The nights are accompanied by a slight chill, the leaves are fading from summers green to a faint auburn, the closet turnovers are taking full effect and the sweaters are out to play. However, I am sure that anyone who loves reading as much as I do can attest that the coming of fall also means time for more books. As I consider myself an avid mood reader, my bookshelves seem to call to me more and more as the weather shifts.
Over the years, I have come across many novels that personify autumn so clearly that I can feel myself drifting in a sea of falling leaves. Of course if I were to list them all, we would be here until winter, which defeats the purpose of this little guide. Allow me to jumpstart your list with a few of my favorite classics that scream autumn.
The Secret History
If you are looking for the epitome of an autumn reading experience, Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History” will provide it. The novel falls into the genre of dark academia but is often referred to as a modern classic as well. I will warn you the writing is a bit pretentious, but the storyline makes it generally easy to follow.
The plot is narrated by a character named Richard Papen who recounts his time as a college student attending the elite Hampden College in Vermont. He divulges his involvement in the murder of a man named Bunny who was a member of Richard’s inner circle. The story consists of the group’s disheartening attempts to conceal their secret which ultimately costs them greatly.
This novel is the perfect mix of all things autumn in its ambiance; both its setting and plot speak to the nature of “spooky season.” The aura is vaguely reminiscent of the cult classic “Dead Poets Society,” a film adaptation of the dark academia genre.
Carmilla
If you are anything like me, then the chill in the autumn air calls for a good vampire story. “Carmilla,” a classic novel by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, was one of the first works of vampire fiction ever recorded as its publication in 1872 predates Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” by 25 years. The novel is a staple in the gothic romance genre and is widely known as the original vampire story.
The plot follows a wealthy girl named Laura who lives an extremely isolated life with her only companion being her ailing father. Laura thinks that her prayers have been answered when a carriage crashes near their property resulting in a woman named Carmilla needing to take up residence in her home. Laura is immediately hypnotized by Carmilla’s beauty and their friendship turns the corner of romance quickly.
Their romantic dalliance quickly turns obsessional as Laura begins to notice Carmilla’s volatile mood swings and strange nighttime disappearances. As Laura’s health takes a random decline and she is plagued by feverish nightmares, she and her father begin to realize that Carmilla might not be the picture of innocence that she presented.
In company with more modern sapphic vampire novels like “A Dowry of Blood” and “An Education in Malice” by S.T. Gibson, “Carmilla” is the perfect embodiment of autumn.
Frankenstein
“Frankenstein” is a cornerstone of gothic and science fiction literature and has been adapted many times in all forms of media. However, I believe the rendition of the story told by Mary Shelley is the most impactful. The story follows young scientist Victor Frankenstein, who grapples with his desire to have power over life and death by creating a monstrous creature out of human body parts.
The plot unfolds in the form of letters as Victor recounts his experience creating and dealing with the price of cheating death as his creation turns on him. The monsters mission throughout the novel is to torment Victor mercilessly. The novel deals with the dichotomy of monstrosity versus alienation and how they collide in unexpected ways.
As one of the primal additions to the gothic literature scene, “Frankenstein” corners the market as being an autumn necessity. If you are a reader who feels intimidated by classic novels but wants an introduction to the genre for the fall vibes, this story is a good place to start. It has an easy-to-understand storyline and the writing is far less ornate than that of other classics.
Honorable Mention: If We Were Villains
I have written about “If We Were Villains” in a previous article, and while it is not considered a classic, I thought it would be criminal not to include it. In my eyes, it is the perfect autumn read and one of my favorite books.
This dark academia novel by author M.L. Rio explores the thematic elements of friendship and betrayal through a group of students at the fictional Dellecher Classical Conservatory. The students study Shakespeare and as the lines between stage and reality blur, they find themselves in the midst of a bundle of irreparable mistakes. Former Dellecher student Oliver Marks recounts his time at the academy and the horrific events that occurred during his fourth year in which a murder was committed at the school, but no one knows how or by whom. The dichotomy between the students’ personalities on and off the stage turns deadly.
The novel’s eerie atmosphere accompanied by the backdrop of a murder mystery makes it the best book to kick off the “spooky season.” The book shares several plot elements with Donna Tart’s “The Secret History,” but reimagines it in a slightly less pretentious manner, so they are both worth a read.
The post Return to the Classics as an Autumn Reader first appeared on The Daily Utah Chronicle.