As a genre, the Gothic has always been characterised by its eclecticism and fluidity. As Anthony Mandal, one contributor to this new publication in the Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Literature series points out, the mode engages religion, myth, science, philosophy, art and music as well as literary texts. Not only that, but the very meaning of the term “Gothic” has been critically contested and has evolved and diversified, so that, as Hughes, Punter and Smith admit in their introduction, any endeavour at organization into an encyclopedia must remain a highly provisional one. This book is the first attempt at a comprehensive coverage since the Encyclopedia of Gothic Literature (Snodgrass, 2004), which, the editors argue, did not include the “diverse range of subjects and national contexts” discussed here. This is a bold claim, but one validated, mostly, by the new work's sheer size and impressive range.
The three editors, all leading Gothic specialists at universities in the UK, set out their own aims clearly and economically in their brief introductory essay. This will be a useful start for readers already acquainted with the genre, although a chronology would have helped contextualise the subject for those completely new to it. Anyway, the introduction summarises developments in criticism of Gothic, from Dorothy Scarborough's The Supernatural in Modern English Fiction (Scarborough, 1917), through to current theoretical approaches in fields like postcolonial and postmodern studies. It then introduces the main themes of the Encyclopedia: the periods, geographical contexts, key people, media and media products which have been identified as having contributed to the Gothic genre. To this end, the editors have marshalled contributions from a truly international cohort of over 140 contributors. As expected, these are mostly established academics, but work from a number of graduate students is also included. Geographical coverage of the subject extends accordingly, beyond the familiar Anglo-American canon, to include Dutch, French, German, Irish, Russian, Scandinavian, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Gothic. There are even overviews of the genre in Japan and (east) Asia. Significant regional literatures such as New England Gothic are also accorded recognition.
In terms of its organization the Encyclopedia looks impressively structured. There is a contents list in each volume and the 244 separate A to Z entries, from Abjection to Zombies, are presented in two column-page format. Titles of entries are given in larger, bold font, aiding browsing and quick reference. Essays' word-length varies according to complexity of the topic, with an average of 5,000 words for period surveys such as Gothic, 1900 to 1950, and shorter, one to three thousand word essays for authors or topics like Blood or Curse. Almost all of the entries conclude with or include cross-references to other entries in the body of the text, a list of references and suggested further reading. Cross-referencing is, for the most part, quite thorough, although this writer noted omission of such for Dennis Wheatley from the entry on William Harrison Ainsworth, even though Wheatley is listed amongst those Ainsworth influenced and has himself been accorded an essay here. The bibliographies for some of the American entries, particularly American Gothic by Charles L. Crow and Charles Brockden Brown (Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock), are particularly extensive and impressive. The exception is Nema Montezero's piece on Future Gothic, a purely speculative piece which contains no references at all.
In terms of coverage, it is gratifying to see Gothic architecture and its revival paid due attention to in excellent entries by James Steven Curl, and some less familiar personalities like the publisher Anne Lemoine and writer Sarah Williamson included. Elsewhere however, the book is marred a little by some surprising errors, inconsistencies and omissions. Mason Verger is a character in Thomas Harris's novel Hannibal, not his Hannibal Rising. The Alien film series is actually a quartet and not a “trilogy”, as Gina Wisker states in her piece on Horror Fiction. More vigorous proofreading would have detected such infelicities. The actor Bela Lugosi is accorded a brief entry, but not Boris Karloff or the great post-War trio of horror actors, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee or Vincent Price. There is no essay here on the Brönte sisters, although they are referenced frequently. Most strikingly, there is no entry on either of the seminal horror films Psycho (1960) or The Exorcist (1973). While John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) is a legitimate inclusion here, one could question why Sean S. Cunningham's Friday the 13th (1980), a slightly later but similarly low-budget high-grossing “slasher movie”, also merits a separate essay, while these two earlier, and, arguably, far more historically and culturally significant, films have not. The book's coverage of Anglophone cinema looks somewhat randomised and limited, and is its least impressive aspect.
The Encyclopedia concludes with a substantial 80-page index. This is both clear and quite comprehensive. Page numbers are given in bold for essay-entries, and major literary works, films, television shows and game titles are listed in italics at the end of entries for authors or directors. There is differentiation in the listing between media, for example Addams Family (Film) and Addams Family (TV Series), and, as with the direction under homosexuality, “see also lesbian Gothic, queer Gothic”, good cross-referencing throughout.
Hughes, Punter and Smith state that this printed edition will not be the last word on the topic, and that the online version will include updates. This is to be welcomed. This book is a substantial achievement, and the above criticisms are not meant to be picky. However, the obvious academic pedigree and ambition on show, and the high price – for a work without illustrations – do raise expectations. The Encyclopedia will be beyond the reach of most casual readers and students, financially. However, it is an essential addition for humanities libraries, particularly those with researchers active in Gothic. One would just like to have seen some obvious choices included and not missed.
