Gothic
Read Gothic Classics in English
18 gothic books at CEFR A2 to C2 — learn English by reading the stories worth reading. Select any word for an instant translation, listen to the narration read the page aloud, and save the vocabulary you meet. Pick your level and start with a free sample.
What are the best gothic classics to read in English as a learner?
The best gothic classics for English learners are the well-known titles you can read in the original — start with Andersen's Fairy Tales, Dracula and English Fairy Tales. Each one is labelled with a CEFR level, any word you do not know is one selection away from a translation, and the narration reads the page aloud while it highlights the words.
- 18
- books
| Title | Chapters | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Andersen's Fairy Tales | 18 | A2 |
| Dracula | 27 | C1 |
| English Fairy Tales | 43 | A2 |
| Frankenstein | 28 | B2 |
| Grimms' Fairy Tales | 62 | A2 |
| Jane Eyre: An Autobiography | 38 | C1 |
| Lady Audley's Secret | 41 | C1 |
| The Blue Fairy Book | 37 | B1 |
| The King in Yellow | 29 | C1 |
| The Monk: A Romance | 12 | C1 |
| The Mysteries of Udolpho | 57 | C1 |
| The Phantom of the Opera | 26 | B2 |
| The Picture of Dorian Gray | 20 | C1 |
| The String of Pearls; Or, The Barber of Fleet Street. A Domestic Romance. | 177 | B2 |
| The Turn of the Screw | 24 | C2 |
| The Woman in White | 53 | C1 |
| Undine | 10 | B2 |
| Wuthering Heights | 34 | C1 |
Level A2Children'sAndersen's Fairy TalesEighteen timeless tales including The Emperor's New Clothes, The Snow Queen, and The Little Match Girl.
Level C1HorrorDraculaLetters and journals trace a vampire's voyage from the Carpathians to London.
Level A2Children'sEnglish Fairy TalesClassic English folk tales collected by Joseph Jacobs — Jack and the Beanstalk, Tom Tit Tot, The Three Little Pigs and more.
Level B2HorrorFrankensteinA young scientist builds a living being from death — and abandons what he makes.
Level A2Children'sGrimms' Fairy TalesSixty-two beloved folk tales — from Hansel and Gretel to Rumpelstiltskin — retold in simple English.
Level C1RomanceJane Eyre: An AutobiographyThe classic romance novel by Charlotte Brontë.
Level C1MysteryLady Audley's SecretThe classic mystery novel by M.
Level B1Children'sThe Blue Fairy BookAndrew Lang's celebrated anthology gathering favourite fairy tales from around the world — Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and many more.
Level C1HorrorThe King in YellowThe classic mystery novel by Robert W.
Level C1HorrorThe Monk: A RomanceThe classic horror novel by M.
Level C1GothicThe Mysteries of UdolphoThe classic mystery novel by Ann Ward Radcliffe.
Level B2GothicThe Phantom of the OperaThe classic mystery novel by Gaston Leroux.
Level C1GothicThe Picture of Dorian GrayA portrait ages while its beautiful owner does not — Wilde’s only novel.
Level B2HorrorThe String of Pearls; Or, The Barber of Fleet Street. A Domestic Romance.The classic mystery novel by Thomas Peckett Prest.
Level C2GothicThe Turn of the ScrewThe classic mystery novel by Henry James.
Level C1MysteryThe Woman in WhiteThe classic mystery novel by Wilkie Collins.
Level B2FantasyUndineThe classic romance novel by Friedrich Heinrich Karl, Freiherr de La Motte-Fouqué.
Level C1GothicWuthering HeightsThe classic gothic novel by Emily Brontë.