07-20-2010, 02:29 PM
You are quite correct in saying that the "ideal gothic experience" can be different from reader to reader. There is plenty of discernible variety on this forum. I know what that experience is for me, and the gothic touches you speak of are crucial to the pleasure a story gives, but I also truly appreciate well-drawn characters and good dialogue (sparkling, if possible, between hero and heroine). I intensely dislike poorly written, trite dialogue. I don't imagine anyone does like it. But I find it is rife in too many gothic novels. This has weeded out many gothic authors for me. In fact, there are some I should really add to the Gothics to Avoid list soon. By the way, the chocolate sounds delicious!
