Gothic Classics

Horror, mystery and suspense abound in this collection of the nation’s favourite gothic stories. From the foggy streets of London to the hills of Transylvania and the grounds of a country estate, relive the fear that these tales have been igniting in listeners for more than 100 years.These classic stories are read by Born Free’s Virginia McKenna; Dr. Who’s Tom Baker; and A Touch of Frost’s Bruce Alexander.

Arthur Mervyn is a novel written by Charles Brockden Brown and published in 1799. It was one of Brown's more popular novels and is in many ways representative of Brown's dark, Gothic style and subject matter. It is also recognized as one of the most influential works of American and Philadelphia Gothic literature.

An old mansion in Salem, moss-covered and gabled, broods over the destiny of a distinguished but troubled New England Family, the Pynchons. A haunting, centuries-old curse, a forceful probing of national and personal guilt, a romance between the young heroine and an attractive stranger all intertwine in this classic work by one of America's greatest novelists.

From the number one best-selling author of The American Boy and The Ashes of London comes a collection of three Gothic novellas - Broken Voices, The Leper House and The Scratch - perfect for fans of The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley.

Adam Frankenstein believes he is immortal because he has no soul. As life gives him opportunities to prove his worth he finds that doing what's right isn't always made clear and that being a monster is sometimes the only way to survive. Marked - A woman, her face half covered by a golden mask, offers herself in exchange for Adam’s help. A mob has mistaken a child with special powers as a witch and look to kill her. Adam may have taken on more than he bargained for as the child marks him in ways that will change him forever. Last Man Standing – Adam is accused of murder and a group of ...

Deborah had reluctantly agreed to the bizarre masquerade. Now, it was too late. She knew the obsessed Angus Raven would make her go through with his plan. In her dead sister's dress, she slowly made her way down the winding stairs. Everyone gasped! “You could be Judith!” Angus exclaimed.

This annotated edition of the classic Gothic novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly includes an historical introduction, an overview, study of the themes present in the book, and a list of famous quotes.

Was a noose tightening around a horrified Deborah Foster? It was the night of evil ritual. The worshippers of the devil danced around the ruined abbey, now transformed into a temple of terror. Deborah had come there hoping to unmask her sister’s killer. Suddenly against her will, Deborah felt herself succumbing tothe unholy spell woven by the frenzied witches. Relentlessly they began to encircle her. Panic gripped her for she knew they had chosen her as their next victim.

Gaston Leroux's phenomenal novel, which inspired the hit Broadway musical, remains one of the most original suspense stories ever written. Erik, a brilliant but hideously disfigured musical genius, lives in the basement of Paris's National Academy of Music, where he haunts the opera crowd in his mask and fancy clothes. A haunting tale of obsession, a touching story about internal beauty, and a top-notch detective drama, The Phantom of the Opera is a remarkable novel, narrated to perfection by Henry Butler.

This collection of short stories contains several gothic tales of the macabre and chilling, by writers as diverse as Robert Louis Stevenson, Mary Shelley, H. P. Lovecraft and A. M. Burrage. These tales are designed to unsettle you, just a little, as you sit back and take in their words as they lead you on a walk to places you’d perhaps rather not visit on your own. Our stories are: "The Body Snatcher", by Robert Louis Stevenson; "The Mortal Immortal", by Mary Shelley; "The Thing on the Doorstep", by HP Lovecraft; and "Waxworks", by AM Burrage.

Naomi Feldman has never understood the strange energy that hums beneath her senses. But when she comes across an ancient artifact that seems to beckon to her, she may finally find the answers she's been seeking. Alaric, a centuries-old vampire, lives a solitary life by choice. When he's assigned to protect Naomi, long dormant emotions stir to life. Pursued by a dangerous enemy and battling their growing attraction, Naomi and Alaric follow the mystery of the artifact from the museums of Athens, the streets of London, toward a confrontation that will decide the fate of two worlds...

The Moonstone, a yellow diamond looted from an Indian temple and believed to bring bad luck to its owner, is bequeathed to Rachel Verinder on her eighteenth birthday. That very night the priceless stone is stolen again and when Sergeant Cuff is brought in to investigate the crime, he soon realizes that no one in Rachel's household is above suspicion.

En 1877, l'Opéra de Paris est secoué par des phénomènes inquiétants... Lors des répétitions ou des spectacles, les accidents se multiplient. On murmure qu'il s'agit d'un fantôme qui menace les directeurs de l'Opéra des pires catastrophes s'ils ne lui obéissent pas. Cet être énigmatique qui erre dans le théâtre, prend sous son aile la jeune cantatrice Christine Danaé avec qui il noue une relation étrange. Il finit par l'enlever, peut-être dans un accès de folie.

Diagnosed by her physician husband with a “temporary nervous depression - a slight hysterical tendency” after the birth of her child, a woman is urged to rest for the summer in an old colonial mansion. Forbidden from doing work of any kind, she spends her days in the house’s former nursery, with its barred windows, scratched floor, and peeling yellow wallpaper. In a private journal, the woman records her growing obsession with the “horrid” wallpaper. Its strange pattern mutates in the moonlight, revealing what appears to be a human figure in the design.

Although Wuthering Heights is now a classic of English literature, contemporaneous reviews were deeply polarised; it was controversial because of its unusually stark depiction of mental and physical cruelty, and it challenged Victorian ideas about religion, morality, class, and woman's place in society.

After reuniting with her lover, Jane Doe thought she finally found her place in life. She has a name, a family and a declaration of love from the enigmatic Edward Rochester, but in a single moment of violence, everything is destroyed. In the aftermath, she’s has no choice but to flee Thornfield if she hopes to save herself from the same darkness that has claimed him. Alone and afraid, Jane turns to the only person she knows can help, John Rivers. He gladly offers her refuge at his art studio and it is here she hopes to find the way forward into a new life… but Thornfield and the secrets...

All her life, all Jane Doe has ever wanted was a name, a family and someone to love. She’s suffered many hardships, but none have come close to her treatment at the hands of the enigmatic Edward Rochester. The only thing Jane wants to do is love Edward openly, but he has forced her to keep their budding romance hidden. Despite giving him an ultimatum, his will is set in stone and he refuses. His secrets run so deep they’ve driven a wedge between their hearts, keeping them apart but still longing for one another. Driven by death, madness, rivalry, violence and love, their story ...

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (originally titled Notre Dame de Paris) is a Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story of Quasimodo, the Gypsy street dancer Esmeralda and Quasimodo's guardian the Archdeacon Claude Frollo in 15th century Paris. The novel sought to preserve values of French culture in a time period of great change, which resulted in the destruction of many French Gothic structures. The novel made Notre Dame de Paris a national icon and served as a catalyst for renewed interest in the restoration of Gothic form.

Oscar Wilde's only novel, given a superbly splendid modern reading by the talented Rupert Graves. Many classic Wilde quotes emanate from this horror novel.

Abraham “Bram” Stoker was born in 1847 in Dublin as the third of seven children. Stoker was bedridden with an unknown illness until the age of seven, when he made a complete recovery. He even grew up to become a successful athlete. Stoker is best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula. The novel Dracula begins when an English lawyer, Jonathan Harker, travels to Eastern Europe to meet Count Dracula, who is a client of his. When he arrives in Transylvania, he immediately notices that locals are shocked to learn where he is heading.