Inheritance

Gothic fiction is a literary genre characterized by a combination of horror, romance, and mystery, often set against a backdrop of imposing settings like crumbling mansions, ancient castles, or other foreboding locales. The genre typically explores themes such as family curses, supernatural occurrences, psychological torment, and the blurred lines between reality and the paranormal. Iconic examples of Gothic fiction include Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic, and Toni Morrison’s Beloved. These works share familiar tropes: dark and stormy settings, isolated protagonists, and an overarching sense of dread or impending doom.

Roberts’s Inheritance largely aligns with the conventions of Gothic fiction, particularly through its atmospheric setting, supernatural elements, and central focus on an ominous family legacy. The story’s primary location, the aptly named “Lost Bride Manor,” also exemplifies the traditional Gothic setting. With its dark history of seven cursed brides, the manor exudes an air of menace while simultaneously captivating its new owner, Sonya MacTavish. Its grand yet eerie architecture and mysterious paranormal occurrences combine with its symbolic status as a repository of generational trauma to reinforce the Gothic aesthetic.