Gothic literature series#

Readers’ fascination with terror paved the way for a thrilling new ideal that helped popularize the movement. Many of the defining elements of Gothic literature parallel those of the Middle Ages, incorporating similar themes and settings.

Gothic literature series#

This fictional genre encompasses many different elements, and has undergone a series of revivals since its inception. Dark Romanticism is characterized by expressions of terror, gruesome narratives, supernatural elements, and dark, picturesque scenery. Gothic literature is a genre that emerged as one of the eeriest forms of Dark Romanticism in the late 1700s, a literary genre that emerged as a part of the larger Romanticism movement. Sold for $50 via National Book Auctions (June 2012). Although the books from these prolific writers were published centuries ago, today they provide a strong connection to the past and an important resource for both contemporary fiction writers and avid literary collectors alike. His tale of love, death, and supernatural elements paved the way for a fictional genre that has been explored by prominent authors from the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, the Brontë sisters, and many more. Walpole used the word “Gothic” in the sense of “barbarous” or “deriving from Middle Ages,” and many were even fooled into believing his story actually held truth.

Walpole applied the word in the subtitle, “A Gothic Story.” The use was intended to be a sophisticated joke to suggest that the story was an antique relic even though it was mere fiction. The first mention of Gothic literature appeared in English writer Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto, published in 1764. It wasn’t until the Romantic era in the late 18th century that the word was applied to literature. The term “Gothic” was first used in conjunction with a Medieval style of ornate and intricate architecture that originated in France around the 12th century.