My 5 Favourite Gothic Books 📖☕

Hello everyone (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡ I hope you've all had a wonderful week! ~ It's been a little bit since I did a bookish video, so, here is a top 5 for one of my favourite genres: Gothic lit.
I have loved Gothic literature ever since I studied it at university. These books are my 'go-to's, my rereads, and my very favourites. I hope you like my Gothic reading recommendations ~
I hope you enjoy the video and have a lovely day!
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[@christinafielder3641]

If you haven't yet read 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier, immediately drop what you're doing, go get your hands on a copy, and start reading! It has similarities with 'Jane Eyre', but is wonderful in its own right.

[@lauratorchio1541]

It is between the books I whish to read!

[@chrissyplanteater2892]

It’s a top one of mine 😀

[@leonardoberger312]

This book is a copy of a brazilian book called “A sucessora”

[@ravenswood118]

Reading Jane Eyre for the first time now and cried by page 24 for that kid

[@graciebumgarner9244]

The Haunting of Hill House! Such a thrilling novel, it sent shivers down my spine with each new development of this book. Absolutely recommend!

[@deanneekstrand4128]

Another element of gothic literature I would point out is that, at least during its golden age, used those creepy aesthetics to look at the darkness of human nature.

[@mynameissiddharth]

Furthermore, the architecture of buildings, castles etc. that were used as the settings reacted with the lives of the characters and the overall environment of the macabre to produce an effect which culminated in the birth of horror in the reader's mind.

[@MediaAttorney]

Great video Christy! My favorite is "Carmilla" by J. Sheridan Le Fanu. It's beautiful and brooding.

[@christy-anne-jones]

Thank you! Oh that's the one about the vampire, isn't it? It was on my reading list for my gothic lit course but I never go around to reading it

[@mariem.9349]

It's really good

[@BookOwl60]

@@christy-anne-jones Carmilla is awesome !

[@elisazouza]

After reading dorian gray I’m obsessed with gothic literature

[@hannahwinkler7405]

Jane Eyre is my favorite book of all time. Yes! The humor in it is brilliant and the prose is so beautiful and I personally relate to Jane’s personality and a lot of the things she says.

[@abibiggs9751]

You have great taste in books wow! I love every novel you mentioned in this video. One of my favourites not mentioned has to be Wuthering Heights though, I'm rereading it for uni atm and I never get bored 🌹

[@christy-anne-jones]

Thank you so much! 😊 I keep getting recommended Wurthering Heights, I really really need to read it ! ~

[@rosiebaby0]

Oh I love Wuthering Heights!! It’s what introduced me to gothic literature. Highly recommend!!

[@frostfire4636]

I read Jane Eyre when I was 13, so really quite young. It took me a few months but I really enjoyed it! I’ve read it a few times since, and it’s definitely my favourite gothic novel~

[@bookhunterrr3973]

Wuthering Heights and Rebecca are two of the books that made me love reading novels. They will always have a place in my heart. Great video! Subbed to you :)

[@mynameissiddharth]

I did not like Rebecca during my college days. Why? Because I could not pronounce Daphne du Maurier properly. Ha Ha.

[@someonesomewhere1100]

I just finished rebecca yesterday and I fell absolutely in love with it! I'm glad you mentioned it haha.

[@saraerzsebet]

I have been meaning to read Frankenstein for forever and I am finally inspired! I love all these recommendations, and I appreciate that you give thoughts on writing style. Captivating use of language is the most important aspect of a book for me.

[@Mitsuna]

Gothic is my all time favourite genre!! My favourite has always been The Picture of Dorian Gray, the way it was written was so beautiful and how the story progressed is like nothing else I ever read. I am really curious about The Magic Toyshop! It is really interesting that she taught English in Japan, Japanese is my second language and something very close to me, but it sounds so cool! I want to read it now ^o^ A really insightful and wonderfully presented video as always!

[@christy-anne-jones]

I love it so much! And please check out The Magic Toyshop, if you want! It's very different to the traditional gothic books on the list bc it has a contemporary setting but I love it so much! And she did! She lived in Tokyo for two years, and did a whole heap of things. She taught English to business men, she spent a week working at a hostess bar, but mostly she wrote one of her most famous novels: The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman.

