
These kinds of stories feature mysterious and supernatural events. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a great example of the genre since it is a tale shrouded in mystery. Shelley uses supernatural elements to tell the story of the monster's creation from the body parts of others that are animated to life by macabre science.
Setting the stories in gloomy places or dimly lit castles adds to the suspense of it all. Because of their suspenseful nature, ghost stories are some of the most popular kinds of Gothic tales, especially if they adhere to other standards of the genre. Another characteristic of such tales is the use of far away lands as part of the unknown for settings.
Frankenstein takes advantage of the mystery of the unknown and is set in parts of Europe that were most likely unexplored by Shelley's readers. The novel takes readers along for the chase of the monster throughout the Arctic regions and deeper into the unfamiliar. Dracula is another scary story that uses this method as it is set in Transylvania.
Frankenstein pushed the limit for its time. The thought of raising the dead would have made the average reader wince in terror. The thought of Victor roaming around looking for spare body parts undoubtedly made readers just a little uncomfortable.
The Gothic novel bridges the supernatural to the mortal world. Accordingly, Dracula lives as a vampire in a world of non-vampires. Shelley's Frankenstein also uses multiple elements of the genre's tradition to accomplish its overall feel. Gothic Novel
These kinds of stories feature mysterious and supernatural events. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a great example of the genre since it is a tale shrouded in mystery. Shelley uses supernatural elements to tell the story of the monster's creation from the body parts of others that are animated to life by macabre science.
Setting the stories in gloomy places or dimly lit castles adds to the suspense of it all. Because of their suspenseful nature, ghost stories are some of the most popular kinds of Gothic tales, especially if they adhere to other standards of the genre. Another characteristic of such tales is the use of far away lands as part of the unknown for settings.
Frankenstein takes advantage of the mystery of the unknown and is set in parts of Europe that were most likely unexplored by Shelley's readers. The novel takes readers along for the chase of the monster throughout the Arctic regions and deeper into the unfamiliar. Dracula is another scary story that uses this method as it is set in Transylvania.
Frankenstein pushed the limit for its time. The thought of raising the dead would have made the average reader wince in terror. The thought of Victor roaming around looking for spare body parts undoubtedly made readers just a little uncomfortable.
The Gothic novel bridges the supernatural to the mortal world. Accordingly, Dracula lives as a vampire in a world of non-vampires. Shelley's Frankenstein also uses multiple elements of the genre's tradition to accomplish its overall feel. Gothic Novel
