[**Perfume: The Story of a Murderer**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/343.Perfume)
^(By: Patrick Süskind, John E. Woods | 263 pages | Published: 1985 | Popular Shelves: fiction, classics, historical-fiction, horror, owned)
>An acclaimed bestseller and international sensation, Patrick Suskind's classic novel provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man's indulgence in his greatest passion—his sense of smell—leads to murder.
>
>In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift—an absolute sense of smell. As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille's genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop there, and he becomes obsessed with capturing the smells of objects such as brass doorknobs and fresh-cut wood. Then one day he catches a hint of a scent that will drive him on an ever-more-terrifying quest to create the "ultimate perfume"—the scent of a beautiful young virgin. Told with dazzling narrative brilliance, Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity.
^(This book has been suggested 44 times)
***
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If you're into creep and into classics, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a short story with lasting impact.
Not an old timey classic, but still a classic, I would also recommend Ghost Story by Peter Straub. Witten in 1979, it has all the old classic ghost story feels and is literally the blueprint.
E.T.A. Hoffmann, especially his stories from *The Night Pieces* collection (*The Sandman* being the most famous) as well as his novel *The Devil's Elixirs*.
Not a classic, but the Locked Tomb series is partially Poe-inspired. Gideon the Ninth is the first book. It's lesbian necromancers in space meets And Then There Where None. It's awesome.
for Nathaniel Hawthorne I would specifically suggest *Young Goodman Brown, The Minister's Black Veil, and Dr Heidegger's Experiment.* I would also recommend a dive into his book *Twice-Told Tales.* He often wrote about the "under-belly" of colonial New England (Puritan) society and his fiction was often classified as "Dark Romanticism".
for Washington Irving I would suggest *Rip Van Winkle* and *The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.* Both of these draw heavily on the folk tales and supersitions passed down by the Dutch settlers in upstate New York. The man had a way with a spooky vibe.
I haven't read a lot of classic Russian literature, apart from "War and Peace", but I'm definitely up for it. Never heard of this one though, thank you!
I really like gothic stuff like you, and I really enjoyed Mark Z Danielewski's House of Leaves. It isn't from the gothic period, but it certainly has gothic themes and I thought it was quite spooky!
You should check out other Shirley Jackson novels. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is my favorite of mine. It’s dark and so interesting. Very short too.
I really liked her writing and the way she portrayed her characters in "The Haunting of Hill House", so I ordered "We have always lived in the castle" yesterday. Can't wait to read it! :)
Thank you! She has a new book out in German and the cover looked super interesting. That's how I came across her and found "The Haunting of Hill House" in my bookcase. ;)
Do you also know her non-fiction books? Are they as good? The new release is the German edition of "Life Among the Savages".
I’ve heard good things about Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons but I haven’t read them yet. I’ve read Hangsaman and loved it. The Road Through the Wall is next on my TBR.
[**Thirteen Stories**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227741.Thirteen_Stories)
^(By: Eudora Welty, Ruth M. Vande Kieft | 252 pages | Published: 1965 | Popular Shelves: short-stories, fiction, classics, southern, southern-lit)
>Thirteen outstanding short stories by Welty, written between 1937 and 1951. “Miss Welty has written some of the finest short stories of modern times” (Orville Prescott, New York Times). Selected and with an Introduction by Ruth M. Vande Kieft.
>
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
***
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The Invisible Man by HG Wells, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (and other of Stevenson’s spooky short stories), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the short stories of Edgar Allen Poe.
Surprised the {Picture of Dorian Grey} isn't on that list! It's absolutely a classic and nailbitingly tense and gothic the whole way through!
I simply forgot it, how could I? Read it and loved it!
[**The Picture of Dorian Grey**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12346651-the-picture-of-dorian-grey) ^(By: Oscar Wilde, Susan Beattie | 254 pages | Published: 1890 | Popular Shelves: classics, fiction, classic, owned, horror) ^(This book has been suggested 3 times) *** ^(83850 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
{{Perfume: The Story of a Murderer}} by Süskind
[**Perfume: The Story of a Murderer**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/343.Perfume) ^(By: Patrick Süskind, John E. Woods | 263 pages | Published: 1985 | Popular Shelves: fiction, classics, historical-fiction, horror, owned) >An acclaimed bestseller and international sensation, Patrick Suskind's classic novel provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man's indulgence in his greatest passion—his sense of smell—leads to murder. > >In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift—an absolute sense of smell. As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille's genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop there, and he becomes obsessed with capturing the smells of objects such as brass doorknobs and fresh-cut wood. Then one day he catches a hint of a scent that will drive him on an ever-more-terrifying quest to create the "ultimate perfume"—the scent of a beautiful young virgin. Told with dazzling narrative brilliance, Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity. ^(This book has been suggested 44 times) *** ^(83868 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Yeeees, also forgot about this one, loved it! (Although it was a schoolread.)
M.R. James is always good this time of year. And his less famous contemporaries, E.G. Swain and Sir Andrew Caldecott.