[@neet3691]

Rebecca and frankenstein are the best

[@JPChoquette]

I'm so excited to have found this video. Gothic is my very favorite genre and I appreciated your descriptions and of course the book recommendations. More to add to my TBR--thanks for the suggestions! :)

[@goodleshoes]

Horror and terror are both used in gothic literature. Depends on the male vs female gothic usually but not exclusively.

[@hunnybean269]

My favourite gothic novel is whutheing heights. Personally i enjoyed it a lot more than jane eyre. Something about the unjust treatment of Heathcliff just resinated in my mind and I'm sure that many people could relate to it. Its not like other gothic novels at the time, which makes it so special. Its absolutely beautiful, the imagery, the prose the plot everything about it is just breathtaking.

[@christy-anne-jones]

I've been meaning to read that for ages! It's on my Kindle but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I'll have to make some time because I've heard heaps and heaps of good things about it

[@LastYelpGaming87]

I second this. Looking at your list here, Wuthering heights is a must! 👆❤️📖

[@jeffreywrightphotography]

Agreed, Wuthering Heights over Jane Eyre from the Brontë Sisters, and as a nice bonus you can listen (or better yet watch the video kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2LTfoB_mpmbmJY) to Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush. Also, add The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to the list, and anything and everything by Edgar Allan Poe.

[@ravenswood118]

But Jane was also very unfairly treated.

[@kookiecream7259]

My favourite gothics are picture of Dorian gray and wuthering heights. I just love them. I didn't feel creep while reading them and then I started talking about them with my family and I realised how creepy they actually are

[@josefien3516]

I am currently reading The Magic Toyshop and I'm loving it!! Some other gothic literature I really enjoyed reading: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Dracula by Bram Stoker, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsey, White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi, Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu.

[@christy-anne-jones]

I'm so happy to hear that!! The Magic Toyshop is my favourite thing in the entire world so I get really excited when other people like it too hahaha 😊 And thank you so much for so many recommendations!! I've been wanting to read Coraline for ages and ages, and I've started Wuthering Heights but haven't gotten too far into it yet. I need to keep going ~

[@Bosque1993]

I really love your videos, thank you so much for your work 🌺☺️🌨️ And you have good taste in books!!

[@christy-anne-jones]

Thank you so much! 😊 💛

[@LolaLicious24]

I am so happy that I found your channel, amazing content and we have such similar taste, I love all of your videos. I would recommend "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield, one of my favorite books of all time and I am quite sure you will love it as it is a gothic novel, the dialogues are fantastic and there is a very interesting mystery. A real page-turner, highly recommend! Keep up the good work, your content is so good :)

[@mayahooper599]

Yes, with the Bronte sisters books, I always go into them expecting a romance, and instead getting more gothic than I expected.

[@BreSinging]

I’m so happy that your channel has grown so much! You’re one of my favorite people to watch. 😊

[@christy-anne-jones]

Thank you so much! I'm so happy that you've been here for so long, commenting and being lovely. It honestly fills my heart with so much joy 💛

[@BreSinging]

Christy Anne Jones oh thank you so much! I’m so glad.

[@Ari-kv3ci]

I've never read any of these books, now I'll have to check them out! When you were talking about Dorian Gray I realised I know the character from the movie "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" which I watched as a kid. I co-host a book show on my local radio and you've given me the idea to read and review "Frankenstein" before the Mary Shelley movie comes out. Wonderful video as always

[@christy-anne-jones]

That's so cool that you host a book show! And ooh I've really been wanting to watch that Mary Shelley movie ~ Please, please let me know if it's good 😊

[@aiaiai8737]

Gothic literature, wonderful topic. ⚫✨ Frankenstein really is a classic. 😊 Ah, I just finished Dorian Gray today too! But in German, I bought the book secondhand and started reading it after finishing my term paper for this semester. I was so stunned and amazed by it too, especially the beginning with the garden, the flowers and the first time we as readers "see" Dorian in person, haha. I still have to read The Magic Toyshop, A Series of Unfortunate Events and Jane Eyre. :) One of my favs, which I also had to read for university this semester, is a classic one: Dracula. 🧛‍♂️ I also really love the typical German name for the genre, which is "Schauerroman". Because "Schauer" basically means shiver and this describes the feeling and what you described at the beginning of the video so well. :D A German book I still want to read is "Der Sandmann" by E.T.A. Hoffmann, I only always read excerpts from it and it would be quite interesting for me personally, because as a child I danced in the ballet adaption of it, haha. :)

