Halloween: Classic Literature

Published in 1897 by author Bram Stoker, Dracula tells the story of the vampire Count Dracula and his desire to join the English society. The story is told through various people’s diary entries and take a focus on the relationship Dracula forms with his solicitor’s wife, Mina Harker. Dracula travels to England and forms a bond with Mina Harker, after turning her best friend, Lucy, into a vampire. Mina’s husband, Jonathon, and some friends travel to Dracula’s home of Transylvania in order to kill the vampire and return Mina to human state.

Published in 1818 by author Mary Shelley, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, tells the story of Scientist Dr Victor Frankenstein and the humanoid monster he creates in an unorthodox experiment.

Published in 1886 by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, the story follows Gabriel John Utterson, a legal practitioner based in London who investigates the strange occurrences between his friend Dr Henry Jekyll and a murderous criminal named Edward Hyde.

Published 1890 by Irish author Oscar Wilde as a short novella, the story focuses on a portrait painted by Basil Hallward of a friend of his, Dorian Gray and how the artist was infatuated with Dorian’s beauty. Dorian decides to sell his soul to ensure that while he never ages, the picture will instead. Dorian pursues a more liberal life and while he stays young and beautiful, his portrait ages and records each sin Dorian commits.

Published in 1898 but author Henry James, this horror novella focuses on the story of an unnamed governess and the children she cares for in a country home. The children and the governess both see the ghosts of former employees and feel their supernatural forces. The governess feels that the ghosts are causing problems for the children and later causes the death of one.

Published in 1820 as a short story by author Washington Irving, the story is amongst the earliest examples of American fiction. The story focuses on superstitious schoolmaster Ichabod Crane who attempts to marry Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of a wealthy farmer. He competes for her affection with Abraham “Brom Bones” Van Brunt, who begins to play a series of practical jokes on Ichabod. One night Brom tells the story of the Headless Horseman, who rises from his grave every night in search of his missing head. The ending leaves the story open to interpretation and various adaptations of the story have been made with different ending and events.

Published in 1896 by science fiction author H. G. Wells, the story focuses follows the narration of the Edward Prendick, a shipwrecked man who is rescued by passing boat and left on an island own by the mad scientist, Dr Moreau. The Dr creates human-like hybrid creatures from animals and Edward Prendick must find a way to escape this madman.

Published in 1839, this short story was written by notorious gothic author, Edgar Allan Poe. It focuses on the Usher family and the strange goings on within their family home.

Published in 1764, the Castle of Otranto is generally regarded as the first gothic novel due to various components of the story. Telling the twisted story of Manfred, the Lord of the castle and his family. Manfred tries to marry his son’s fiancée, Princess Isabella, after a freak accident kills his son, which leads to various characters assisting Isabella to escape Manfred and his twisted ways. Hoping to avoid a prophecy coming true, Manfred wants to continue his bloodline to avoid his house falling and the castle falling apart.