Gothic novels in english literature plan introduction the Rise of Gothic Fiction in England

Modern Gothic Horror Novels

While the Gothic genre has its roots in 17th century fiction, over the last few decades, the Gothic genre has overlapped with other narrative techniques that have transformed the genre. Modern Gothic aims to weave in aspects of modern storytelling, which may involve flashbacks, aspects of magic Realism, and the exploration of the character's psyche. This tapestry woven with thematic storytelling techniques, which nod to the genre of Gothic Horror are central to works of modern Gothic fiction.

Daphe DuMaurier

The modern Gothic novel saw a revival in the 20th century with Rebecca (1938) by Daphne du Maurier. The novel focuses on the narrative of a young woman, who marries widower Max de Winter and is taken to live at his mansion (Manderley) on the Cornish coast. In a twist on Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (1847), the bride also discovers a secret from her husband’s past in a gradual, increasingly unsettling sequence of reveals, and the novel climaxes, as does Jane Eyre, in a great fire. However, du Maurier’s voice is distinctive and unique and the novel has never been out of print since its publication. It has been adapted for both screen and stage.
Most of Du Maurier’s work contains Gothic elements, including her other Cornish novels Jamaica Inn (1936) and My Cousin Rachel (1951).

Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison's Beloved features Gothic elements, especially concerning generational trauma and melancholia that seem to haunt the Protagonist. The titular Beloved is the murdered daughter of a former slave, whose ghost haunts her mother while unfolding her tragic life. While one can certainly locate the elements of Gothic Horror in Beloved, such as a distressed female lead, a morbid setting, and a haunting past, these are thematically woven with magic Realism, where the reader is confronted with the realities of racism experienced by a slave crossed with the 'fantastical' haunting by a ghost.