Mystery in Gothic Literature
People have been salivating over mysteries even before the Sphinx offered her first riddle. What is it about a good who-done-it that engrosses audiences? Some like the chase. Some like the thrill of the unknown. Some like seeing how the clues fit. Some live for the moment that they find out their guess was right on the money.
Most, though? Most love the surprise.
And that surprise is part of both the success and potential downfall of Gothic novels. You may associate mysteries more with the methodical stories of Sherlock Holmes and their various adaptations in film and television. You might think of formulaic crime dramas or grocery store copy-cat texts. But that's part of the problem.
What was once new, eye-opening, and thought-provoking has been replicated so much that you now know from the first shot that the random person introduced in the opening scene just happens to be the culprit. Here's the thing though: Gothic novels, at least the very early ones, were doing their own thing—and their plots were huge surprises.
Readers of Gothic novels were enthralled. They needed to know what exactly was behind that shimmering veil, who put out the candles, and where exactly that wailing was coming from. Gothic novels didn't start out with a formula, and their mysterious elements contributed more to the overall atmosphere of the story rather than taking center stage.
And, of course, inspired centuries of mystery writing to come.
Chew on This
You've heard of Sherlock and his trusty Dr. Watson, but how about taking a look a detective story that subverts the role of the traditional investigator? The Moonstone does a lot for the mystery genre, but more importantly for our purposes, its development of setting and atmosphere owes a great debt to the Gothic tradition.
Ever wonder how a mystery without clear-cut answers plays out? American novelist, Henry James, is kind of in a league of his own; but in The Turn of the Screw, he blends the best of Gothicism with his own brand of literary realism. Is it a ghost story? Is it a psychological portrait? Is it both?