[@christy-anne-jones]

Yes!! That was my favourite part from Dorian Gray. Dracula is a classic as well! I have a battered copy in a box somewhere that I need to read haha. That's so cool that the name for Gothic is basically onomatopoeia! Awh that's such a beautiful back story to you wanting to read that book.

[@scarletthollow6735]

Mir persönlich hat der Sandmann nicht so gut gefallen, vielleicht weil wir es damals in der Schule lesen mussten. Im Endeffekt beschreibt es nur das Verhalten eines verrückt werdenden Menschen, aber trotzdem recht langweilig geschrieben. Das Thema mit den immer wieder aufkommenden Augen hat mich trotzdem etwas gepackt.

[@clawravenscroft1788]

ich mag E.T.A Hoffmann, aber muss noch Der Sandmann lesen. Ich hab die meisten Bücher für den E-Reader runtergeladen, weil die Klassiker alle kostenlos zum runterladen sind, in Deutsch und English. Habe erst Frankenstein und Wuthering Heights (Sturmhöhe) fertig gelesen. Wuthering Heights ist viel schöner geschrieben als die Übersetzung, aber weil die Sprache so alt ist, hab ich es einfach nicht geschafft es zu verstehen und bin dann auf Deutsch umgestiegen.

[@durugulsen4533]

I have recently started getting more into Gothic literature. I will happily read your recommendations, especially The Magical Toyshop. I am planning on making a well rounded research on vampires and the way they are portrayed in film and literature sometime in the near future. And with that I have read the three vampire literature classics which I highly recommend you to read: *Carmilla, J. Sheridan Le Fanu *Dracula, Bram Stoker *The Vampyr, John William Polidori All were really fun to read and had great atmospheres yet The Vampyr's ending didn't felt like a well though out ending after the actual story and felt more like a sudden finish after being bored. Dracula's found-diary/document style of writing is really good. Carmilla has the letter narratice but it is closer to a first person narrative than a regular letter narrative. But Carmilla is possibly my favourite out of the three.

[@pamelasarkar9763]

Though I am an admirer of gothic literature, I haven't managed to read much of it yet. However, from my little list I would always, I mean, always, suggest "Wuthering Heights" to anyone who has yet to read a gothic work. It's not only one of the best gothic novels out there, it's actually one of my favourite books regardless of anything. If you liked Jane Eyre, I think Wuthering Heights would be a well enough suggestion.

[@annthegone5875]

daphne du maurier is the queen of gothic literature, after mary shelley! (my cousin rachel, jamaica inn..)

[@ravenswood118]

she is also the queen of plagiarism, unfortunately

[@annthegone5875]

@@ravenswood118 this accusation being based on what, besides envy and the ugly package? seriously, at least have the decency to finish the stupid idea with bloody examples!

[@ravenswood118]

@@annthegone5875 why are you so mad? I have Rebecca on my book shelf. But she has a very blatant reputation of ripping off other plots, to the point where even entire passages, not just the premises of plots, are clearly copied. All you have to do is google her name and the word "plagiarism." You don't have to go so hard for dead people who haven't done anything for you.

[@annthegone5875]

@@ravenswood118 I bloody do, as they are dead and can't defend themselves. writing is hard work and they put their heart and soul in it, or who the hack do u think u are to come and judge and declarer plagiat on their work? would u say the same on Shakespeare or virginia woolf? no! so go back to whatever u do and never come back here, to condemn writers! really and truly, y can just fuck off.

[@Untouched77]

I love The Silent Companions

[@thevintageplaylist7191]

I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL

[@fy7vi]

I have finished ( the angel game ) recently and it is the best gothic book I have ever read . Amazing plot and story.

[@kelviannaepperson3677]

I just got the picture of Dorian Gray and I'm excited to start it. Right now I'm reading the book thief.

