We love Halloween at OCLC. Some of us decorate our cubicles. Some of us dress in costume. All of us rejoice in the amazing resources represented in WorldCat that are often read at this time of year. In this post I share with you, my fellow bibliophiles and Gothic fiction fans, a few of my favorite resources available in WorldCat—hopefully at a library near you!
Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque
This two-volume collection of short stories contains “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Told by an unnamed narrator, this story describes a seemingly haunted house that splits into half after all the members of the Usher family die. The story is an exemplar of Gothic fiction and has been adapted multiple times as a film and television program. The 2023 limited series The Fall of the House of Usher, created by Mike Flanagan, is actually a loose adaptation of multiple Poe stories including “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “The Black Cat.” Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque also includes several lesser-known Poe stories such as “The Duc de L’Omelette.” Poe is best known for writing horror, but “The Duc de L’Omelette” is humorous. After dying from eating an ortolan, the Duc goes to hell and plays cards with Baal-Zebub, Prince of the Fly.
750 copies were printed in this 1850 publication of Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque. During the printing run, the typeset of volume 2, pages 213 and 219 loosened causing variations such as some copies having page 213 numbered as 231. Member libraries holding copies of this book include the Newberry Library, National Library of Scotland, and University of Sydney. Harvard University has inscribed by Poe on the front endleaf: “For Miss Anna and Miss Bessie Pedder, from their most sincere friend, The Author.”
Frankenstein
Its well-known that this novel is a result of a competition among Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Polidori, and Lord Byron. However, it less known among today’s readers that the first edition, published in 1818 lacked any statement of authorship. The preface was written by Mary’s husband, Percy, and the novel was dedicated to her father, the writer and philosopher William Goodwin. Some critics speculated that Percy Bysshe Shelley was the author, and others speculated that the author was a woman. While anonymous novels were not rare in this time period, the British Critic’s harsh review of Frankenstein reveals a contempt for female authorship that Shelley would have anticipated: “The write of it is, we understand, a female; this is an aggravation of that which is the prevailing fault of the novel; but if our authoress can forget the gentleness of her sex, it is no reason why we should; and we shall therefore dismiss the novel without further comment.” (For more information on anonymous authorship of this time, see the University of Minnesota Press blog.)
Many subsequent editions and adaptations as motion pictures, plays, musicals and comic books dispute the British Critic’s review. That journal ceased publication in 1843, but in what is probably the most recent publication of the novel, Dover Publications published Frankenstein in August 2024. The novel appeals to horror fans with its reanimated monster, but it has broad appeal for any reader who has ever felt like they don’t belong. Member libraries holding copies of the 1818 edition include the British Library and Smith College. The Library of Congress owns a copy and had digitized it for anyone who wants to read it freely online.
Varney the Vampire, or, The Feast of Blood
This horror story, generally attributed to James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Prest, was first published as a penny dreadful between 1845-1847. It was published as a book in 1847, but sadly I could not find any records in WorldCat for the 1847 print edition. (Catalogers if you are reading this and your library has a copy of this edition, please contribute your record to WorldCat!) We do have a record for a reprint of the 1847 edition with new prefatory matter, which I have provide the link for above. This is not a classic like Dracula or Frankenstein. In fact, it is more like the 19th-century version of the low-budget horror movie. The 1847 book was 232 chapters—847 pages with two columns of text on each page. This is because the author was paid by the typeset line. The protagonist is the vampire Frances Varney, and he is the first vampire described in fiction as having sharpened teeth. Perhaps Bram Stoker was inspired by Varney in his description of Dracula.
Whether you celebrate Halloween by Trick or Treating, watching a scary movie, reading a good novel, or attending a costume party, may you have a Happy Halloween!
Kate James is the Program Coordinator, Metadata Engagement, in OCLC Global Product Management. Her favorite RDA entity is Nomen, and her favorite LC class number is SF429.C3.