ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Gothic fiction as a genre was first established with the publication of Horace Walpole’s dark, foreboding The Castle of Otranto in 1764. In the centuries since, gothic fiction has not only flourished, but also branched off into many popular subgenres.

Detailed explanation-2: -Generally regarded as the first Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto was first published in 1764.

Detailed explanation-3: -But where did Gothic literature originate? Throughout the 18th century, the phenomenon of the Gothic emerged and flourished across Britain. With its emphasis on suspense and the supernatural, terror and the macabre, the Gothic was heralded as a “medieval revival” that stood against the Enlightenment’s focus on reason.

Detailed explanation-4: -Horace Walpole (1717-1797) was an English writer and politician, who is mainly known for his short novel The Castle of Otranto (1764) which is considered the first example of the genre of the Gothic novel.

Detailed explanation-5: -The golden age of Gothic literature is roughly defined as beginning in the late 18th century up to the end of the 19th century, although its imprint can clearly be seen long past that timeframe leading into the modern horror genre in film, literature, comics, and more.