The British Library

Coming out of the subterraneous passage in King’s Cross station, we entered into the fantasy world of the British Library’s exhibition called ‘Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination’. After meeting our tour guide, we started by looking at images depicting the story considered to be the first in the Gothic literature genre, ‘The Castle of Otranto’. Left to explore the wonders behind the hidden corners of the exhibition, we had the opportunity to view original copies of many Gothic texts, including the first handwritten draft of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’, which featured amendments and annotations from Percy Shelley. We then used our booklets to identify the key features that influenced Gothic literature, including the likes of Shakespeare and the ‘Graveyard Poets’.

 

 

We proceeded to learn about the typical settings, characters and fear factors within the Gothic genre, as well as looking at the Gothic under different themes, for example ‘the divided self’ and ‘science’. As we continued through the exhibition, we noticed how it chronicled the development of Gothic literature over time, ranging from ‘The Castle of Otranto’ and ‘The Monk’ to ‘Twilight’. After thanking our tour guides and visiting the gift shop, we headed home. We all had a great time, not just from creeping up on our friends in the dark, but also because the trip was an insightful experience, which has provided us with a thorough grounding in the context behind Gothic literature.