So this weekend I continued my journey into the world of the supernatural, ahead of Halloween, by dropping into the British Library to check out their new exhibition, Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination.
As a kid I was absolutely terrified of anything to do with ghosts, ghouls, monsters or the scary neighbours. To part quote Ferris Bueller I was like origami, but instead of folding under pressure, I folded under fear. Then at the age of 14, I was introduced to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and a love of Gothic literature blossomed. Yes I've put pen to paper to create my own Gothic stories, but they pale in comparison to Dracula which I believe sets the benchmark for Gothic tales.
The exhibition at the British Library comprises of six chapters in the tale of Gothic: Gothic Beginnings, A Taste for Terror, Victorian Monstrosity, Decadence and Degeneration, Modern Horrors and A Weekend in Whitby. It's a bit like a tree. You start at the roots of Gothic and discover those who brought the genre back into fashion and then you follow the roots to the trunk and then along the branches to find out how the genre has played out across the centuries. So who planted the seed?
With medieval origins, Shakespeare, Spenser, Mallory were all well-known for bringing elements of the supernatural into their works. However, it was Horace Walpole who provided the genre with a resurgence and popular cult status with his tale 'The Castle of Otranto.' Written over 250 years ago the book contains all the elements needed for a Gothic novel including the villain, a heroine, a sinister plot and a dramatic backdrop. On publication all 500 copies were sold.
Normally you associate grotesque tales and horror with men, but many female writers, including Jane Austen, created some of the most fantastical and macabre tales. Ann Radcliffe inspired Edgar Allen Poe and generations of writers whilst Mary Shelley gave us the tale centered on creation, Frankenstein - a tale born from a competition at Villa Diodati between Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, John Polideri and Mary Shelley.
By the Victorian era Gothic literature transformed. Instead of setting the tales in the medieval period with landscape playing a pivotal role, the drama took place in the sprawling cities or in the home. Penny Dreadfuls, lurid serial stories for a Penny each, became a popular source for scary tales whilst also bringing the Gothic genre to the mass audience and not just middle and upper classes. One of the most famous serials featured in these Penny Dreadfuls was Sweeney Todd. If you haven't seen the TV series Penny Dreadful then you must get on the case now!!
Perhaps the most stomach churning part of the exhibition was the exploration into real life horror stories. A section is dedicated to Jack the Ripper and on display is a letter believed to be from the murderer himself. According to police they regularly received fake ripper mail, but this letter described an incident which occurred to the next victim - slicing off part of the ear. The Ripper atrocities also coincided with a stage production of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and the talented, but unfortunate Richard Mansfield portrayed the split personalities of the protagonist so well that many people suspected him of the killings. It goes to show that sometimes it's worth not being that great an actor.
The exhibition is cleverly put together and you clearly get a sense of how the Gothic genre has evolved and adapted itself across the centuries to fascinate and capture the imagination of millions across the world. You also see how the novels translated into film with Nosferatu, The Innocents, but for me it's all about the books - nothing is scarier than curling up and reading a book and letting your imagination run wild. The only downside was ending the exhibition with photos of modern day goths which I didn't feel was necessary, but that's by no means an excuse for you not to visit this incredible exhibition.
Finally, you can tell when an exhibition has had a profound effect on you when you leave the gift shop with four novels and of course two Dracula inspired Christmas decorations....the gift shop did well.
The exhibition is open till the 20th January and more information can be found at www.bl.uk.
For those seeking to create their own Gothic tale here are four elements which must be included.
The Essential Ingredients for a Classic Gothic Story
1. Setting: An isolated castle, abandoned house or a religious building are crucial to the plot - the more derelict the better
2. Landscape/Urban: A Gothic tale can take place in either but if you want to stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the greats then nature is essential
3. Characters: Every role in a Gothic novel is significant. If you have a heroine there's a villain. Where there is a hero there is a foolish woman. Don't get too caught up in the romanticism between the hero/heroine remember this a Gothic novel and it needs to maintain the elements of the sinister and macabre
4. Tension and Suspension: No I'm not talking about cars, but storms, lightening, lurking shadows. You want to create an eerie atmosphere to entice and shock your reader
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