08-14-2008, 09:56 PM
MysteryMind Wrote:I am a closet romance reader, especially Gothics.  What keeps me coming back to them is the aura of mystery and of course, the romance.  Since the Gothic genre is now so diverse, what do others like about Gothics?  What is it that you look for in the Gothic subgenre of your choice? What emotive force brings you back to Gothics?
As a man who reads Gothics, I sometimes find myself having to explain to this or that friend that authors like Holt and Stewart are not the same as Harlequin trash. I would not say I'm a "closet reader" but I am aware that broadcasting the fact to others sometimes excites a snickering comment or two. Luckily, I don't really care!
This forum has also brought to my awareness how many other men read Gothics too. I suspect this has partly to do with the emphasis on setting and atmosphere. I can't speak for others but I have absolutely no interest in reading straight romance. I like the Gothics because there is usually a mystery involved and because I enjoy being transported into the pleasantly spooky ambience.