Books to Read During Halloween

Halloween is fast approaching and you may be in need of something to read. This usually is the time of the year to pick up some horror books. But, as I haven’t read that many books from that genre, I decided to list some of those that I consider appropriate for this time of the year instead of choosing favourites. The books mentioned below all feature either dark, twisted or spooky elements, which are intended to leave the reader feeling uneasy.

 

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Even if you have never read Frankenstein, you may be familiar with the story it tells. Victor Frankenstein manages to animate lifeless matter, but the creature born of that experiment is nothing like what he expected. This is a book about how a creator deals with the destructive actions of his creation.

 

The Dumb House by John Burnside  

A dark story is conveyed using beautifully crafted prose in The Dumb House. The main character, Luke, is obsessed with the issue of life and death, the existence of a soul, and questions if language is either learnt or innate. This leads him to a twisted experiment performed on his own children.

 

Tinder by Sally Gardner

A retelling of The Tinderbox, a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, Tinder tells the story of Otto Hundebiss, who embarks on an adventure full of dark magic, werewolves, violence, blood, dreams, nightmares and also love. The book is exquisitely illustrated in black, white and red by David Roberts.

 

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Afraid of losing his beauty, Dorian Gray sells his soul to make sure that he will not grow old and will keep his attractive appearance throughout the years. It’s a picture of him that ages and decays instead. He then starts leading a libertine lifestyle, which will have a tragic outcome. This is an almost perfect classic and one of my favourites.

 

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

I have read Perfume quite a few years ago and don’t remember the story in detail. But what impressed me the most was how easy it was to picture the scenes. It tells the tale of the orphan Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, who had an exquisite sense of smell, but who was also immoral and arrogant. His desire to create a perfume with the scent of a young girl leads him through a dark path.

 

I’m currently reading Dracula by Bram Stoker, a classic quite appropriate for this time of the year. Which books do you recommend reading during Halloween? Tell me in the comments!