Books › Queer Others in Victorian Gothic
Queer Others in Victorian Gothic
Transgressing Monstrosity
212 pages
An intellectual descent into the shadowy margins of nineteenth-century literature, where monsters become the ultimate vehicle for queer expression.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a dimly lit Victorian study to dissect the hidden truths of classic horror. The pace is steady and contemplative, driven by scholarly rigor rather than narrative suspense. It immerses the reader in an intellectual and shadowy mood, peeling back the layers of nineteenth-century gothic fiction to reveal how writers used monstrosity as a subversive safe space. The prose is analytical and theoretically grounded, carefully tracing the intersections of sexuality, gender, class, and race through the works of authors like Wilkie Collins and Vernon Lee. It is a deeply insightful experience tailored for readers who delight in queer theory, literary criticism, and uncovering the transgressive secrets buried within the gothic revival.
- Mood
- intellectual
- shadowy
- contemplative
- Tone
- analytical
- scholarly
- insightful
- critical
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- queer subtext in horror · transgression of social norms · intersectionality of identity · the monstrous as a safe space
- The writing
- Academic and theoretically grounded, carefully tracing complex literary histories.
- The arc
- A journey from recognizing historical taboos to uncovering the liberating potential hidden within monstrous narratives.
- Who it's for
- Scholars and enthusiasts of Victorian literature, queer theory, and gothic horror who love dissecting the subtext of classic monsters.
Content notes
- discussions of homophobia
- discussions of racism
- discussions of classism
About the book
Applying theory to literary history and to the present, Queer Others in Victorian Gothic: Transgressing Monstrosity explores intersections in nineteenth-century British representations of sexuality, gender, class and race. From such mid-century authors as Wilkie Collins, Elizabeth Gaskell and J. Sheridan Le Fanu to the fin-de-siècle writers Florence Marryat and Vernon Lee, this study examines how Victorian writers utilized gothic horror as a proverbial 'safe space' in which to grapple with taboo social and cultural issues, and considers also the continuities in our current assumptions of an age that was monolithic in its disdain for those who were 'other'. Ardel Haefele-Thomas is a Victorian and Queer Studies scholar who currently holds the position of Chair of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies at City College of San Francisco.
Description from Open Library.
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