The Picture of Dorian Gray ~ Oscar Wilde (1891)

Oscar Wilde’s most controversial work, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is a Gothic classic but a work with which I found difficulty. The story follows young Dorian Gray who possesses the most powerful weapons: youth and beauty. For his aestheticism, he is admired by all around him, especially Basil Hallward and Lord Henry. It is the aristocratic Lord Henry which raises my biggest issue with the novel as it appears that between every two pages, Lord Henry professes the joys and benefits of youth and beauty which while it is a key theme of the novel, it is presented so directly and frequently that his didactic rants become repetitive. He does not add to his abundant quantity of speeches and where the novel is already short, this repetitive devise consumes more space which could be used otherwise. These sections largely lift the novel out of the context of the story as this could be an essay of Wilde’s but we read the story hoping to follow Dorian Gray but his role in the story is often limited making him an uninteresting protagonist. It is towards the latter half of the novel when the elements of the Gothic settle that interest is roused again for the narrative as Gray’s actions show an impact on his portrait where the sins he commits tarnishes the imitation of him; the picture acts as a metaphorical mirror of Gray’s soul which ages and falls into decline whereas the physical body does not. This is the most interesting and valuable feature of the novel as it has endured as a Gothic image which combines terror with the corruption and spirituality which can be used as a metaphor of the conscience. The picture can also be used as a tool to discover Gray’s psyche as he is one of the few to see the changing picture, he may be insane and convinces himself that he is young. Aesthetically he may have changed but he disbelieves it and while this is an interesting reading of the novel, which would make it more terrifying, after editing the final publication, Wilde included various added sections; one in particular in which Gray disproves his identity by his youth. The other characters are convinced, therefore the effects seem realistic, and the painting has truly aged while he has not. Prior to his editing, this would have been a more interesting route of the nature of the painting and the protagonist. The picture keeps the novel, like Dorian, young as it is still recognised as one of the key Gothic texts and while repetitive techniques are used which oppress the novel, the images and premise of the story immortalise its success and impact.

The Wasp Factory ~ Iain Banks (1984)

Iain Banks’ The Wasp Factory is a truly bizarre yet brilliant novel, in fact one of the most disturbing stories I have yet to come across. Written with reference to the Gothic novel, the story takes place from the perspective of Frank: a young boy living on an isolated island with only his father while his estranged mother is absent and his “brother had escaped” from a mental institution. This fact is outlined in the opening to the novel, right from the beginning, we are aware this is a story focused on madness and its impending threat which are key Gothic themes. Another support of this is that Frank realises his brother’s escape through information given by the Wasp Factory. In itself, The Wasp Factory encapsulates the brutal and intricate ethos of the novel as in order to predict the future, wasps are lured into an elaborate trap called “the Factory” where their choice of grimly demise such as melted by candle wax or sticking to fly traps indicates future events. Frank revolves his life around this almost supernatural force and the merciless killing of animals both in the Factory and for his Sacrifice Poles paints an image of a psychopath between the violence-loving Alex from Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange and the uniquely individual logic and mentality of Christopher in Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Frank however is a unique construction as he combines the threat of a violent psychopath with the innocence of a child and as this is a common theme in the Gothic, The Wasp Factory can be aligned with this genre. It is an incentive of the novel to detect these genre intertextualities but the most interesting and informative, yet oddly discreet, is Frank himself. In identifying the core Gothic texts, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a key example and its connections with The Wasp Factory are distinct even from Frank’s name, possibly shortened from Frankenstein. In Shelley’s novel, we are presented with a monster creation made by a monster creator and this basic premise is modernised in Banks’ work. This realisation comes through completing the book and the level of Frank’s monstrosity is better left for the reader to discover in a shocking plot-twist which changes the entire story. The novel is worth reading purely for this moment but besides the surprising narrative, the mysterious and quirky inhabitants of this island are interesting to discover as well as the Gothic elements which construct their existence and psyche. The Wasp Factory is frightening, disturbing, depressing and brilliant and these oppositional tones within the compelling story and characters ensures that Banks’ work is a memorable success which makes its way into the Gothic canon.

Dolly ~ Susan Hill (2012)

