The Gothic by Discovering Literature – British Library

Gothic literature in context

discovering_literature — 2024-03-11 15:26:38 UTC

This pack gives ready-to-teach ideas for bringing Gothic literature to life through rich resources from the British Library’s Discovering Literature collection.

Watch this short film on the Gothic

discovering_literature — 2024-04-05 11:30:52 UTC

Featuring Professor John Bowen and filmed at Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill House.

discovering_literature — 2024-06-19 08:39:41 UTC

All content is available for educational purposes only, unless otherwise stated.

The science of life and death in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

discovering_literature — 2025-12-15 11:46:58 UTC

Professor Sharon Ruston surveys the scientific background to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, considering contemporary investigations into resuscitation, galvanism and the possibility of states between life and death.

Gothic motifs

discovering_literature — 2025-12-15 11:47:13 UTC

What does it mean to say a text is Gothic? Professor John Bowen considers some of the best-known Gothic novels of the late 18th and 19th centuries, exploring the features they have in common, including marginal places, transitional time periods and the use of fear and manipulation.

Disfigurement and disability in Gothic literature: Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

discovering_literature — 2025-12-15 11:47:28 UTC

With a focus on Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Jen Campbell examines how historical beliefs about disfigurement and disability are explored in Victorian Gothic fiction.

Imperial Gothic

discovering_literature — 2025-12-15 11:47:37 UTC

Professor Suzanne Daly explores the ‘imperial Gothic’, examining the ways in which ‘otherness’ and Empire were depicted in 19th-century Gothic novels such as Jane Eyre, The Moonstone, Dracula and Heart of Darkness.

An introduction to The Hound of the Baskervilles

discovering_literature — 2025-12-15 12:09:32 UTC

The Hound of the Baskervilles merges two popular genres, the detective story and the Gothic tale. Here curator Greg Buzwell examines the novel’s depiction of scientific deduction, eerie landscapes and violent ancestry.

Explore sources for Frankenstein, Dracula and Edgar Allen Poe

discovering_literature — 2025-12-15 14:23:34 UTC

Explore more Discovering Literature articles

discovering_literature — 2025-12-15 14:24:53 UTC

Explore 100 of our best loved articles, perfect for teachers of Years 10–13.