The Gothic

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

• Provides an overview of the most significant issues and debates in Gothic studies.
• Explains the origins and development of the term Gothic.
• Explores the evolution of the Gothic in both literary and non-literary forms, including art, architecture and film.
• Features authoritative readings of key works, ranging from Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto to Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho.
• Considers recurrent concerns of the Gothic such as persecution and paranoia, key motifs such as the haunted castle, and figures such as the vampire and the monster.
• Includes a chronology of key Gothic texts, including fiction and film from the 1760s to the present day, and a comprehensive bibliography.