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Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Searching...

I have not had much success so far in discovering a good book for the R.I.P. Challenge.  I've started three that were billed as Gothic Mysteries, but they turned out to be simplistic romances.  What I want is something like Wilkie Collins or the Bronte novels--something dense and a little out-of-time or something really frightening with a Gothic atmosphere.

What I don't want is a romance or a cozy or a suspenseful mystery (I read plenty of suspenseful mysteries :p).  I want ghosts or mediums and seances or haunted manor houses or a good Dracula pastiche. While I don't want a cozy, I'm not opposed to a humorous take on any of the above.  Library here I come....

I did find this, however, on the History Girls blog, an article by Katherine Clements about Top Withins, the inspiration for Wuthering Heights!  Very interesting!
source

18 comments:

  1. What about Bliss House or The Gates of Evangeline? Just suggestions.

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    1. The library didn't have Bliss House; they did have The Gates of Evangeline, but it was checked out, due back Sept. 23. :)

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  2. Have you read "Drood" by Dan Simmons? It's based on the last five years of Dickens's life and is narrated by Wilkie Collins. It's 771 pages long (there's the dense part) and it's spooky as can be, very atmospheric in decaying London, lots of grave sites, heroin dens, and spooks galore.

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    1. I haven't read Drood, but I read Simmons' The Terror several years ago, which was great...and scary. It led me to other books about the Franklin Expedition, and strangely, to the Fox Sisters. And now the have found The Terror which was abandoned in 1848! The Guardian article. Of course, the novel had supernatural elements, but it was riveting and full of historical details.

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  3. Have you read The Seance by John Harwood? It might be the kind of Gothic mystery you're looking for.

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    1. I have! And that is exactly the sort of book I'm looking for. :)

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  4. Hope you find something soon! I have mostly been reading darker fantasy for my choices. I might read some Joe Hill this weekend, though!

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    1. Can you believe how many years we've been doing this challenge? :)

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  5. I'll be interested to see what you find. I have the urge to read something eerie too. I picked up Winter People. Not sure if it will fit the bill. Scanned back here to see if you had read it but didn't find it. I need to go by the Library. They are cutting their hours due to funding and lack of use. Imagine that!! We also have a great paperback book exchange where they have a super excellent selection.
    xx, Carol

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  6. I was going to recommend Drood too, but Sam beat me to it. I still haven't read it, but I hear it's really good. I hope you find something to your liking soon!

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    1. I may get to Drood during the challenge, but I've got a couple of books now that I think will work. :p

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  7. Well, I just read Family Plot by Cherie Priest - it has a definite gothic feel and is quite scary!
    Have you read Dracula? The Thirteenth Tale?
    I haven't posted much up on the site yet but I'm hoping to get to it soon. I have a Mantel book that is a 16th century ghost story that I'm looking forward to.
    Lynn :D

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    1. Ha! I checked out The Borden Dispaches by Priest yesterday. It should be pretty spooky, but I'll keep Family Plot in mind. I've read Dracula several times and I loved The Thirteenth Tale, but did not like Setterfield's Bellman and Black. Oooh, a 16th c. ghost story by Mantel sounds good!

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  8. Just tried to leave a comment but not sure it worked so trying this as a test - Lynn :D

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  9. Oh I hate it when I can't seem to find a book I want to read. What about The Woman in Black by Susan Hill? Or The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters? Those might just be what you are looking for!

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    1. The Little Stranger in 2009 and The Woman in Black in 2010. :) I'm reading The Dracula Tapes, the story from Dracula's point of view and Cherie Priest's The Borden Dispatches--and both of them seem to be working. I also have the first in The Curse Workers series by Holly Black. Have you read anything by Black? I see her name frequently on book blogs, and the book sounds like it will be suitably spooky.

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  10. Have you heard of this book "Within These Walls"? http://www.barnesandnoble.com/mobile/w/within-these-walls-ania-ahlborn/1119883936?ean=9781476783741

    I've the above book but yet to read it. I think this may fit to the challenge. ;)

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    1. Scary cover! I'll add this one to my list. Thanks, Melody!

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