Friday, November 5, 2010

Gothic Reading Challenge


It's that time again..time when people put together the challenges they are hosting for the next year and I start browsing them and signing up for more than I can handle, thinking that next year will be the year I complete them all!

This one is definitely going to be a challenge for me, and I'm only signing up for the lowest level, 1 book.  Why is it going to be hard, because most of the gothic reads are classics (although not all of them). What do I often run screaming from when I see them? Classics.    Why oh why am I doing this challenge then?  Because I want to like classics and there are some I tell myself I want to read.

Onto the challenge...

Susan B. Evans is hosting this challenge with it's own blog, Gothic Reading Challenge
The challenge is to read at least one book with a gothic element to it.  Her blog lists some books and also some of the elements if you want to take a peak at them and find a book on your own.   There are three levels, the highest being "Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know" with 20 books or more and the lowest being "A Little Madness" with 1 book.  I'm only going to go at this challenge with "a little madness". 

The challenge runs January 1st through December 31st 2011.

Here are the books that interest me for this one, not sure which one I'll end up reading yet, guess it will be a surprise for all of us:

Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Haunting of Hill  House by Shirley Jackson
The Legend of Sleepy  Hallow by Washington Irving
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

7 comments:

bermudaonion said...

Good luck with the challenge!

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Kris....I did this challenge for 2010. (I still need to read one more book). Rebecca and Jamaica Inn are awesome. So is Shutter Island but would not call it Gothic? Have fun.

Marce said...

Nice challenge I will have to check it out.

I have read Shutter Island. I also have Dracula on my list that I didn't get to this halloween, so maybe I can read that.

I'm not a classic reader.

Prophecy of the sisters by Michelle Zink is Gothic, I loved that one, you can check it out if you like.

Coffeymuse said...

I love Rebecca. In fact, it's the rare combo where I love both the movie (Hitchcock!) and the book equally. So that's the one I would recommend :) Good luck!

Unknown said...

Bermudaonion - Thanks! I need all the luck I can get. haha!

Bibliophile - I might have to go off of your recommendation and read Rebecca or Jamaica Inn. I wouldn't have thought of Shutter Island either, but it's on the list on the challenge blog, and I have the borrowed book...so I might end up reading it too.

Marce - You should do the challenge too..and read Dracula! Maybe we could get a read-a-long organized for Dracula. That could be fun.

Coffeymuse - oh man! It sounds like Rebecca just might end up being the one I read. Heck..maybe I'll read a couple. Hmm..maybe I need to change my participation level to more than just one.

Literary Feline said...

This one sounds so enticing! You've listed some great books there, Kris. I was really surprised at how much I loved Dracula. And Shutter Island would probably be an easy one to tackle. It does have a gothic feel to it, I thought. My husband really liked The Name of the Rose--which he wants me to read and one of these days I just might.

Good luck!

Unknown said...

Literary Feline - Now that I know you liked Dracula more than expected..I'm even more torn about what to read. haha! I have to say, after all these great comments I'm really excited about this challenge.