I didn’t use to read gothic novels but the books that Chanel Cleeton describes as her favorites are some of the examples of how I came to love them. The modern gothic novel is mysterious, dark and engrossing no matter if you read it on an chilly autumn day or in the dry heat of summer. Chanel’s latest, The House on Biscayne Bay, is a perfect example of the best that the modern gothic novel has to offer. It is gripping and atmospheric and adds a new twist to the genre by setting it in after the First World War on an elegant estate in Miami.
So what are Chanel Cleeton’s three favorite modern gothic novels?
My love of gothic stories started at a young age with atmospheric mysteries and classics like Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Phantom of the Opera. I thrived on the transporting nature of gothic storytelling, on the wholly immersive settings that set the stage for a dramatic and twisty tale. My passion for reading the genre continued as I found modern gothic stories that ensnared me. These are my three favorite modern gothic novels.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
I still remember the first time I picked up Elizabeth Kostova’s stunning novel The Historian while I was living in London and was on my lunch break for work. I had about thirty minutes left, and I opened The Historian thinking I would read a few pages. From the opening line, I was hooked. It was so hard to set it down and once I’d finished the workday, I promptly went home and devoured it. It’s a beloved favorite and one I read every October to get in the mood for the fall. It has so many elements I love: multiple timelines, compelling suspense, breathtaking prose, and a transporting setting that immerses you in the past and present as you travel the world with Kostova’s characters on a desperate search surrounding the mystery of the life of Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The Shadow of the Wind is another one of those books that stays with you long after you finish it. I bought it from a bookshop in Paris and I was intrigued by the premise—in 1945 Barcelona a bookseller’s young son visits The Cemetery of Forgotten Books and picks a mysterious and rare book called The Shadow of the Wind only to be thrust into an unforgettable journey. This novel is such a love letter to books that it instantly cemented itself as an all-time favorite of mine. The plot is full of twists and turns, and from the first page you are immediately transported into an atmospheric world filled with secrets, vengeance, forbidden love, and danger. Set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, The Shadow of the Wind combines Spain’s political history with all of the hallmarks of a great gothic novel.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
I was fortunate enough to read an ARC of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s spellbinding novel Mexican Gothic before it was published, and I was immediately captivated. This was another book that I read in one sitting because once I joined Noemí Taboada on her visit to High Place to make sure that her cousin was safe, I was instantly ensnared by the strange happenings and chilling events engulfing the mansion. Silvia Moreno-Garcia transports the reader to 1950s Mexico with gorgeous prose and an enigmatic and terrifying cast of characters that bring High Place to life. I found myself fervently turning the pages to see if Noemí and her cousin would make it out of High Place alive, and there were more than a few times that I gasped aloud, absolutely shocked by what came next.
Chanel Cleeton author photo credit Chris Malpass. Featured image designed by Jon Negroni. Read more articles by Brianna Robinson here.
Brianna Robinson is a book publicist and Sarah Lawrence College alum. She lives in New York with too many books and two enthusiastic dachshunds. You can find her on twitter @blrobins2.
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