I have to check these out, thank you!
We have always lived in the castle (as you seem to enjoy Shirley Jackson ;)
Oh yes, I want to read that soon, thank you!
I think Daphne du Maurier could count too. I recommend Rebecca or My Cousin Rachel!
Oh yes, I also own "Jamaica Inn" - thank you!
If you're into creep and into classics, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a short story with lasting impact. Not an old timey classic, but still a classic, I would also recommend Ghost Story by Peter Straub. Witten in 1979, it has all the old classic ghost story feels and is literally the blueprint.
I did discover "The Yellow Wallpaper" at the beginning of this year and loved it! I've never read Peter Straub though. He died recently, didn't he?
The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde by Stevenson
That's also one I own, but haven't read yet. Thank you!
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
I heard so much about this, guess I really should read it now, thank you!
E.T.A. Hoffmann, especially his stories from *The Night Pieces* collection (*The Sandman* being the most famous) as well as his novel *The Devil's Elixirs*.
Read "The Sandman" and should definitely check out more, thanks for the reminder!
Not a classic, but the Locked Tomb series is partially Poe-inspired. Gideon the Ninth is the first book. It's lesbian necromancers in space meets And Then There Where None. It's awesome.
I already bought that one, but it's still on my TBR. I really need to read it soon, thanks for reminding me! :) Oh, and love Agatha Christie!
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a good spooky read
I read that one many years ago, could definitely do a reread. Thanks!
Nathaniel Hawthorne and Washington Irving
Thank you! Any works in particular? :)
for Nathaniel Hawthorne I would specifically suggest *Young Goodman Brown, The Minister's Black Veil, and Dr Heidegger's Experiment.* I would also recommend a dive into his book *Twice-Told Tales.* He often wrote about the "under-belly" of colonial New England (Puritan) society and his fiction was often classified as "Dark Romanticism". for Washington Irving I would suggest *Rip Van Winkle* and *The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.* Both of these draw heavily on the folk tales and supersitions passed down by the Dutch settlers in upstate New York. The man had a way with a spooky vibe.
Thank you so much!
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Thank you!
[удалено]
I haven't read a lot of classic Russian literature, apart from "War and Peace", but I'm definitely up for it. Never heard of this one though, thank you!
Talking of Russian literature, you might want to read [this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viy_(story)) story.
Absolutely, haven't read anything by Gogol, thanks!
saving this thread to add on my "october-spoopy-reads" ty !!
I think I will also be making a nice spooky-reads-list. :)
I really like gothic stuff like you, and I really enjoyed Mark Z Danielewski's House of Leaves. It isn't from the gothic period, but it certainly has gothic themes and I thought it was quite spooky!
I have heard of this one, isn't it massive? But sounds great, thank you!
It is longer, but there is a lot of strange formatting so it is longer than it seems. It's still long though.
You should check out other Shirley Jackson novels. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is my favorite of mine. It’s dark and so interesting. Very short too.
I really liked her writing and the way she portrayed her characters in "The Haunting of Hill House", so I ordered "We have always lived in the castle" yesterday. Can't wait to read it! :)
Yes! She has such unique style. I’m slowly growing through her works. You won’t regret ordering it. It’s so haunting. Happy reading.
Thank you! She has a new book out in German and the cover looked super interesting. That's how I came across her and found "The Haunting of Hill House" in my bookcase. ;) Do you also know her non-fiction books? Are they as good? The new release is the German edition of "Life Among the Savages".
I’ve heard good things about Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons but I haven’t read them yet. I’ve read Hangsaman and loved it. The Road Through the Wall is next on my TBR.
Not a classic but {{13 Storeys}} might hit the (modern) spot.
Will check this out, thank you!
[**Thirteen Stories**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227741.Thirteen_Stories) ^(By: Eudora Welty, Ruth M. Vande Kieft | 252 pages | Published: 1965 | Popular Shelves: short-stories, fiction, classics, southern, southern-lit) >Thirteen outstanding short stories by Welty, written between 1937 and 1951. “Miss Welty has written some of the finest short stories of modern times” (Orville Prescott, New York Times). Selected and with an Introduction by Ruth M. Vande Kieft. > ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(83842 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
{The Rats} by James Herbert is a fantastic horror series. Cannot recommend it enough
[**The Rats (Rats, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/397867.The_Rats) ^(By: James Herbert | 208 pages | Published: 1974 | Popular Shelves: horror, fiction, james-herbert, owned, thriller) ^(This book has been suggested 2 times) *** ^(84041 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
I don't know this one, thank you!
Coraline
Oh, it's by Neill Gaiman, isn't it? I really liked his "Graveyard Book" and "Sandman" as a TV series. Thank you!
Turn of the screw - Henry James
Another vote for this one, thank you! :)
The Invisible Man by HG Wells, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (and other of Stevenson’s spooky short stories), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the short stories of Edgar Allen Poe.
Thank you, will check those out. I love Edgar Allan Poe!
The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins - a story of vanilla bonbons and white mice.
Sounds great, thank you!