Tap the ♥ on any cover to save it here. Your shelf stays in this browser.
These gothic horror classics started it all, from Poe's family vaults to a castle in the Carpathians, and every one is still frightening. Expect fog on the Thames, cobbles under gaslight and a cellar under Italian streets.
Together, they sit at the heart of nineteenth-century Gothic fiction. Each one takes a respectable surface, such as a London house, a doctor's cheque or a young man's portrait, and then shows you what lies underneath.
For each pick, we give its address, a fog density rating and a short reason to read it. After that, you will find the modern gothic novels on our shelf that carry the torch, sorted by year of publication.
Four addresses. Bring a lamp.
| # | Book | Year | Fog density | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  DraculaBram Stoker | 1897 | VampiresEpistolary | |
| 2 |  Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeRobert Louis Stevenson | 1886 | NovellaMystery | |
| 3 |  The Picture of Dorian GrayOscar Wilde | 1890 | WittyClassic | |
| 4 |  The Cask of AmontilladoEdgar Allan Poe | 1846 | Short storyRevenge |
A young solicitor travels east to sell a London house to a Transylvanian count. From then on, the story reaches us as diaries, letters, telegrams and phonograph records.
A man tramples a child at three in the morning and pays with a respectable doctor's cheque. Soon, a dry London lawyer starts asking questions, and you can finish this gothic horror classic in an evening.
A young man wishes his portrait would age in his place, and he gets his wish. Above all, it is the wittiest horror story in English.
During carnival, a man lures his rival down into the family vaults with the promise of a rare wine. In short, it is Poe's most perfect revenge.
Start with Dracula, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Poe's The Cask of Amontillado. Together, they are the essential starting points.
The Cask of Amontillado is a short story you can read in fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, Jekyll and Hyde is a novella you can finish in an evening.
Not really. Because Stoker tells it through diaries, letters and telegrams, it reads surprisingly quickly. The middle sags, but the opening in the castle is superb.
Looking for more Halloween reading? Then browse all our Halloween books, where these gothic horror classics sit beside haunted houses, folk horror and cosy mysteries.