Gothic (The New Critical Idiom) (Essays and Studies)

by Fred Botting

Tailored specifically for students new to the daunting field of literary theory, Fred Botting's Gothic is a clear and welcome introduction to the study of this compelling genre. This lucid, easy-to-follow guide:
* Explains the transformations of the genre through history
* Outlines all the major figures which define the genre, such as ghosts, monsters and vampires
* Charts key texts over two centuries
* Traces origins of the form
* Looks at the cultural and historical location of gothic images and texts
* Provides a succinct introduction to the field which is also an excellent foundation for further study.

• ISBN10: 0415092191
• ISBN13: 9780415092197
• Publish Date: 23 November 1995
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 25 October 2013
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Imprint: Routledge
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 224
• Language: English

Reviews

[celinenyx]

Nice overview of Gothic texts throughout time. I especially found his general typology of the Gothic useful: what do people mean when they call a work 'Gothic'? What are their commonalities?

On the other hand, I found Gothic not particularly useful for anyone looking for a survey of contemporary Gothic studies: Botting doesn't use footnotes in this text, and his references to critical works are minimal. The guide to further reading only lists a tiny amount of works, most of which are quite dated.