Spooky Classics to Read This Halloween

It's finally October, which means it's perfectly acceptable to start preparations for Halloween. What better way to get in the mood than to indulge in spooky stories? Scary movies and books by authors like Stephen King are popular and the usual go-to for a creeptastic story, but what about something a little older, a little more classic? After all, these books are the first of their kind, the ones that started the horror and Gothic genres. Here are several spooky classics you should definitely read for Halloween this year.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

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This list would be incomplete without the king (or queen?) of Gothic horror, Frankenstein! One of the most iconic stores in pop culture, it would be hard to find someone who doesn't know the story of Victor Frankenstein and his monster, even if they haven't read the original novel. This book was written on a dare and aims to define what it means to be a monster.

The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells

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Similar to Frankenstein, The Island of Doctor Moreau is more science-fiction than horror, but it definitely dives into the horrific. Shipwrecked on an island, the main character encounters Dr. Moreau, who is known for vivisecting animals in order to create hybrid creatures. It sounds eerie and weird, which is the perfect way to give you chills.

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

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You may be familiar with this story due to the highly popular musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber. Which is fine, but if you want another version of the story--one with torture chambers, a police detective's search, and less music (though, why would you want that, I cannot fathom)--read the original book. It's a little different in the narration and not nearly as glamorous or gorgeous, but it's interesting.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

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Just like with Frankenstein, a list on horror classics wouldn't be complete without Dracula by Bram Stoker. The popularity of this novel and its influence on pop culture is why we have the vampire lore we know today (aside from Twilight's sparkly vampires). It's all sorts of creepy and sinister with mysterious "sicknesses" and shadowed figures stalking people. If you've never read the original story, you definitely should, followed by a viewing of Nosferatu or the 1931 Dracula film starring Bela Lugosi.

"The Vampyre" by John William Polidori

If you like Dracula, you might want to go back a step further to John Polidori's short story, "The Vampyre," which is thought to be one of the first stories to pull together the different elements of vampirism into one coherent story. The true father of vampires, "The Vampyre" is an eerie story that laid the groundwork for other stories, such as Dracula, to be born. I personally think that someone should make this short story into a film, bringing back these kinds of vampires and casting Benedict Cumberbatch in the part of Lord Ruthven (who is the vampire).

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

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If monsters and vampires aren't your thing but you like ghost stories, Wuthering Heights might be right up your alley. Set on the lonely moors of England, Wuthering Heights is a tragic love story that might just leave you seeing ghosts... or worse.

H.P. Lovecraft's Short Stories

Regarded as one of the most significant horror writers of the 20th century, H.P. Lovecraft never received recognition for his work while he was alive. So basically, you should go read his horror short stories to make up for what he missed out on.

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

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Like Frankenstein and Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a well-known tale. The story is actually pretty short and easy to follow. The main plot of the book, the mystery of "Who is Hyde?," loses it's effect because of pop culture's familiarity with the story. Still, it's interesting to read the original to understand where we get such a classic reference.

Edgar Allan Poe's Stories and Poems

Poe is known for his spooky, sometimes creepy and definitely mad stories and poems. Whether you choose to read "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart" or "The Cask of Amontillado" or "Annabel Lee," you're sure to experience a frightful delight at Poe's words. The best solution is probably to grab a collection and read several of his works.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

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We all have some knowledge about the Headless Horseman, Ichabod Crane, and Sleepy Hollow, even if we've never read the original short story. It's hard not to, especially around Halloween. So go, read the original story and see if it's anything like the story you have in your head.

"The Judge's House" by Bram Stoker

Stoker didn't just write Dracula. He wrote several novels and many short stories, including one called "The Judge's House." It involves a bell rope, creepy paintings, and rats--rats everywhere. Just reading the story made me antsy because I wanted to scream at the character to run, to get out, to do something but let what will happen happen to him. Alas, he didn't listen to me.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

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Youthful beauty, selling your soul, and a creepy painting? Yes, please! All of this and more are included in Oscar Wilde's popular story, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Add it to your list and get thee to a bookstore or library!

"My Last Duchess" and "Porphyria's Lover" by Robert Browning

If you like The Picture of Dorian Gray, you might be interested in reading the poem, "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning, which also includes a creepy painting. That's basically where the similarities end, but still, Robert Browning's poems are bit on the spooky side. If you want more, read "Porphyria's Lover," which is about a man who strangles a girl with her own hair.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

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Another Gothic novel, Jane Eyre might not be as "spooky" as some of the others on this list, but it does have its moments. From drafty old houses to the "mad woman in the attic," this one might be the book for you if you want to dip your toes in Gothic or horror fiction without committing to something entirely scream-worthy.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

If you like stories about the "mad woman in the attic," you should definitely read "The Yellow Wallpaper." This short story goes beyond horror and is a criticism of how women were treated in the 19th century, in regards to both their physical and mental health. It's thought to be one of the earliest works of American feminist literature, and it has quite a creepy feel to it as well.

