哥特小说，属于英语文学派别，是西方通俗 文学中惊险神秘小说的一种。一般被认为随 着霍勒斯· 沃波尔的《奥特兰托城堡》而产生。 哥特小说可以说是恐怖电影的鼻祖，更重要 的是，它使我们今天习惯地将哥特式与黑暗、 恐怖联系在一起。 显著的哥特小说元素包括 恐怖，神秘，超自然，厄运，死亡，颓废， 住着幽灵的老房子，癫狂，家族诅咒等。
Gothic novel as one branch of the English literature and the father of horror movies origins from The Castle of Otranto(1764). More importantly, it leads habitually with darkness and horror. Gothic elements include horror, mystery, supernatural phenomenon, misfortune, death, haunted houses, and family curses.
4. Omens, portents, visions（预兆）. A character may have a disturbing dream vision, or some phenomenon may be seen as a portent of coming events. For example, if the statue of the lord of the manor falls over, it may portend his death. In modern fiction, a character might see something (a shadowy figure stabbing another shadowy figure) and think that it was a dream. This might be thought of as an "imitation vision."
2. An atmosphere of mystery and suspense （悬念）. The work is pervaded by a threatening feeling, a fear enhanced by the unknown. Often the plot itself is built around a mystery, such as unknown parentage, a disappearance, or some other inexplicable event. Elements 3, 4, and 5 below contribute to this atmosphere. (Again, in modern filmmaking, the inexplicable events are often murders.)
6. High, even overwrought（过度紧张） emotion. The narration may be highly sentimental, and the characters are often overcome by anger, sorrow, surprise, and especially, terror. Characters suffer from raw nerves and a feeling of impending doom. Crying and emotional speeches are frequent. Breathlessness and panic are common. In the filmed gothic, screaming is common.
作品
The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole （《奥 特朗托堡》，霍拉斯· 瓦尔波尔） The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Ann Radcliffe （《乌尔多芙的秘密》，又译《乌尔多芙的神秘》，安· 拉德克里 夫） Caleb Williams (1794) by William Godwin Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley (Full text at Wikisource) （《弗兰肯斯坦》，又译《活跳尸》《科学怪人》， 玛丽· 雪莱） The Vampyre (1819) by John William Polidori （《吸血 鬼》，约翰· 威廉姆· 坡利多里） The Fall of the House of Usher (1839) by Edgar Allan Poe (Full text at Wikisource) （《厄舍府的倒塌》，埃德 加· 爱伦· 坡） The Tell-Tale Heart (1843) by Edgar Allan Poe (Full text at Wikisource) （《泄密的心》，埃德加· 爱伦· 坡）
7. Women in distress（危险，困难）. As an appeal to the pathos and sympathy of the reader, the female characters often face events that leave them fainting, terrified, screaming, and/or sobbing. A lonely, pensive, and oppressed heroine is often the central figure of the novel, so her sufferings are even more pronounced and the focus of attention. The women suffer all the more because they are often abandoned, left alone (either on purpose or by accident), and have no protector at times.
9. The metonymy（转喻） of gloom（阴暗， 忧郁） and horror（恐惧）. Metonymy is a subtype of metaphor, in which something (like rain) is used to stand for something else (like sorrow). For example, the film industry likes to use metonymy as a quick shorthand, so we often notice that it is raining in funeral scenes. Note that the following metonymies for "doom and gloom" all suggest some element of mystery, danger, or the supernatural.
Gothic elements include the following:
1. Setting in a castle. The action takes place in and around an old castle, sometimes seemingly abandoned, sometimes occupied. The castle often contains secret passages, trap doors, secret rooms, dark or hidden staircases, and possibly ruined sections. The castle may be near or connected to caves, which lend their own haunting flavor with their branchings, claustrophobia, and mystery.
3. An ancient prophecy（预言） is
connected with the castle or its inhabitants (either former or present). The
prophecy is usually obscure, partial, or confusing. "What could it mean?" In more watered down modern examples, this may amount to merely a legend: "It's said that the ghost of old man Krebs still wanders these halls."
8. Women threatened by a powerful,
impulsive（冲动）, tyrannical（专横） male.
One or more male characters has the power, as king, lord of the manor, father, or guardian, to demand that one or more of the female characters do something intolerable. The woman may be commanded to marry someone she does not love (it may even be the powerful male himself), or commit a crime.
5. Supernatural（超自然的） or otherwise inexplicable（莫名其妙的） events. Dramatic, amazing events occur, such as ghosts or giants walking, or inanimate objects (such as a suit of armor or painting) coming to life. In some works, the events are ultimately given a natural explanation, while in others the events are truly l.