Information about Gothic fiction

[seminarPOE]

Hello,

I need to write about Gothic fiction, I mean the definition of this genre, the elements, etc. I've got some books about gothic but I cannot find any overall informations. Could you recommend me some books or sites (it must me reliable, so it can't be Wikipedia) where I can find this?

Please.

[Charles Darnay]

Why - in the 21st century - do we have teachers who assign work that amount to "look up a definition" but refuse to let students use Wikipedia. If a teacher is not providing work that requires thought-explorations and insightful analyses, why should students do any work to find "reliable" sources?

You will not find a more succinct definition than:

"Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror, is a genre or mode of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Gothicism's origin is attributed to English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto, subtitled "A Gothic Story". The effect of Gothic fiction feeds on a pleasing sort of terror, an extension of Romantic literary pleasures that were relatively new at the time of Walpole's novel. Melodrama and parody (including self-parody) were other long-standing features of the Gothic initiated by Walpole."
-Wikipedia

And this is all accurate, albeit the last sentence is a bit oversimplified.

Now if you want to get really down and dirty with it....start by reading Castle of Otranto

[qimissung]

I understand your frustration, Charles, but that is an assignment that I have seen used on numerous occasions in my school. One teacher gives it as the topic of a research paper, which is mandated by the curriculum. And a research paper can be thought-provoking, as can be research, especially I think for those who are not inclined in that direction, anyway. I always thought it was a terrible topic, myself, but it seemed to be widely accepted there.

Also, seminarPOE, have you googled the phrase, or asked your school librarian for help researching it?

[Calidore]

Wikipedia itself isn't a completely reliable source for information, but it's not completely unreliable either. It's also a great source for references and informative links. I'd suggest the OP read the Wikipedia page for an intro and overview and use the provided references for further reading.

[seminarPOE]

Thank you very much for your help.

qimissung, yes I did, but I could'nt find any reliable sources in google.

Another problem - do you guys maybe know where I can find any reliable informations about Edgar Allan Poe's contribution in Gothic genre?

[MementoMori]

Hello,

I need to write about Gothic fiction, I mean the definition of this genre, the elements, etc. I've got some books about gothic but I cannot find any overall informations. Could you recommend me some books or sites (it must me reliable, so it can't be Wikipedia) where I can find this?

Please.

It sounds like you could do with a general overview of the genre like this book. It's relatively cheap and there's a decent preview of the first chapter too, which you might find useful even if you don't want to buy the book.