05-04-2008, 05:05 PM
I'd like to add a couple of other books that I think plausibly fit under the category of horror gothic. At least, they are certainly in the general neighborhood of the books already discussed in this forum.
1. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. One of those "what's going on" books that discusses early psychiatry and views of the insane. See my review in the General Off-Topic forum.
2. The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque by Jeffrey Ford. Again, I have a review in the General Off-Topic Forum.
3. Affinity by Sarah Waters. Creepy, creepy historical book that actually scared a friend of mine who was reading it late at night. There is a bit of a romance, but it's between two women so be warned if that makes you uncomfortable. It's about a repressed young woman who visits female inmates at a prison. She becomes obsessed with a clairvoyant prisoner who has been sentenced for murder. Is she guilty or not?
4. Curfew (or Crybbe) by Phil Rickman. I've read this book twice and just love it. It's steeped in atmosphere and history. It takes place in modern day Britain, in a small village that suffers from a curse in which a bell must be rung every night to ward off the spell of an evil sorcerer. I really enjoyed the writing. Not only is the book and plot interesting, but the writer does a great job of characterization and finding humor. You really care about the people in the book and their relationships.
5. Guilty Pleasures by Laurel Hamilton. I've read this book twice too. It's the first in the Anita Blake series. She's a vampire hunter in St. Louis. It's short and smart. It's pretty funny too. And she does a great job with her characters. I actually got teary-eyed at one point, which is very rare for me. But it is bloody....so be warned.
1. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. One of those "what's going on" books that discusses early psychiatry and views of the insane. See my review in the General Off-Topic forum.
2. The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque by Jeffrey Ford. Again, I have a review in the General Off-Topic Forum.
3. Affinity by Sarah Waters. Creepy, creepy historical book that actually scared a friend of mine who was reading it late at night. There is a bit of a romance, but it's between two women so be warned if that makes you uncomfortable. It's about a repressed young woman who visits female inmates at a prison. She becomes obsessed with a clairvoyant prisoner who has been sentenced for murder. Is she guilty or not?
4. Curfew (or Crybbe) by Phil Rickman. I've read this book twice and just love it. It's steeped in atmosphere and history. It takes place in modern day Britain, in a small village that suffers from a curse in which a bell must be rung every night to ward off the spell of an evil sorcerer. I really enjoyed the writing. Not only is the book and plot interesting, but the writer does a great job of characterization and finding humor. You really care about the people in the book and their relationships.
5. Guilty Pleasures by Laurel Hamilton. I've read this book twice too. It's the first in the Anita Blake series. She's a vampire hunter in St. Louis. It's short and smart. It's pretty funny too. And she does a great job with her characters. I actually got teary-eyed at one point, which is very rare for me. But it is bloody....so be warned.