After the great impression caused by The Woman in Black, Dolly was the second of Susan Hill’s novels that I read and the reaction, like her most famous work, is a curious tale which draws on the horror conventions used during the Victorian era to create a chilling ghost story that entertains and terrifies. In The Woman in Black, Hill draws on the senses to explore the terror caused by the sounds of a rocking chair and in this story, the sound of rustling is used for the same effect. In the story, the doll comes to life and its activity is recorded through the sound. This is demonstrated clearly from the prologue to the story and is a clear re-indication of Hill’s use of the senses as the primary target for terror and the quickest way to place the story in the reader’s memory. The story focuses on Edward, an orphan who spends his summer with his Aunt Kestrel and cousin, Leonora. Leonora, to contrast the quiet and polite Edward, is a spoilt, spiteful character and her punishment for her behaviour is the eternal haunting by Dolly which is marked by the sound of its rustling when it is near. It is not until Leonora is fully grown that she realises the extent of the haunting and regrets her actions and as this is an exceedingly genius yet terrifying metaphor, I will not detail further and leave it to the Dolly readers the near-future to discover. Perhaps an extreme example of a cautionary tale, the exaggerated cost of bad behaviour acts as a stronger reiteration of the story’s message and where this could be an example of a children’s fable, the disturbing imagery allocates this novella for an older readership. Edward however is not as interesting as a protagonist; unlike Arthur Kipps, Edward has not active role in the story, he merely watches and records what he witnesses. He is similar to a Dickensian protagonist as action happens without his contribution and it is this convention along with the moors setting, grand manor houses and eccentric older relations which sets the story firmly in the Victorian era, narratively and stylistically. In Dolly, Susan Hill presents the darkness of youth which is similar to Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw but extracts the ambiguity to concentrate the source of evil within Dolly. Through the story, Hill subverts connotations of innocence associated with china dolls and as a good ghost story should accomplish, the reader adapts their perspective to the author’s dark view and after reading the story, china dolls do not evoke joy, but incite fear.   

The Remains of the Day ~ Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)

In Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day, a unique story unfolds as from a peculiar perspective, the common tales of the operations of a grand aristocratic household are told by the butler, Mr Stevens.  In the novel, Stevens has devoted his entire life to the servitude of the upper classes and in his twilight years, he tragically realises that he has wasted his life and this is made more emotional as the reader begins to understand more of his history. Told through a series of memories, the narrative jumps through the chronology of Mr Stevens’ past and is used as a representation of the character’s psyche as he is entrenched in the memories of his past and his own perspective. For this limitation, Stevens has been identified as an unreliable narrator and while this may be frustrating as he often confuses his memories, the singular viewpoint enables a deeper understanding of the character as the travel log structure in itself is an individual activity, again reiterating his isolation and generating our sympathy. This serves an excellent example of another of Ishiguro’s innovation as the reader creates these feelings; Stevens rarely tells us how to feel but his story is framed in a series of suggestions and undertones which motivate our emotions. What Stevens lacks in his narration, the reader compensates, realising that the pride of his life as a butler is folly. The Remains of the Day generates real emotion and ranges from frustration with the character’s pompous demeanour from the beginning to pity by its conclusion and through this we become attached to Mr Stevens and with another key character, Miss Kenton. Importantly, while Miss Kenton is a character which appears frequently, this is only through memories; she is never directly present which creates anticipation as the journal format counts down to her arrival, another structural technique which draws us into the novel. In terms of criticism, it is important to acknowledge that this captivation with the story is not initially present. The reader is not aware of Stevens’ life, we see him as lacking dimension and therefore boring which makes the early part of the novel less enjoyable. In further re-readings we can appreciate this character development but in the initial, and crucial first reading, it often lacks the persuasion to follow the story of this aged butler. Stevens develops as a character as the story progresses and by the end, we have integrated into his psyche, making him one of the most believable literary characters and through the emotional impact the novel creates it is a success as long as we perceiver with the story of the remains of Mr Stevens’ day. 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone ~ J.K. Rowling (1997)

Of all the books in recent memory, none have been more successful or influential as J.K. Rowling’s debut novel, the first entry of the saga of The Boy Who Lived: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The book which begins the story of Harry Potter is globally recognised as a tale filled with magic, humour and heart and it will be difficult for any author to now make an impact on the literary and non-literary world quite like Philosopher’s Stone and its sequels. It will be surprising to find anyone who has not read this book as it has become so widely iconic whether through its story, its characters or even the cover design. The intrigue which Harry looks upon the Hogwarts Express on my copy is similar to the millions who approached the novel in the first few years of its existence before the story came to the big screen and highly positive response follows a genuinely enjoyable reading experience. The novel allows this through numerous factors: firstly the characters which each have different personalities such as Harry’s bravery, Hermione’s intelligence, Ron’s loyalty and Draco’s deception. The expanse of attributes which these characters reach ensures that readers connect and associate with them immediately and each are so well described and humanised with humour and emotion that they become more than characters in a book but role models in reality. Personally, I am grateful for Hermione who teaches that intelligence and the pursuit of knowledge is rewarding and not to shy from. It is not just the children who quickly gain celebrity status but the adults and teachers of the books where names such as Dumbledore and Snape have achieved fame through their equally well designed characters which project the wise and charismatic headmaster and mysterious potions master from the pages into our minds. The primary location for the novel additionally becomes a character in itself as  Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a setting physically filled with magic from talking portraits to three-headed dogs. Hogwarts is alive and its numerous secrets make it one of the most difficult ‘characters’ to understand yet we want to delve further and explore more, leading to our following the rest of the saga. The real reason why this book and its sequels are such a success is for the escapism as like Harry, we may be bored of the Muggle world yet nothing is more exciting than the chance to live like a witch or wizard in a fun yet dangerous magical setting and it is this joy that the story brings that encourages further re-readings as the effect of this novel, above the rest in the series, is the most genuine without the later plot complications and darker tones. Truly, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a truly magical reading experience and I am glad to have grown up with this book as my Bible for the joy, excitement and role models it has given me.

