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Best Gothic Books of All Time

Compiled by Goodreads members.
Making its debut in the late 18th century, Gothic fiction was a branch of the larger Romantic movement that sought to stimulate strong emotions in the reader - fear and apprehension in this case. Gothic fiction places heavy emphasis on atmosphere, using setting and diction to build suspense and a sense of unease in the reader. Common subject matter includes the supernatural, family curses, mystery, and madness.
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Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
Jane Eyre
1
Charlotte Bronte
Dracula (Bram Stoker)
Dracula
2
Bram Stoker
Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë)
Wuthering Heights
3
Emily Brontë
Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
Frankenstein
4
Mary Shelley
Rebecca (Daphne Du Maurier)
Rebecca
5
Daphne Du Maurier
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde)
The Picture of Dorian Gray
6
Oscar Wilde
Edgar Allan Poe Complete Tales & Poems (Edgar Allan Poe)
Edgar Allan Poe Complete Tales & Poems
7
Edgar Allan Poe
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Robert Louis Stevenson)
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
8
Robert Louis Stevenson
The Phantom of the Opera (Gaston Leroux)
The Phantom of the Opera
9
Gaston Leroux
Interview With the Vampire (Anne Rice)
Interview With the Vampire
10
Anne Rice
The Thirteenth Tale (Diane Setterfield)
The Thirteenth Tale
11
Diane Setterfield
The Woman in White (Wilkie Collins)
The Woman in White
12
Wilkie Collins
Northanger Abbey (Jane Austen)
Northanger Abbey
13
Jane Austen
The Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafón)
The Shadow of the Wind
14
Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The Historian (Elizabeth Kostova)
The Historian
15
Elizabeth Kostova
We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Shirley Jackson)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
16
Shirley Jackson
The Haunting of Hill House (Shirley Jackson)
The Haunting of Hill House
17
Shirley Jackson
The Monk (Matthew Lewis)
The Monk
18
Matthew Lewis
Carmilla (J. Sheridan Le Fanu)
Carmilla
19
J. Sheridan Le Fanu
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Victor Hugo)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
20
Victor Hugo
The Turn of the Screw (Henry James)
The Turn of the Screw
21
Henry James
The Mysteries of Udolpho (Ann Radcliffe)
The Mysteries of Udolpho
22
Ann Radcliffe
Castle of Otranto (Walpole)
Castle of Otranto
23
Walpole
The Call of Cthulhu (H.P. Lovecraft)
The Call of Cthulhu
24
H.P. Lovecraft
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories (Angela Carter)
The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
25
Angela Carter
The Woman in Black (Susan Hill)
The Woman in Black
26
Susan Hill
Hound of the Baskervilles (Doyle)
Hound of the Baskervilles
27
Doyle
The House at Riverton (Kate Morton)
The House at Riverton
28
Kate Morton
The Little Stranger (Sarah Waters)
The Little Stranger
29
Sarah Waters
Perfume (Patrick Suskind)
Perfume
30
Patrick Suskind
The Angels Game (Carlos Ruiz Zafon)
The Angels Game
31
Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The House of the Seven Gables (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
The House of the Seven Gables
32
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Yellow Wallpaper, Herland, and Selected Writings (Charlotte Perkins Gilman)
The Yellow Wallpaper, Herland, and Selected Writings
33
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Necronomicon
Necronomicon
34
Uncle Silas (Sheridan Le Fanu)
Uncle Silas
35
Sheridan Le Fanu
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Washington Irving)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
36
Washington Irving
Villette (Charlotte Brontë)
Villette
37
Charlotte Brontë
Mateguas Island (Linda Watkins)
Mateguas Island
38
Linda Watkins
The Name of the Rose (Umberto Eco)
The Name of the Rose
39
Umberto Eco
Melmoth (Maturin)
Melmoth
40
Maturin
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