[@clawravenscroft1788]

I can hightly recommend the book "The Architect of Song" by AG Howard. Beautiful. There are two other books in a row called Haunted Hearts Legacy. I still have to read the other two. It's not really gothic, but if you haven't already read The secret garden you totally should. So much beautiful flower and nature stuff in all of it. I can always recommend the german language writers Franz Kafka, Maria Ebner-Eschenbach and E.T.A. Hoffmann. Maybe you find english translations of it, because its so old already you will find that books for free for e-readers.

[@jerace36]

I love all those books! If you loved Jane Eyre, you should read Wuthering Heights! 😊

[@christy-anne-jones]

Yay! I really, really need to! SO many people have recommended it, so it must be amazing. I've started it but I got distracted. I'll need to keep going with it~

[@IndieAuthorX]

I really like the film Only Lovers Left Alive, which I consider to be a gothic film.

[@sherlockfan2000]

If you're looking for recommendations of gothic literature you should check out Mary Reilly by Valerie Martin. It's a retelling of the Jekyll & Hyde story seen through the eyes of a maid working in Dr Jekyll's house, it's a fantastic book, extremely well written & very creepy.

[@lauratorchio1541]

Have you read The woman in white by Wilkie Collins? I couldn't put it down.

[@BookOwl60]

I have read Carmilla and these days I am going to read Frankenstein . Portrait of Dorian Gray is on my list.

[@karenrapoport7852]

Thanks for the review. I want to check out the Toy Store book and Picture of Dorian Gray has been on my TBR for a half a century. I just can’t force myself to read Frankenstein though too many movie adaptations and it’s just so tragic and sad. Poor monster :( Just to be clear to anyone curious: Jane Eye: yes she is an orphan Here back story was very reminiscent of Cinderella only instead of a loving father asking his new wife to raise her step daughter like one of her own children it was an uncle asking that of his wife. Like Cinderella, Jane was treated like crap by her aunt and abused by her nephew until she was finally sent away to a horrible boarding school for unwanted children where she went through more hardship. The book spends a decent time on her childhood actually (many movie adaptations tend to speed through it). The main story of course does center around Jane as a young adult working as a governess to the brooding Mr. R and his creepy house of secrets. It’s all quite tasty. It’s one of my all time favorite books (and I’m not a gothic lover). If you still read comments on this video, I’m curious to know what you thought of Mexican Gothic and House of Salt and Sorrow? I’ll refrain from giving my opinion but let’s just say that I thought one of them was outstanding and the other one was a convoluted steaming pile of you know what. 🙄 I’m curious

[@neal_saikia]

I have only read Marry Shelley 😢 But will try to read the rest. Thanks for making such videos. Which Netflix series are you currently watching now can you please tell? 😅 P.S- Your Eye's are gorgeous 🌼 #TeamChristy

[@christy-anne-jones]

Thank you so much 😊 Right now, I'm not actually watching anything! I'm spending a lot of time reading. I want to catch up on Doctor Who, but that's basically it ~

[@MrsDixon-ip8vb]

I'm so mad I've had Jane Eyre on my shelf for so long and never read it because I thought it was romantic, not gothic. Thank you for this!

[@karenrapoport7852]

Oh it’s both, I freaking love Jane Eye and I’m not a fan of either gothic or romance lol

[@ravenswood118]

@@karenrapoport7852 "not a fan of gothic" rip your taste

[@lfior]

Do you have a source of secondary literature that you go to when you read a book and want to understand scholarly material written about it?

[@christy-anne-jones]

Not generally 🙂 over the years, I've gotten pretty good at understanding scholarly material on my own (and at anylising texts--it's like my favourite thing in the world). BUT when I started learning to analyze pieces and read scholarly material, the Cambridge Companion series was really helpful. You can get companions to lots of things (specific books, genres, movements, etc). They're really good to build that skillset for analysis, and they're not too stuffy and boring to read if you're just starting out 😊

[@lfior]

@@christy-anne-jones Thank you :) I always enjoy when I stumble upon a critic's perspective/analysis on a work that is very unusual and casts a very interesting light on the book, and then I am dumbfounded and cannot believe that dimension could exist as part of the interpretation of that book. But when you are no longer at university and do not have a recommended reading list, it is not as easy to find those critiques when you want them.