Hamlet ~ William Shakespeare (1603)

Often called his masterpiece, for William Shakespeare, this is a high claim yet Hamlet remains one of the best theatrical works in history and there are many convincing reasons for this. First are the quotes where so many have been taken from this play to be used out of context such as “To thine own self be true” which is applicable to many situations besides Polonius giving his son a goodbye message. The language is poetic and the effect of the words has communicated globally for over 400 years. It is surprising to find so many quotes in the play which are embedded in our everyday language and where these have often lost their source, reading Hamlet reminds us of the poetic genius and power of Shakespeare. Alongside famous phrases such as “To be, or not to be” stands famous characters including the speaker of the soliloquy, the melancholy Prince Hamlet. As a protagonist, Hamlet is very interesting as he is an outsider and distances himself from the royal court who celebrate the wedding of his mother to his uncle after his father dies. Hamlet, from the outset, is intelligent and perceptive as he does not allow public pressure to cloud his mourning for his dead father. Hamlet is unlike the corrupted court and without any other significant support, we do. We, with Hamlet, are granted information concerning the death of his father and on a determined pursuit of revenge; we hope to see him succeed as he is the remedy to the rotten country. Part of his plan includes feigning madness and this is my most interesting piece of the play as debating his insanity broadens the work as in considering if Hamlet is truly mad and not pretending, his belief of seeing his father’s ghost and receiving an identity of his murderer can be argued. What is initially seen as a heroic pursuit for truth can now be read as a complex misunderstanding triggered by insanity. The play asks us to question the psyche and in doing so, we only find ambiguity which is why scholars have attempted to discover the answers for centuries. The true answer is the audience’s decision which makes this a unique text which invites and rewards excavation into the words and action of the play. Overall, the play teaches us the complexities of revenge as Hamlet’s plan rarely works to his intention and as it stretches further, innocence is tarnished before being destroyed, as represented by the tragic Ophelia, and while it is true that the play is long, it is effective that as it continues, we lose motivation and the as a result the plot plunges further into tragedy. While mostly a cautionary tale teaching of revenge, Hamlet has much more to offer in discussing family, friendship, trust, tragedy, love and what it is to be ourselves and it is for these reasons, and more, that the play stretches beyond the performance as it speaks directly to our hearts, our minds and our souls, making it one of the greatest plays ever written.  

Great Expectations ~ Charles Dickens (1860-61)

In one of his final novels, Charles Dickens sets high standards immediately from his title but it is ambiguous: who has great expectations? Why are they great? In applying the question to the reader, I had great expectations and, luckily, I was not disappointed. The story of Philip Pirrip, or Pip, is a beautifully written and performed story in which the young orphan is given the chance to rise above his disparity in the chance of becoming a gentleman. The tale follows his growth from a blacksmith boy to London nobility and through his journey, Pip encounters some very interesting characters. This is my highlight of the novel, with particular emphasis on the character of Miss Havisham who has become almost as infamous as the work which she originates from. With such an interestingly Gothic character design with an equally dark and mysterious back-story, Miss Havisham has been immortalised as one of Dickens’ most iconic characters. Apart from the image of Havisham in her decaying wedding dress, in the novel she serves an intriguing purpose as her intentions are never clear. Havisham seems to support Pip and also to disappoint him, she is merciless without any loyalties except to herself and manipulates the thoughts and ‘great expectations’ of the protagonist and therefore the reader themselves. Miss Havisham orchestrates the events of the narrative and makes the story more compelling as we must unravel her webs of deception which it is revealed involves more characters and events than we can imagine. It is through Pip that we live through this journey and while we may become disenfranchised with him during his adolescent years in which he forgets his roots and himself, it makes the character far more realistic. The new Pip may not be as likeable but the conflicts within his mind and his decisions to understand who he really is motivate the story and like the rest of the characters, there is no true division of him being good or bad, merely human and this makes his story relatable to our own. It is enjoyable to see him develop and his poor decisions act as a cautionary tale. Regardless, we do not separate from Pip and we experience his heartbreak in its entirety. Great Expectations plays with the feelings of Pip and the reader which makes the novel a true experience and one which will be made again in the near-future, keeping an eye to the overall plot to wonder how I once, foolishly, became spiders to Miss Havisham’s wedding cake.