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Frankenstein
You know that pale green, square-headed, blood-drooling, zombie-like monster you always see at Halloween? Well, his name isn't Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein is actually the brilliant Swiss scientist who creates the creepy creature. But when you read the book, ask yourself: who is the real monster?

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The classic tale of a well-respected man who, upon drinking a strange brew in the evening, turns into a different person and goes crazy all night.

The Turn of the Screw
If you're a fan of The Shining, The Omen, Children of the Corn, The Sixth Sense, or The Others, you'll be glad to know that this story gave rise to the Creepy Children genre. Published in 1898, it tells about a nanny who may be the victim of a haunting. Or, she might be a deranged murderer. OR, the kids might just be two royal pains in the ass. You decide.

The Tell-Tale Heart
Edgar Allen Poe could spin a scary story like nobody's business. This tale is a psychological masterpiece about the meticulous process of killing an old man.

The Red Room
The Gothic counterpart to Cream's "The White Room," only with more ghosts and fewer lava lamps.

The Picture of Dorian Gray
If you think the photo albums tucked away in your attic are incriminating, get a load of this guy. Dorian Gray sells his soul to Satan so that over time, his portrait ages while he remains young and beautiful and oh-so very wicked. In a very Voldemort-ey turn of events, however, he discovers that if you put your life force into an object, you might want to keep an eye on it.

Shmoop Poetry


"The Raven"
The classic tale of a lonely man whose imagination runs wild when a raven flies into his house. (Quoth the reader: Shut the door!!)

"Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
Speaking of birds that will scare the crap out of you, the "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is a complicated poem about a sailor that endures the wrath of the sea by shooting his ship's good-luck albatross. Time to re-think that B.B. gun.

"My Last Duchess"
Buckle up for a wild ride as this unnamed Duke shows you the portrait of his former Duchess, who got the axe - probably literally - for "smiling" too much. And you thought modern art was scary.

"Porphyria's Lover"
Here's another one for the ladies. This poem is about a man who strangles his lover with her own hair and then spends the night admiring her corpse. The fact that it is written in the first person gives it that extra something, so be sure to read it to your friends.

Shmoop Bestsellers


Twilight
The first in the hit series of about high school, first love, and vampirism? Upon arriving at a new school, Bella Swan meets the mysterious Edward Cullen, who's gorgeous, freakishly strong, and happens to be a vampire. A forbidden (and logistically-problematic) relationship ensues. Think Romeo and Juliet, except one of them's already dead and drinks blood.

New Moon
In Book Two of the Twilight series, Edward mysteriously dumps Bella, leaving us to agonize over the will-he's and won't-she's of what could be called teen love (if it weren't for the fact that Edward is a century years old).