Originally published in print November 2022.
Illustration by Linde Vergeylen
For me, autumn is the season for reading. The academic year has started. I’m feeling motivated, maybe I’ve even bought a bullet journal. I’m attending all my lectures, wearing sweaters, drinking coffee, and feeling like Rory Gilmore. This mood naturally lends itself to reading more and trying to embrace the season as much as possible in my reading. Some books just scream autumn. This might be because they are set during the season, or because they capture some of the vibes associated with autumn and Halloween.
Autumn is a versatile season and there are a few genres of books I associate with it. There are spooky and scary horror novels that remind me of Halloween and are best read during October. Then, we have the gothic novel; full of gloomy weather, angst, a fixation on decay, with supernatural beings, haunted settings, and the tropes we now recognise in horror novels. There’s something so melancholic about autumn in how the sun has just left us, the trees have lost their leaves and the winds rise, making gothic novels the obvious way to embrace the season.
The main event in autumn is, of course, Halloween. Naturally, the season with a holiday dedicated to all things scary is the best time to read a good horror novel or anything supernatural related. I always make an effort to read more horror novels during October as horror isn’t a genre I usually read, and the Halloween holiday gives me an excuse to branch out. Some of the horror novels which encapsulate autumn the most for me include:
Pet Sematary by Stephen King
This is one of Stephen King’s best works, and its theme of decay relates to the autumnal vibes . Obviously, during autumn, leaves fall off trees, and flowers that bloom in summer begin to wither and die. Therefore anything with themes of death or decay is associated with autumn in my mind. Our protagonist Louis moves with his wife and two children to rural Maine. With the help of his neighbour Judd, he discovers a mysterious burial ground that resurrects dead creatures . It is creepy and dark, a book you want to read with your back to a wall so you know no one is behind you. Featuring cats, death, and creepy cemeteries, it makes a perfect read around Halloween time.
The Collector by John Fowles
This is a classic horror novel that doesn’t involve the supernatural: just plain human cruelty. Shy and withdrawn Frederick collects butterflies because he is enamoured with their beauty. He meets a woman named Miranda who he also finds beautiful – so he decides to collect her too. This novel takes place during autumn, as Frederick kidnaps Miranda on October 7th. Being a horror novel set in October, it screams perfect autumn reading.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Frankenstein is part gothic novel, part horror, and part science fiction. You’re probably familiar with the plot – Victor Frankenstein, a young mad scientist creates a monster out of old body parts. After creating this life, he rejects it and runs away due to its monstrosity, setting off a horrifying chain of events. I read this for the first time last October, and it is now one of my quintessential autumn reads that I would come back to any year. It is not only a gripping horror story but also an exploration of parental rejection and how evil can grow in a person who has been terribly wronged.
Gothic novels, characterised by gloomy settings and dark themes, capture the dark aspects of autumn perfectly and make for excellent reading on a cold November night. In particular, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier come to mind. Other gothic novels like The Haunting of Hill House, The Picture of Dorian Grey, Wuthering Heights and The Phantom of The Opera can also be best enjoyed with a sombre autumn backdrop.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Jane Eyre is perhaps the most iconic gothic romance novel. Jane, our headstrong protagonist, goes to work at Thornfield Hall where she meets Rochester and their romance begins. Apart from this romance, there are also very strange things happening at Thornfield Hall, and our broody Byronic hero Rochester is at its centre. The book begins in Autumn, on a ‘dreary November day’ when Jane is a child and she arrives at Thornfield on a ‘fine autumn morning’ Most of the main events of the novel take place in autumn and it is saturated with the gothic style throughout, making it a quintessential autumn read for me.
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Rebecca is an atypical haunted house story. We follow our young unnamed protagonist as she marries and moves into the house of Maxim De Winter, a charming and brooding widow. Rebecca was his first wife who died in mysterious circumstances less than a year ago. There is nothing supernatural in this book, but every page is haunted by Rebecca’s ghost. The whole manor seems to belong to her still. The fixation on death, the bleak setting, and the engrossing mystery at the heart of this tale make it perfect autumn reading.
Cosier autumnal alternatives
Autumn is not all darkness and gloom. It’s also the season of productivity, coffee, pumpkins, starting to wear jumpers again, apple pie, acorns, and many other lovely things. When I’m not looking for something quite as macabre as horror and Gothic novels, I gravitate to these cosier autumn reads. These novels deal with university life or are set during autumn and encapsulate the warmer and sweeter side of Autumn.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
This book’s association with autumn is mostly due to the setting. Autumn is the beginning of the academic year, and for me, is a time when I feel most productive and happy at university. Normal People tells the story of Connell and Marianne, who met in secondary school, and how their connection with each other matures and changes over their four years at Trinity. The book takes full advantage of the setting and mostly revolves around college life, reminding me of that productive beginning of September feeling. It is the perfect book to read just after heading back to college after summer so that you can romanticise your life a bit.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
In 1946, Claire Randall and her husband Frank go on a second honeymoon to the Scottish highlands to reconnect after spending so much time apart during the war. After witnessing a Samhain ritual at the local standing stones, Claire is transported back to 1746. There she meets a charming young man named Jamie Fraser. It is part historical drama, part romance, and part fantasy. The autumnal association is that the event which sends Claire back to the past is the Samhain (also known as Halloween) ritual. Besides that, the setting of the Scottish Highlands allows for many lush descriptions of nature. The blend of genres and the beautiful romance at the centre makes it a perfect book to escape into as the temperatures drop.
The Once And Future Witches by Alix E Harrow
This is a book about witches, but not the scary Halloween kind. In this world, witches were once powerful and numerous before the burnings began. Years later, in 1893 they only exist in rumours. That is, until three estranged sisters join the suffrage movement and start to pursue witchcraft and delve into the old magic to help the cause. By focusing on witches, it taps into the supernatural and Halloween aspects of autumn without being a horror novel.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Weirdly enough, this might be the book which most encapsulates Autumn on this list. The bleak setting of the gloomiest city in the US, the romance, the vampires, a broody Byronic hero, taking place in high school and starting in September, an apple on the cover? There is no other season that could be associated with Twilight, it is so steeped in everything autumnal. With romance and vampires, it is perfect cosy escapism – a Halloween staple.
Whether you love Autumn for Halloween, its glum nature and dreary weather, feeling productive in September or just drinking coffee and getting cosy with a light read – there’s an autumnal read out there to fit any vibe.
