Gothic: An Illustrated History
Roger Luckhurst
Thames & Hudson Ltd
Once one looks past the outworn clichés and stereotypes of how “gothic” is commonly portrayed, defining the DNA of the genre proves to a tad more intricate than it seems from a distance, especially since its manifestations and incarnations are ubiquitous and manifold.
Author Roger Luckhurst set out to find the core and common denominator of the “gothic” by looking at it from a range of angles and consolidating findings from both the literary as well as the visual. Informed by the notion that “gothic” originally incarnated with distinct features, Luckhurst acknowledges and expertly conveys how it has morphed over time to become a travelling trope as it infiltrated different cultures and was infused by their respective beliefs.
Comprehensive in nature and structured thematically instead chronologically, Gothic: An Illustrated History sheds light on the origins and masters of the genre, to then take a step back to look at who revived it across all media types, how surprisingly varied variants emerged in other cultures and spawned new genres were spawned as well as the commonalities across the board, i.e. the core emotional responses it evokes.
Juxtaposing contemporary and traditional gothic phenomena, Luckhurst artfully reveals how context, time, zeitgeist and space actively contribute to its perception and thereby delivers a well-rounded, holistic and global view of the genre.
As the name suggests, the tome is aptly illustrated with close to four hundred accompanying images, which visually substantiate the thoughtful essays.
Carried by an engaging, educational and easily accessible tone, Gothic: An Illustrated History makes for a compelling read and a worthwhile addition to the reference section of any library.