[@reginasemenenko148]

I have enjoyed a lot of Gothic short stories written by Edgar Allen Poe. The Fall of the House of Usher seems to have most of the Gothic elements. I don't know why so many of the movie adaptations are so poorly done. Most were produced in the 60s or 70s and it would be nice to have a more "realistic" rendering.

[@jaydonwil1604]

Don't know if you read Dracula but it's a great book.

[@siobhanshaw3573]

Have you read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier or Wuthering Heights

[@christy-anne-jones]

Not yet! But I'm hoping to read Wuthering Heights soon 😊

[@charlottewalker1611]

Just finished Rebecca and its my favorite of all time

[@wandergigimarie1434]

Please include the lists on your description box? 🙏🏼

[@pumpkin582]

Are there gothic lit books without paranormal aspects?

[@captainnolan5062]

It would be a good idea to say the name of the books you are talking about (I had to pause and rerun over and over to finally see the title of Ms. Carter's book).

[@effystonem8414]

the Castle of Otranto is after the italian city of Otranto!

[@NubianGirl7]

You look gorgeous 😊

[@Yayachani194]

I'm really curious about Dorian Gray *.* I've seen it before but never read it, but hopefully, I will now thank you. ^^ My favorite is Jane Eyre, definitely, its really beautiful.

[@christy-anne-jones]

Ooh I hope you do read it! It's really, really beautiful ~ hahahah I'm such a baby. If I watch a horror movie, I can't sleep for weeks. I'll read creepy gothic books and leave it at that, I think haha

[@akashpaloy1319]

Frist gothic novel is castle of otranto

[@garycoates4987]

no Wuthering heights?? lol nice list but WH is pure gothic,if you haven't read it you should, its very very complex

[@firalogi]

you're so pretty and kinda look like maya hawke

[@wanderingwallawalla]

Don't worry, I also pronounce "The Castle of Otranto" as 'Ontario' lol It is a great book and was my gateway book into the gothic genre. "Frankenstein" is one of my faves too. I recommend "The Monk" by Matthew Lewis, "The Italian" by Ann Radcliffe, and "A Sicilian Romance" (also by Radcliffe).

[@christy-anne-jones]

hahaha I'm glad to hear that I'm not to only one ~ Ooh I'll have to check those out. Thank you!😊

[@IndieAuthorX]

I stopped watching the Series of Unfortunate Events series halfway through the 2nd season as well. However, I started again, and the second half of the second, and much of the 3rd is a drastic improvement. I did not like the finale, I would almost recommend just stopping before that.

[@flushfries5633]

I couldn’t get into the show, I always liked the movie though even if it’s just the first three books.

[@neveybadr6096]

I have read the castle of Ontario not Otranto for a very long time 😂

[@neveensadoun5123]

Does anybody knows a book that talks gothic literature?? As every time I look up a book about this genre, it only gives me novels to read, and I don't want that, I want an academic book explains this literature for my university project, like at least I need one book to but in my reference page.

[@ivin5812]

J sherdian le fanu's Uncle Silas is amazing too

[@mynameissiddharth]

Not Sherdian. It's Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-1873).

[@ivin5812]

@@mynameissiddharth i know that I just used a short form J for joseph

[@mynameissiddharth]

@@ivin5812 No. Not that. You misspelled "Sheridan". Anyways, I am glad you know about him and have read his works. Even my college professors did not know his name. Uncle Silas is indeed a fine example of gothic fiction.

[@benjamhouse7330]

The Civil War era Western Horror dual novel "God Walks The Dark Hills: Book I & II" will be out soon. For updates & information goto: "facebook.com/GodWalksTheDarkHills"

[@notconvinced2204]

can you believe I've come across a few gothic literature lists that don't include Frankenstein??

[@mynameissiddharth]

That is because Frankenstein is mostly credited as being the first science fiction novel rather than a gothic novel. In several ways, Frankenstein drifts away from what is traditionally regarded as the gothic novel.

[@kennethkingsley5270]

Beautiful nerd

[@hazelwray5307]

This music is so not suited to the Gothic genre, lol