classic horror

[saliotthomas]

Mary Shelley and Bran Stoker are surely the best but It was a time when horror or fantastic book were florishing. I can think of a few

-the horla-Guy de Maupassant is a superb story
-Peau de chagrin-translated as "the goat skin" i think by Balzac is the story of a frustrated poor young society man who discover a piece of skin that realise is wildest dream,the only probleme been that each time it does the skin shrink, the end of it meaning death and worst-great book
-the portrait of dorian gray-is very similar
-salambo-Flaubert is maybe one of the oldest piece of fantasy

can you think of others,i'm running out?
(sorry for the spelling,grammar,and else!)

 

[saliotthomas]

the wild ass' skin-is the Balzac book, not a goat!

 

[Baddie]

I'm reading Dracula right now, highly recommended!

 

[Niphredil]

would you describe The Picture of Dorian Gray as a horror story? I'm not sure I would..

How about some of the original gothic stories? Ann Radcliffe for one, fantastic horror writer. And The Monk by Matthew Lewis! Thats more the very early predecessor to gory horror films of today . With a smigin more intelligence.

 

[saliotthomas]

The monk is good ,i forgot about it.As for Dorian Gray,it's just a sujestion,but i think it's his place among others!(classifing books is a matter of point of view)
Make sure you find "the wild ass's skin" by Balzac ,you'll love it!

 

[roddglenn]

Now I've always thought Dracula was a very dry read - never been fond of Stoker's writing. Love his story ideas, but find reading his stories hard going.

I prefer H P Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe from the classic horror writers.

 

[saliotthomas]

how could i have forgotten them?I find sometime Lovecraft a bit to far off,but i love Poe

 

[HPMelmoth]

My favorite book of all time is definitely Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin. I recommend this to all interested in classic horror. It's full of stories within stories, discovered manuscripts, and all manner of great classic gothic conventions. I'm always amazed that this is one that most people seem to overlook.

The Monk was quite good. I enjoyed that one a lot. Then again I almost always enjoy things about hypocritical religious types.

I read The Mysteries of Udolpho recently. I liked it to a certain extent, but many parts of it left my mind wandering. I just couldn't get into it like I could most other classic horror I've read. I think part of the problem for me had to do with any seemingly spooky things having a completely natural explanation. How do Radcliffe's other novels compare to this one?

Dorian Gray is definitely horror in my book. It may not actually scare me, but then again I rarely actually get scared reading horror. Even with movies, only a very few have scared me. With Dorian, I think the portrait of the decaying soul of a fallen man is sufficiently horrific for people to consider it horror.