Where to begin with the Southern Gothic

There are few styles of genres more evocative, more well defined, and more influential than the Southern Gothic. This list is a small primer on where we think you should begin with this classic canon. Even the mere mention of the phrase conjures up a strong image, a small town in the south besieged by the heat of summer and occasional downpours, a lingering aura of death, and a group of people struggling with faith, identity, morality, and more existential concerns. These works all embody the best traits of the southern gothic, as well as some of the best writing to grace any form.

Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor

This classic novel, centered around a returning World War Two veteran, was actually built from a series of disparate stories that O’Connor had published in various magazines. What she produced through, was undoubtedly a 20th century classic. With its rich and complex characters, shrewd deployment of black humor, and incredibly complex rendering of the dichotomy and absurdity of sin and redemption.

As I Lay, Dying by William Faulkner

In truth, this entire list could have been comprised of nothing but Faulkner works, such was the definitive nature of his take on the genre. But, this is for the stand out amongst standouts. Told from 15 separate viewpoints in Faulkner’s trademark modernist stream of consciousness prose, this examination of grief, family, and the rural south is one of the most beautifully written, evocatively rendered portraits of life anywhere, in any book.

If you want to acquaint yourself with these classic works, or simply browse from a wide selection of classic books. Head over to www.viewtale.com where you can find a tremendous selection of eBooks and audiobooks.

Interesting Facts About Bram Stoker

Bram Stoker’s Dracula set the standard when it comes to the interpretation of the modern vampire, which in at least some way served as inspiration for such meg hits as Twilight and Interview with the Vampire. Here are three interesting facts about Bram Stoker that you may not have know.

He’s never been to Transylvania. Although the story of Dracula is loosely based in Romanian history as well as folklore, and although Stoker’s Dracula is partially set in Transylvania, a mountainous region in central Romania, Stoker, an Irish author, had never in fact visited Romania or any other part of Eastern Europe.

He once fought with Oscar Wilde over a woman. Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker were college friends, both having attended Trinity College in Dublin. That is, until Stoker decided to marry Florence Balcombe, Oscar Wilde’s childhood sweetheart. The two managed to settle the feud and remained friends, however, and Stoker would later travel to visit Wilde while he was living in France.

You need an escort to see his ashes. Bram Stoker died on April 20, 1912, although accounts of the cause of death remained varied, perhaps due to attempts to conceal the fact that he suffered from syphilis. Stoker was cremated, and his ashes were held for viewing at the Golders Green Crematorium, the first crematorium in London, where they remain today. His ashes can be viewed by the public, but only with an escort.

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