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Creating a Best Gothic Romance List
#1
I'd like to put together a "Best Gothic Romance Novels of the Twentieth Century." (This has been modified from the original thread which didn't specify gothic ROMANCE. So I'm going to re-number everything and remove the titles that are inappropriate.)

Here's the NEW CRITERIA FOR INCLUDING A BOOK ON THIS LIST:

1. It has to be written between 1900 and now
2. It has to have a romance at the center of the story (tragic romance is acceptable)
3. It must make use of a traditional Gothic setting: an old house, castle, or some such spooky building. Because of this, I didn't include some of Mary Stewart's books on this list, since they are more romantic suspense than Gothic in setting.
4. It has to be restrained in its use of horror or supernatural elements (in other words, out and out horror, like Stephen King's "The Shining," is not acceptable for this list).
5. It has to be a stellar representation of the genre (excellent writing, characters, use of Gothic literary devices) and/or it has to help re-define the genre by bringing in elements of another genre or re-inventing standard conventions of the genre (for instance, "The Watcher in the Woods" utilizes science fiction in an otherwise typical Gothic)

I have re-numbered the list and removed several titles (including some of my own suggestions) that don't seem to fit the criteria for being a romance, though they may be excellent Gothic novels. If anyone feels something has been overlooked on this list that should be included, please let me know. Likewise, if something doesn't belong on the list, let me know.

1. REBECCA BY DAPHNE DU MAURIER
2. MISTRESS OF MELLYN BY VICTORIA HOLT
3. NINE COACHES WAITING BY MARY STEWART
4. SEA JADE BY PHYLLIS WHITNEY
5. FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC BY V. C. ANDREWS
6. THE IVY TREE BY MARY STEWART
7. GREEN DARKNESS BY ANYA SETON
8. DRAGONWYCK BY ANYA SETON
9. THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS BY FLORENCE ENGEL RANDALL
10. MOURA BY VIRGINIA COFFMAN
11. HOUSES OF STONE BY BARBARA MICHAELS
12. HOUSE OF IMPOSTERS BY WILLO DAVIS ROBERTS
13. THE WAITING SANDS BY SUSAN HOWATCH
14. JAMAICA INN BY DAPHNE DU MAURIER
15. SONS OF THE WOLF BY BARBARA MICHAELS
16. VOICE OF THE DOLLS BY DOROTHY EDEN
17. VOICE OF MURDER BY MARGARET ERSKINE
18. GAD'S HALL BY NORA LOFTS
19. THE MIDNIGHT DANCERS BY ANNE MAYBURY
20. THE CIRCULAR STAIRCASE BY MARY ROBERTS RINEHART
21. GIRL ON A HIGH WIRE BY RAE FOLEY
22. MIDSUMMER MASQUE BY JILL TATTERSALL
23. BRIDE OF NEWGATE BY JOHN DICKSON CARR
24. A FALCON FOR A QUEEN BY CATHERINE GASKIN
25. THE REFLECTION OF EVIL BY JAN ROFFMAN
26. KIRKLAND REVELS BY VICTORIA HOLT
27. LEGEND OF THE GREEN MAN BY SARA HELY
28. BRAT FARRAR BY JOSEPHINE TEY
29. THE HANGMAN'S TREE BY DOROTHY CAMERON DISNEY
30. MILL REEF HALL BY ARIADNE PRITCHETT
31. THE SECRET OF CANFIELD HOUSE BY FLORENCE HURD
32. DO NOT DISTURB BY HELEN MCCLOY
33. THE TOWN CRIED MURDER BY LESLIE FORD
34. WHY SHOOT A BUTLER? BY GEORGETTE HEYER
35. BROWNSTONE GOTHIC BY ELIZABETH SHENKIN
36. THE PAVILION BY HILDA LAWRENCE
37. THE EVIL OF TIME BY EVELYN BERCKMAN
38. THE THIRTEENTH TALE BY DIANE SETTERFIELD
39. SHADOW GLEN BY DOROTHY DANIELS

1. "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier--really started the entire 20th century trend
2. "Mistress of Mellyn" by Victoria Holt--inspired by "Rebecca's" enduring success, "Mistress" set off the publishing phenomenon of the Gothic genre of the 60's.
3. "Nine Coaches Waiting" by Mary Stewart--Stewart proved that high literary quality and the modern Gothic can go hand in hand. Virtually any of her "Golden Period" Gothics could be listed here.
4. Something by Phyllis Whitney--any suggestions? Should it be her first Gothic? I think she deserves a place on the list for so consistently keeping solid, decently crafted Gothics on the bestseller lists.
5. "Flowers in the Attic" by V. C. Andrews--Re-invented the Gothic genre by liberally mixing it with horror. Though not particularly well written, Andrews' novel taps into some major primal Gothic fears.



Okay, I need help! I think we should be able to come up with 50 must-read titles. Are there any here you don't agree with? I don't want to get too far out of the Gothic Romance subgenre--so I'm trying to avoid overt horror novels with Gothic overtones.

But I need help! What other books do you think deserve to be on this list for their importance or sheer good quality?
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Messages In This Thread
Creating a Best Gothic Romance List - by maisonvivante - 09-13-2007, 09:23 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by cjsteiner - 11-01-2008, 10:45 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by tamtam - 09-14-2007, 08:43 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by paigenumber - 09-15-2007, 05:48 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by ginnystrait - 06-28-2008, 12:12 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by paigenumber - 09-18-2007, 09:11 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by Doddric - 09-20-2007, 01:08 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by MysteryMind - 09-22-2007, 11:17 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by fallover - 09-23-2007, 10:24 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by whitelady - 09-27-2007, 08:51 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by MysteryMind - 10-04-2007, 08:14 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by readertim - 10-07-2007, 12:37 AM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by tamtam - 10-12-2007, 08:23 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by paigenumber - 10-18-2007, 06:51 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by sweetMURDER - 10-20-2007, 06:53 AM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by Desdemona - 10-20-2007, 12:01 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by fallover - 10-20-2007, 08:07 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by Desdemona - 12-22-2007, 11:40 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by paigenumber - 12-23-2007, 11:25 AM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by Desdemona - 10-21-2007, 04:18 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by fallover - 10-21-2007, 06:23 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by readertim - 10-22-2007, 05:28 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by paigenumber - 10-22-2007, 11:08 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by whitelady - 11-19-2007, 09:03 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by paigenumber - 02-02-2008, 01:02 AM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by paigenumber - 02-08-2008, 11:10 AM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by MysteryMind - 02-24-2008, 10:49 AM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by MysteryMind - 03-23-2008, 02:38 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by whitelady - 04-03-2008, 09:20 PM
RE: Creating a Best Gothic List - by MysteryMind - 06-28-2008, 11:54 AM

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