![]() ![]() This is a fascinating little book, but I don’t think it succeeds in showing how the different meanings of the term Gothic are related to each other. If you want to explore any of the topics covered in the book in more detail, Groom gives some suggestions for further reading at the end. For such a short book (150 pages) it’s surprisingly comprehensive, but it really is intended to be just an introduction. He then looks at Gothic architecture, before moving on to the more recent past and discussing the development of Gothic fiction, music, art and film. Nick Groom begins by explaining the history of the Goths (who originated from Germanic barbarian tribes) and how their influence spread throughout Europe. I was attracted to this particular title because I enjoy reading Gothic novels, but the book does cover other aspects of Gothic culture as well as literature. ![]() I have read one of the other books in this series – The Tudors – and found it a good way to gain a brief overview of a subject without going into an overwhelming amount of detail. You may also wish to purchase from either Amazon or Blackwell’s.The Gothic is one of a series of books offering very short introductions to a wide variety of different topics. ![]() Try checking the availability of this book at your school or local library or explore second hand bookshops and websites. The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings by Edgar Allan Poe Once again, there is plenty of metaphor and ambiguity and it leaves you with a lot to think about. It does sound grim, but it’s surprising how much you sympathise with the narrator, even though his actions are reprehensible. The narrator hides the dismembered body under the floorboards and the climax of the story comes when the police arrive and are sat on top of the floorboards under which the dead victim is buried. It is about a narrator who, in their paranoia, murders an old man. “The Tell-Tale Heart” has some similarity to Roald Dahl’s short story “Lamb to the Slaughter” (though the outcomes of the main characters are decidedly different). There are no “correct” interpretations but the themes of ancestry, inheritance and the self-fulfilling prophecy are particularly interesting. It is a cautionary tale of sorts, and full of metaphor and ambiguity. The death and burial of Madeline is the catalyst for a series of supernatural and disturbing events, culminating in a grand finale which leaves the narrator fleeing from the house as it comes crumbling down. Roderick’s twin sister Madeline is also ill with this unknown disease and Roderick believes that his house is sentient. “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a story about an unnamed narrator who is going to visit his ill friend, Roderick Usher. Despite being short, they are both quite thought-provoking and will likely stay with you a while after you read them. There are a lot of poems and short stories in The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings, but for the sake of brevity, “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” are good ones to read. Motifs such as old castles, secret passageways, graveyards, ghosts, vampires and demons frequently appear in Gothic literature and Poe’s Gothic works are no exception. The Gothic is not for everyone – and critics remain divided on “The Raven” – but the genre existed mainly as a form of escapism for readers, so is designed to be frightening and sensationalist. Edgar Allan Poe’s works were not on my syllabus, but I found reading them incredibly helpful in understanding both the Gothic genre in the 19th century and my own passion for English. It was my introduction to Gothic literature – a genre of all things vaguely disturbing and eloquently dramatic. He reflects on his lost love, Lenore, and is driven to the point of madness by the raven’s repetitive response to his questions with “nevermore”. The poem is about a man who is visited one night by a raven. “The Raven” is not too long and is very famous – you’ve probably heard it before, perhaps on The Simpsons. ![]() It’s a poem that is made to be read aloud and I connected with it in a way I never had with what I considered to be “old classic books”. I first read Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven” when I was around 11 and liked it for its rhyme scheme and rhythm. Review by Emily (English Language and Literature) ![]()
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