The Gothic (Blackwell Guides to Literature) [Paperback]

David Punter (Author), Glennis Byron (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0631220631 | ISBN-13: 978-0631220633 | Publication Date: February 9, 2004 | Edition: 1

This guide provides an overview of the most significant issues and debates in Gothic studies.

• Provides an overview of the most significant issues and debates in Gothic studies.
  
• Explains the origins and development of the term Gothic.
  
• Explores the evolution of the Gothic in both literary and non-literary forms, including art, architecture and film.
  
• Features authoritative readings of key works, ranging from Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto to Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho.
  
• Considers recurrent concerns of the Gothic such as persecution and paranoia, key motifs such as the haunted castle, and figures such as the vampire and the monster.
  
• Includes a chronology of key Gothic texts, including fiction and film from the 1760s to the present day, and a comprehensive bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The overall result is wonderfully informative and suggestive for the beginning student, while offering some striking additional insights spread across the book for advanced students of Gothic who have yet to consider such contexts for it as postcolonialism, 'goth' subcultures and 'Hallucination and the Narcotic'." Gothic Studies

Book Description

This guide provides an overview of the most significant issues and debates in Gothic studies.The guide is divided into four parts:The opening section explains the origins and development of the term Gothic, considers the particular features of the Gothic within specific periods, and explores its evolution in both literary and non-literary forms, such as art, architecture and film.The following section contains extended entries on major writers of the Gothic, pointing to the most significant features of their work.The third section features authoritative readings of key works, ranging from Horace Walpoles The Castle of Otranto to Bret Easton Elliss American Psycho.Finally, the text considers recurrent concerns of the Gothic such as persecution and paranoia, key motifs such as the haunted castle, and figures such as the vampire and the monster.Supplementary material includes a chronology of key Gothic texts, listing literature and film from 1757 to 2000, and a comprehensive guide to further reading.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 1 edition (February 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631220631
• ISBN-13: 978-0631220633
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #955,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent overview of all things gothic, September 2, 2008

By 

Elizabeth Mullen (Brest, France) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Gothic (Blackwell Guides to Literature) (Paperback)

The perfect book for anyone looking for a crash course in Gothic studies, with thoughtful, interesting summaries and several in-depth studies of canonical texts. Punter and Byron are well known authorities in the field; their clear, concise, humorous style makes reading this book a pleasure.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best introductory books out there, February 26, 2011

By 

Patrick Savard (Quebec) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gothic (Blackwell Guides to Literature) (Paperback)

This is an absolute must for anyone who wishes to study Gothic literature. It may be used as a solid, reliable starting point, and also as a great resource later on. Thumbs up to a superb book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Gothic, November 2, 2011

By 

belalugosiisdead - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Gothic (Blackwell Guides to Literature) (Paperback)

Puntner and Byron's "The Gothic" offers an introductory survey for 'advanced undergraduates and postgraduates.' What might not be clear, if you don't study the contents before purchase, is that each entry is brief, as are the essays on context and themes. Being that so much of the book consists of thumbnail sketches of elements of the Gothic, the dedicated reader should look elsewhere.