Welcome to our third annual FORTNIGHT OF FRIGHT event!
October 17th – October 31st, 2015
Thanks for checking out the THIRD annual edition of FORTNIGHT OF FRIGHT where Alyssa (Books Take You Places), Amy (Tripping Over Books), and I bring you two full weeks of Halloween-related posts! We’ve invited bloggers, authors, and book lovers alike to share their favorite things about Halloween and we feature a new person and post each day.
Today, Sabrina from Steakuccino is sharing some book recommendations! Check out her recs below for some short and spooky classics!
SPOOKY, SHORT CLASSICS FOR HALLOWEEN
It’s getting to be the spooky time of year and if you’re anything like me, I bet you’re looking for something a little spooky to read to match the atmosphere. If you are even more like me, you might be kind of a slow reader and therefore looking for something shorter that you’ll be able to read within the next two weeks or so leading up to Halloween. Have I got the thing for you! I’ve compiled a short list of equally short stories and books that I love and that happen to match the season!
Now, I really love to read classics and I am of the firm belief that classics can be for everybody. You’ve probably heard of these but you may not have had the chance to read them yet. I hope you’ll give them a chance and see what makes them so timeless!
Better yet, because they are all classics, they are all public domain and can be found on Project Gutenberg’s website for free! Let’s get to the books!
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Published in 1820 and written by Washington Irving, this fairly short story (about 100 pages depending on the publisher) tells the tale of Ichabod Crane, the schoolmaster of the small town of Tarrytown, New York. Ichabod wants to marry the lovely Katrina Van Tassel but he and the town are plagued by a terrible Headless Horseman. This one has inspired a lot of movie and television adaptations so you may feel like you already know the story. Why not read the legend that started them all?
The Cask of Amontillado: This short story by Edgar Allen Poe is a tale of envy and revenge. Our narrator, Montresor, meets Fortunato, a man he knows who has terribly insulted him, on the street. He then invites him back home to try some delicious amontillado wine but the offer is not all that it seems. *If you’d like to hear this read aloud, I made a video of it last Halloween!
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: This 1886 short book (about 140 pages) by Robert Louis Stevenson is a classic story of good versus evil. Kind and gentle Dr. Jekyll has created a secret potion which, to his horror, unleashes unspeakable evil upon the world in the form of Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll doesn’t know how to stop him! **Many abridged versions are available for middle grade readers.
The Adventure of the Speckled Band: This is a suspenseful locked room mystery featuring Sherlock Holmes. Sir Grimesby Roylott and his stepdaughter Helen live on the vast estate of Stoke Moran. Two years ago when she became engaged, Helen’s sister died mysteriously and not that Helen is engaged, she, too, fears for her life. Holmes is enlisted to help her discover the meaning of the strange things she has been experiencing.
Carmilla: This precursor to Dracula written by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu in 1872 contains absolutely lovely prose, overt lesbian subtext, and what we modern folks might consider some silliness. The ‘twist’ ending is really not at all unguessable but that doesn’t detract from how classically thrilling and really fun it is. If you wish Dracula read slightly more like Northanger Abbey, this is for you.
The Monkey’s Paw: This particular story has been told and retold in plenty of movies and tv shows like The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits and it remains superbly spine-chilling. The original is a tale of a gift that turns into a curse. The titular monkey’s paw grants the main characters three wishes but they come with horrible unexpected consequences.
The Haunted Hotel: Finally, if you’d like to read something a little longer (about 250 pages), you could check out The Haunted Hotel by Wilkie Collins. I don’t know much about it because this is what I’ll be reading this season and it’s a new one for me. It’s the story of, well. . . a haunted hotel. In Venice, there is a hotel supposedly haunted by the ghost of Lord Montberry. Mysterious things happen to the people staying there and foul play seems to be afoot. I don’t know about you, but I find that pretty creepifying and I’m definitely excited to learn more about The Haunted Hotel!
This list was compiled by Sabrina who has a booktube channel at Steakuccino and is trying her none-too-deft hand at sharing her book love blog-style at https://steakuccino.wordpress.com/
All pictures in this post were found on Goodreads and do not belong to the writer or poster.
1 thought on “Fortnight of Fright 2015 | Short, Spooky Classics (Sabrina from Steakuccino)”
What a great list! Perfect for Halloween 🙂 I haven’t read Sleepy Hallow but I want to and this is the perfect excuse! I’m pretty sure I read The Cask of Amontillado and The Monkey’s Paw in 7th grade, we did an Edgar Allen Poe unit. I didn’t realize Dr. Jekyll was so short! That would be another good one to read. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, the short stories in Tales of Beedle the Bard are great. There’s one pretty creepy one that I’m pretty sure was inspired by Poe!