Spooktastic Classics

Posted on by

This October I put together a little list of books I’d like to read to get me into the spirit of Hallows Eve. Here is my list, plus a few from past years. Any or all of these books make wonderful reading, but fair warning, some are not for the faint of heart.

Here is my mini list of spooky hair raising classics:

Frankenstein
by Mary Shelley
This is such a fantastic story, I encourage anyone who has not already read it to do so. The story’s background is also really interesting. It’s impressive enough the Shelley could right a book from the perspective of 2 separate males, but she also started this book on a complete whim. She was given the challenge by a peer to right a ghost story while vacationing, and out of that came this iconic masterpiece.

turn.jpgThe Turn of the Screw
by Henry James
I have to admit I barely made it through this book, though it is very well written and a wonderful classic. My reason was purely that I am a big chicken and it scared the daylights out of me. I read it aloud, which really added to it’s eeriness.

The Shining
by Stephen King
I of course had to have Stephen on this list.9781501175466_p0_v2_s550x406 I could decide which book so I chose purely based on the fact that The Shining was one of my first Stephen King experiences. Now for those really looking for a good scare go with “It” though I personally will never be brave enough.

Dracula
by Bram Stoker
This is a beautiful story and a classic that I feel is so under appreciated. Dracula represents everything the Victorians feared: the irrational, the pagan, the erotic and the foreign. If you love classic literature and/or gothic novels, I highly recommend you read this book!
*

The Legend of Sleepy Hallow
by Washington Irving
Washington Irving’s haunting, macabre stories will give wide-eyed readers delightful chills. This is a great story and such an awesome read for this time of year. It is especially great to read on particularly gloomy flog laden evenings.

Halloween is just a few days away…
What spooky book/s will you be curling up with?
2087e8e5182ff470386e67f079891aa3

21 thoughts on “Spooktastic Classics”

  5. Pingback: Spooktastic Classics – worldtraveller70

  11. This is a good list! I just started reading a book called Brass, by Robert J. Conley. It’s not a new book, but not terribly old either. So far it’s a very enjoyable read, and very well-written. The book mentions that it won the Beginnings of Horror Award. Check it out!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  14. Dracula is one of my all time favorite pieces of Gothic lit. I have started reading The Shining and I am in love with it. Now, let me recommend two other great Gothic novels to you. I recommend The Monk by Mathew Lewis, which is full of forbidden love, corrupt clergy, madness, ghosts, and deals with the devil. It’s not for the faint of heart. It was shocking in late 18th century England, causing a bit of a scandal. It’s still shocking now. But my favorite is The Phantom Ship by Frederick Merryat. This story is about the flying dutchman, and the boy’s poor doomed father, who is cursed to sail on the seas for the reminder of his life for his sins. The Phantom Ship is a tragedy, with one tragedy following another. It also contains the greatest ghost story within a story I have ever read.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

Leave a comment