Gothic! [Paperback]

Deborah Noyes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007

Enter the gothic world in this celebration of the literary form made famous by such writers as Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe. From a lovesick count and the ghost of his brutalized servant and a serial killer who defies death, to a house with a violent mind of its own and another that holds within its peeling walls a grotesque secret, these ten stories draw on dark fantasy and fairy tale, horror and wild humour, the supernatural and the surreal...

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It's notoriously hard to put together a truly scary collection of Halloween tales... A triumph then for Deborah Noyes, whose Gothic collection contains some hugely imaginative, authentically terrifying modern stories." Hampstead and Highgate Express"

About the Author

Deborah Noyes is an editor and author living near Boston, USA. She is the writer of Hana in the Time of Tulips (9780744557923), a picture book about tulipomania in seventeenth-century Holland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Walker Childrens Paperbacks (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1406309672
• ISBN-13: 978-1406309676
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,921,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great, with a few exceptions: this is a competent and enjoyable anthology. Recommended, June 14, 2009

By 

Juushika (Oregon, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gothic! (Paperback)

The history of a haunted stream, a wake for a witch-haunted corpse, a coming of age ritual for a changling child: Gothic! is a collection of ten stories from authors such as Neil Gaiman, Gregory Maguire, and Caitlín R. Kiernan. Filled with ghouls, ghosts, and vampires, these stories are quiet, dark, gothic tales which haunt the edges of the horror genre. Most of the stories have missing or undeveloped aspects which make them good but not quite great; there are a few exceptions, both good and bad, but on the whole this is a competent and enjoyable, if unexpectional, collection. There's enough variety in subject and tone to hold the reader's attention, and the stories are united by an indulgent, dark, gothic theme which is a pleasure to read. I recommend it.

Although not traditional gothic literature, the stories in Gothic! are in the same vein: dark, creepy stories, most with fantastical elements, all indulgent pleasures. Unfortunately, it's as if the short story format isn't enough room to develop all of the aspects which make gothic literature a success. Character makes a story accessible, especially in YA lit; some stories, like Velde's "Morgan Roehmar's Boys," feature identifyiable and realistic teen protagonists, but in too many of the stories they're undeveloped or unrealistic. Some feature exaggerated (teen) stereotypes, which make for irritating characters. Plot provides direction, but in too many stories it feels like an afterthought. Sometimes that works well--Gaiman's "Forbidden Brides..." is particularly charming despite its fractured storyline--but often it creates uneven pacing and undirected action. And atmosphere, of course, is key to a gothic novel: the dark and haunted setting, the looming threats, the unexpected evil, which makes a story chilling and delightful. Much of gothic atmosphere depends on suspense, but some authors introduce too late, and so the gothic aspects feel cliché or unbelievable when they finally arrive.

With one or two of these aspects falling by the wayside, the stories are often enjoyable but not exceptional. Yourgrau's "Have No Fear, Crumpot is Here!" is an exception: overdrawn humor and inadequate suspense make it flat, grating, and the worst story in the book. However, most stories fall in the "good but not great" category. Anderson's "Watch and Wake" has a unique setting and creepy magical aspects, but underdeveloped characters; Simner's "Stone Tower" is haunting and mysterious, but predictable--similarly, most of the stories are fun, indulgently creepy reads, but few are memorable. Few, but not none: Velde's "Morgan Roehmar's Boys" is solid if unexpectional, combining a creepy haunting with truly unexpected violence. Best of all is Kiernan's "The Dead and the Moonstruck," which has character, plot, and atmosphere to spare. A tender coming of age story in an unusual fantastical setting, it's intriguing, sympathetic, and my favorite story in the collection.

A standard of "good but not great, with one or two exceptions" makes, all in all, for a successful collection. Gothic! is an enjoyable quiet read, ideal for curling up with under the covers; creepy, frightening, mysterious, and sometimes humorous, the stories are indulgent and enjoyable. Each is unique, most are enjoyable, and gothic literature is a wonderful dark pleasure. I wish there were more standout stories, but it is rare to find a short story collection (especially a themed anthology) that offers constant high quality--and so I am content with as much. For fans of gothic literature or dark fantasy, Gothic! is worth picking up. It's a fast read, but altogether enjoyable, and I recommend it.

3.0 out of 5 stars Gothic, October 9, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Gothic! (Paperback)

I thought this book of ten short stories was entertaining and creepy. The writing wasn't amazing, but it was suspenseful, and at times I was glued to the book. The writing also made it creepy towards the beginning of the story and then got a bit less suspenseful and creepy towards the middle, but at the end they always had a really scary twist. For the most part though, the authors kept up the tension and suspense very well. My favorite story was about a girl named Ashley who worked on a haunted farm, which had previously been owned by a serial murderer. The murderer had been killed by the police on his front porch after he had been discovered. On a stormy night Ashley is working in the barn, which is the last remaining structure of the original property that was owned by the murderer. When the power goes out and her walkie-talkie breaks she starts to get scared but its not until she sees a figure in the doorway she panics. When she takes a closer look its actually a teenaged boy not much older than herself. To find out what happens to her you should read the story. This book reminded me of another book I read called supernatural stories, which is also about creepy ghost stories. The suspenseful writing is very similar and in content they are also both alike. The characters are also a bit similar in the sense that they act pretty impulsively and are driven to do pretty stupid things because of their curiosity. It is also related to my life a bit because I also do things out of curiosity that aren't the smartest things to do. Overall I really enjoyed this book because it was so suspenseful and you never knew what would happen next. Although the writing wasn't great I still think it is really good and would definitely recommend it.