Here are 10 moody, atmospheric classic books to read in fall that are perfect for the dark days and cosy nights.
The cooler weather, shorter, darker days of Autumn, and the return to routine after months of summer fun, leave us with more time and encourage indoor activities. And what could be better than curling up with a book? How about 10 Classic Books to Read in Fall?
Pour yourself a cup of tea or hot chocolate, light a pumpkin candle, grab a warm throw and get ready for a fall escape. We are headed for moody castles and windswept moors to meet brooding men, monsters and mystery.
10 Classic Books to Read In Fall
Frankenstein
English novelist Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851) wrote Frankenstein during a summer spent near Lake Geneva, Switzerland, with her betrothed, Percy Bysshe Shelley, her stepsister Claire Clairmont, poet George Gordon Byron, and Lord Byron’s physician, John William Polidari. Inclement weather kept the group indoors and they challenged one another to create fantastic tales. Shelley’s was the result of a haunting vision: ”I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together.”
Wuthering Heights
When Heathcliff, a poor young boy, is adopted into wealthy Catherine Earnshaw’s family, he and Catherine form a bond that progresses from childhood friendship to teenage passion. Because of Heathcliff’s lowly social status, however, Catherine decides she cannot marry him, and instead marries the gentleman Edgar Linton. This sets in motion a chain of events that ravages both the Linton and Earnshaw families with jealousy, revenge, and bitterness, leaving only the ghosts of Catherine and Heathcliff to haunt the moors.
Northanger Abbey
Catherine Morland, a spirited and naïve young woman, is invited to spend time in the fashionable city of Bath. There, she befriends the lively Isabella Thorpe and meets the handsome Henry Tilney, who captures her heart. Catherine’s vivid imagination, fueled by her love of Gothic novels, leads her to believe that Henry’s family home, Northanger Abbey, hides dark secrets.
As Catherine ventures to Northanger Abbey, she begins to weave a dramatic narrative of mystery and intrigue. However, her fanciful ideas are soon tested by the realities of life and love. Austen’s sharp humor and keen observations highlight the absurdities of Gothic fiction while offering a thoughtful coming-of-age story.
Dracula
During a business visit to Count Dracula’s castle in Transylvania, a young English solicitor finds himself at the center of a series of horrifying incidents. Jonathan Harker is attacked by three phantom women, observes the Count’s transformation from human to bat form, and discovers puncture wounds on his own neck that seem to have been made by teeth. Harker returns home upon his escape from Dracula’s grim fortress, but a friend’s strange malady — involving sleepwalking, inexplicable blood loss, and mysterious throat wounds — initiates a frantic vampire hunt. The popularity of Bram Stoker’s 1897 horror romance is as deathless as any vampire. Its supernatural appeal has spawned a host of film and stage adaptations, and more than a century after its initial publication, it continues to hold readers spellbound.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray tells the tale of a handsome young man, Dorian Gray, who becomes the subject of a portrait by the talented artist Basil Hallward. Dorian, under the influence of the cynical Lord Henry Wotton, wishes for the picture to age instead of him, leading to a life of eternal youth and beauty. As Dorian indulges in every pleasure and vice, his portrait bears the scars of his debauchery, while he remains untouched by time.
One of Kafka’s best-known works, Metamorphosis tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes one morning to find himself inexplicably transformed into a huge insect (German: ungeheueres Ungeziefer, lit. “monstrous vermin”) and subsequently struggles to adjust to this new condition.
The Fall of the House of Usher
This selection of critical writings, short fiction and poetry demonstrates Poe’s intense interest in aesthetic issues and the astonishing power and imagination with which he probed the darkest corners of the human mind. “The Fall of the House of Usher” describes the final hours of a family tormented by tragedy and the legacy of the past. In “The Tell Tale Heart”, a murderer’s insane delusions threaten to betray him, while stories such as “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “The Cask of Amontillado” explore extreme states of decadence, fear and hate.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving is a short story about Ichabod Crane. Crane is a superstitious schoolteacher in the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town, New York. Ichabod competes with the local hero, Brom Bones, for the affections of Katrina Van Tassel.
On a fateful Halloween night, Ichabod comes face-to-face with the legendary Headless Horseman, a terrifying specter said to roam the dark woods of Sleepy Hollow in search of his lost head.
The story blends romance, comedy, and supernatural elements, culminating in a suspenseful and eerie conclusion.
The Black Tulip
Cornelius von Baerle lives only to cultivate the elusive black tulip and win a magnificent prize for its creation. But when his powerful godfather is assassinated, the unwitting Cornelius becomes caught up in a deadly political intrigue. Falsely accused of high treason by a bitter rival, Cornelius is condemned to life in prison. His only comfort is Rosa. The jailer’s beautiful daughter, who helps him concoct a plan to grow the black tulip in secret. Dumas infuses his story with elements from the history of the Dutch Republic (including two brutal murders) and Holland’s seventeenth-century “tulipmania” phenomenon.
Rebecca
“Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier is a gothic novel that follows an unnamed young woman who marries the wealthy widower Maxim de Winter and moves to his grand estate, Manderley. However, she struggles to escape the shadow of Maxim’s first wife, Rebecca, whose presence lingers through the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers. As secrets unravel, she discovers that Rebecca was not the perfect woman she seemed to be and that Maxim played a role in her death. The novel explores themes of identity, jealousy, love, and deception, leading to a haunting and dramatic conclusion.
Until Next Time
I hope that you enjoyed the 10 Classic Books to read in Fall. There are of course many more books that are perfect for spooky season.
If you have a book that you love to read in Autumn please share!
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On My Radar~ Fall
