A handful of novels deserving of a spot on your bookshelf this season
By NATALIE SALTER—arts@theaggie.org
Autumn often feels like the perfect time to delve into your reading list. As the weather cools and classes swing back in full, it’s easy to feel like disappearing into a good book. An autumn evening in bed while it’s pouring rain outside, with a mug of tea in one hand and a new read in the other, is a joy that is hard to beat.
Finding a book that is perfectly befitting of autumn’s cozy nights and overcast skies can make those evenings feel even more special. These three novels are right at home in the middle of fall; each so exceptional that you’ll find yourself struggling to put them down.
“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë (1847)
An enriching and haunting tale of grief, generational trauma and the weight of the past, Emily Brontë’s stunning novel “Wuthering Heights” is a must-read for lovers of literature. Brontë spins a tale of unresolved agonies that tear their way into the present, as a new tenant finds himself unraveling the tangle of broken relationships that rose and fell between his own house and the estate on the nearby moors.
A masterwork of the gothic style, a sense of mourning clings to every page of “Wuthering Heights” like creeping fog on the moors. The tempestuous relationship between the headstrong Catherine and the sullen Heathcliff is threatened by external and internal forces alike; what is left unsaid between them echoes outwards and pulls the ones around them into their tragedy. Brontë writes with incredible force, decisively exploring how abuse and grief send ripples of pain into future generations through just a handful of characters.
Gothic novels are already best suited to being read in the colder, darker months of the year, and “Wuthering Heights” is so exceptional among them that it deserves top priority on your list for this autumn. Thrilling, tragic and ultimately, rather hopeful, “Wuthering Heights” is a stunning work of literature undeniably deserving of the title of “classic.”
“A Darker Shade of Magic” by V.E. Schwab (2015)
In the world of “A Darker Shade of Magic,” there is not one London, but four. There is our utterly unmagical Gray London, the vibrantly magical Red London, the hopeless White London and Black London, who no one has entered or left in an eternity. Kell is gifted with blood magic, allowing him to traverse between these Londons as a messenger for Red London’s royalty. In secret, he collects keepsakes from the other Londons, a forbidden habit that threatens to shatter his life when he accidentally comes to possess a dangerous Black London artifact.
An exceptional story of magic and its costs, the novel’s fascinating setting and rich narrative style will immerse you completely from the very first page. The novel’s characters — the introspective yet courageous Kell, the bold Grey London cutpurse Lila, the mirthful Red London prince Rhy — are so complex and lively that they practically burst off of the page. And the mystery that Schwab creates will leave you furiously turning pages.
“A Darker Shade of Magic” is completely unlike anything else in the fantasy genre, and its magical mysteries make it a wonderful fit for your autumn reading list. Further, it’s the first in a trilogy, meaning that the enchantment doesn’t end here — you’re promised even more nights spent tearing through pages until the series’ very end.
“The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson (1959)
October is the best time of the year for indulging in what frightens you, and scary stories have long held an important place during the month. Ghosts and haunted houses, one of the most iconic bits of horror iconography, are a particularly fascinating way to both thrill readers and explore narratives of loss and unresolved pain.
Enter Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House,” a short yet memorable story about a mysterious estate and the brave residents who offer to investigate its secrets. The shy narrator Eleanor volunteers to stay in the house as an escape from the mundane misery of her life, and finds herself shockingly integral to the hauntings that occur there. This bone-chilling mystery unravels in increasingly strange and otherworldly ways throughout the novel’s pages.
In many ways, Jackson’s novel is a classic ghost story, with paranormal encounters aplenty, but it is equally so an enrapturing tale of personal relationships and self-discovery. The novel’s characters are as lively as the house is frightening, and their internal conflicts are just as fascinating as their external encounters. It’s an unexpectedly moving story, and just spooky enough to be best read in the middle of autumn’s darkest month.
Though these three are standouts, the other entries from the genres they belong to are just as perfect for autumn. If you enjoy “Wuthering Heights,” exploring gothic literature may be worth your while; if “A Darker Shade of Magic” strikes your fancy, fantasy is always a wonderful choice for the colder months; and just like “The Haunting of Hill House,” scary stories are always best read in October. Don’t be afraid to expand your horizons beyond your usual genre selections — you may find a book that you’ll cherish long after the season has ended.
Written by: Natalie Salter—arts@theaggie.org
