Eight Chilling & Eerie Classics
plus a roundup of our most haunting podcast episodes
We kicked off our fall semester by reading two vastly different, but similarly unsettling, classics: one whose atmospheric landscapes and sneaking around the grounds of Manderley made for a deliciously tense and perturbing read and the second, a surreal and unnerving stream-of-consciousness story from a man writing to his shadow self, leaving us doubtful of ever knowing what really happened. Spine-chilling reads can be some of the most memorable seasonal reading experiences.
We’re finishing out the month of October with an extra dose of chilling and eerie book recommendations for our readers to enjoy before we kick off our month of Virginia Woolf. This book list is full of atmosphere, folkloric elements, and page-turning plots to keep you reading past your bedtime (or just before it gets dark outside).
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - If modern English detective novels are a regular part of your reading rotation, you should read the text that’s been touted as the “godfather” to it all. Centering around the theft of a rare yellow diamond (and based on two famous diamonds in possession by European royalty), The Moonstone is told through various testimonies by a cast of characters related to the heist and the owner of the jewel. While not too unsettling, this twisty and suspenseful narrative will keep you on your toes.
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving - Readers can level up from the early memories of Bing Cosby and Disney’s rendition of this classic American folk tale by reading the original text by Washington Irving. Originally published as part of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon along with one of his famous short stories “Rip Van Winkle,” “Sleepy Hallow” is an eerie tale of a youthful love triangle, superstition, and a headless horseman.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - Drawing upon an article about a group of 19th-century psychic researchers, Jackson tells an unsettling story that has readers questioning whether this is a story about the terrors of the mind or if a house can be as wicked and haunted as Hill House. This National Book Award Finalist has served as the inspiration for much of American Gothic fiction and has disturbed readers for decades since its publication. Better to read about getting invited to a haunted house than to accept the invitation, we say.
Japanese Ghost Stories by Lafcadio Hearn - An Irish-Greek journalist and folklorist, Hearn is best known for his interpretation of classic Japanese yōkai stories. Still wildly popular in Japan, these stories are often told through the lens of Hearn recounting the stories told to him, lending a sense of curiosity and exploration while having an otherworldly effect—from the rokuo-kubi whose heads separate from their bodies at night to the ghastly and faceless mujina that stalks forlorn neighborhoods.
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury - In this classic story of fantasy horror, Bradbury brings to life a carnival that rolls into a small Illinois town a week before Halloween. Making alluring promises of regaining youth and seductive dreams come true, all is not as it seems at Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show. Plus, who doesn’t love a title that alludes to Shakespeare’s Macbeth?
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski - The backstory to House of Leaves might be just as fascinating as the structure and premise of the novel itself. At the heart of the novel is the story of a couple who discover the impossible labyrinth of their new home and the unsettling circumstances surrounding their dwelling. Danielewski’s book gained a cult following after circulating as a bundle of papers in the underground scene before finding a home at Pantheon Books.
Ghosts by Edith Wharton - When Edith Wharton contracted typhoid fever at nine and became seriously ill she was less concerned about her health and more concerned about having a steady supply of books. It was during this period of convalescence that Wharton read a story that shook her imagination and awakened a fear as well as a fascination with ghost stories. Wharton’s ghost stories (written in her adulthood) have now been compiled as a book from NYRB.
As Wharton says, “If it sends a cold shiver down one’s spine, it has done its job and done it well.”
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill - Writing as early as her O-levels at school, Susan Hill has penned a total of 59 books written as of 2017. In this modern classic, solicitor Arthur Kipps is sent to a faraway town in the windswept salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway to settle the estate of his client. The routine business trip quickly takes unexpected turns with a house shrouded in secrets and haunting images of a rocking chair in an abandoned nursery, a child’s scream in the whispy fog, and most of all an elusive and ghost-like woman in black.
Which classic looks like an intriguing read for your TBR? Do you have a classic novel you would add to our book list?
Backlist Episodes
If you are new to Novel Pairings or want to know all the eerie and spine-tingling classics we’ve covered on the podcast, we’ve rounded up all the hauntingly good book discussions Chelsey and Sara have shared over on the main feed. Check them out!
The Crucible (Apple | Spotify)
Frankenstein (Apple | Spotify)
Jane Eyre (Part 1 - Apple | Spotify) (Part 2 - Apple | Spotify)
The Bloody Chamber (Apple | Spotify)
And Then There Were None (Apple | Spotify)
“Speech Sounds” (Apple | Spotify)
“Fall of the House of Usher” (Apple | Spotify)
“The Yellow Wallpaper” (Apple | Spotify)
Final Words
On November 14th, we’ll be discussing “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf, so stay tuned for lot of educational resources for Woolf, the Bloomsbury Group, and modernist literature.
Until then, we declare after all, there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book.
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The Wharton book sounds great!