What are your favorite spooky classics?

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7 Last-Minute Literary Costumes

Ah, Halloween. That time of year when people can dress like sluts and drink the night away and not be judged for it. Or, for some of us, the panic-inducing time of year in which we know we’ll have to go to parties and be judged specifically on what we’re wearing.

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If you put in too much effort and it doesn't turn out just right, you feel like an absolute failure--the (nonexistent) judgmental glances of your peers poking so many holes in your self-esteem that your psyche starts to look like Charlie Brown’s ghost. But on the flip side, if you don't put any effort and don't have a good enough explanation as to what you are, people give you that little pitying smile and (at least in your head) start to wonder why they invited you anywhere. It's a fine line to walk.

You don't want to be cliche, you don't really want to spend three weeks making a costume you can only wear once, and you don't particularly want to dress like a slutty anything. So what do you do?

Which is... not much, at this point. And better spent reading. (source)

You dress like a literary character, of course. Here are seven literary costumes that won't take you more than one five-minute trip to the thrift store to complete with foolproof explanations that are guaranteed* to put you on even footing with everyone else at the party--or at least help you find the other literary nerds so you can venture together to find the host’s dog and bond over how much you hate parties.

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Bonus: These probably won't win you the costume contest, so no extra undue attention!

*Guarantee is based on participant's social standing, ability to interact with people, sense of humor, and ability to recognize a joke, among other things.

7. Tricia McMillan

Who: Trillian is pretty much the only female character in Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. She was picked up at an earth party--in every sense of the word--by Zaphod Beeblebrox before setting out on a space voyage. (She was also played by Zooey Deschanel in the movie, but we're going to pretend that didn't happen. The movie. And her being in the movie.)

Just, no. To all of it. (source)

How: Put on a party dress. Or even just jeans and a sparkly top--really just whatever you can find in your closet that looks vaguely party-esque--and carry around two white mice. You could get real ones, but that might not go over well with your host. So you can find fake ones here or here.

What to Say: "Are you from another planet? No? Ah, well. You're of no interest to me. I'm Trillian, by the way."

6. Arthur Dent

Who: Like Trillian, Arthur is a character from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He's an unwilling hitchhiker on the spaceship The Heart of Gold who really just wants a good cup of tea.

How: Wear an old, comfy bathrobe over pajama pants. Carry a towel. Make yourself a cup of tea and carry that around, too. It's pretty much the comfiest costume ever.

Unlike Zooey, Martin was a perfect casting choice. (source)

What to Say: "Don't panic." If they still don't get it, they're really not worth your time.

5. Joseph

Who: Joseph is a servant at Wuthering Heights. He's an irritable, bible-thumping, all-around unpleasant fellow.

How: Wear your dirtiest yard work clothes, carry around a Bible, and when people you dislike try to engage you in conversation, just start going off in an unintelligible Yorkshire accent. You can find a quick(ish) tutorial here.

What to Say: "Yah're a nowt, and it's no use talking—yah'll niver mend o'yer ill ways, but goa raight to t' divil, like yer mother afore ye!"

4. Basil Hallward

Who: Basil is the underappreciated man who painted the picture of Dorian Gray. A friend of Lord Henry--the man who started Dorian's life on a downward spiral--Basil is shy, awkward, and devoted (probably to an unhealthy degree) to Dorian Gray.

Awkward and smitten. The easiest fangirl costume ever. (source)

How: Grab a paintbrush and a thrift store portrait and follow your loud, opinionated friend around. Bonus points if the portrait looks like your friend.

What to Say: *quietly* "I've put too much of myself in my work. I couldn't possibly explain it to you." Then let the opinionated friend take over.

3. Moby Dick

Who: The great White Whale is the ever-present force in his eponymous novel by Herman Melville.

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How: Wear all white, pick the person(s) at the party you most don't want to talk to, and spend the entirety of the party running away from them. If they get too close, punch them.

What to Say: "Moby Dick, man. Is that---? Catch ya later!"

2. Holden Caulfield

Who: Holden Caulfield is the main character and narrator of The Catcher in the Rye.

How: Put an ugly, red deer hunting hat on your head and a rather large chip on your shoulder and walk around spewing teenage philosophies using grammar bad enough to show just how many schools you've been kicked out of.

What to Say: "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth."

1. Bartleby

Who: A lesser-known short story by Herman Melville, "Bartleby, the Scrivener" is about a scrivener named Bartleby who refuses to do anything.

How: Wear whatever you want, just respond to every request with “I would prefer not to.” Occasionally opt to do nothing but stare at the wall.

What to Say: "I would prefer not to." Or buy a shirt that says it for you here.

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But, most important of all, take your character’s book with you this Halloween. Take it in part to help explain your costume, but mostly because parties get boring and it's always nice to have something to do that doesn't involve talking to people or eating stale chips.

Which literary character will you go as this Halloween?

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