European Gothic

European Gothic: A Spirited Exchange 1760-1960 sets out to challenge the tyranny of the Anglo-American narratives that have dominated critical histories of the Gothic so far. It argues that the Gothic novel did not simply derive from The Castle of Otranto, but that it has been forged in the crucible of translation. Focussing on Gothic writing in English, French, German, Russian and Spanish, the collection charts a rich process of cross-fertilization and, in particular, examines the importance of Anglo-French exchanges in the development of the Gothic novel within Europe and, subsequently, the US.

The importance of translation and continental European writing on the development of the Gothic novel has largely been neglected by academia, argues Horner (English, Kingston U., UK). Her collection is organized to go beyond the accepted canon in its effort to situate Anglo-American writing within a European legacy; offer readings of less-known works from English, American, Russian, Spanish, French, and German writers; and to reconsider the influence of the Gothic on European "realism." Distributed by Palgrave. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Avril Horner is Professor of English and Director of the European Studies Research Institute at the University of Salford.