southern gothic recommendations

[beavington]

I love any books / tv set in the deep south, especially when theres a hint of the supernatural about it, and I've just discovered this is a genre! I had no idea!

Now that i know this, i realise there must be a LOT of books out there that I'm gonna love. Could anyone kindly give me some recommendations

[DuchessofMalfi]

Not sure about the supernatural bit but you might like Carson McCullers.

[whitecandles]

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

Anything by William Faulkener

[ArthurMcAffertyhastwocats]

Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor. About as southern Gothic as it comes!

[littleomar]

Carson McCullers
Truman Capote
The Little Friend

[littleomar]

Also Huckleberry Finn. Really!

[Ohwhatfuckeryisthis]

No supernatural, but Daniel Woodrell.
Yy to Wise Blood -epitome of SG.
John Connelly?

[Pussycatbow]

To Kill a Mocking Bird, Moby Dick. Edgar Alllan Poe is the king of American Gothic. Also Toni Morrison's Beloved.

[cdtaylornats]

If you haven't watched/read them - the TV series True Blood fits the bill and there are the books it came from Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.

Fat White Vampire Blues by Andrew Fox is a humourous take on the genre
www.goodreads.com/book/show/359495.Fat_White_Vampire_Blues

[CoteDAzur]

You are going to love the TV series True Detective. Don't even think about it, just watch it

And then, read the book The King In Yellow - it's not Southern Gothic but it's where all the Sarcosa, Yellow King etc references in True Detective come from.

[scarfaceace]

Anne Rice might fit the bill.

[beavington]

Ahhh thanks everyone. Shouldve included in my OP that ive read and watched the true blood / sookie stackhouse series. And true detective. Read to kill a mocking bird and got a truman capote book from the library when i discovered the southern gothic genre but i borrowed Summer Crossing which was set in New York so it didnt fit the bill really. I now know i need to read In Cold Blood

Ive got Huckleberry Finn on my to read list but I'm going on holiday soon and the front cover showing it as a Classic put me off a bit! I like to read Classics but I've gotta be in the mood really.

Gonna check out all these suggestions on library website

[efeslight]

Try poppy z brite, a new orleans writer i think, who writes quite sinister southern stories

[mrsdavidbowie]

Donald Rae Pollock..Knockemstiff

[CheBoludo]

This might seem strange but I'd definitely term Gillian Flynn's first 2 books as Southern Gothic.

Dark Places is the much stronger of the 2. Flynn really pushes the story, she goes further than most writers would - which for me is the gothic aspect, the almost melodrama.

I actually found Sharp objects too much when I read it, too dark, too melodramatic. But, if I had been reading it from a Gothic perspective, I think I might have been more forgiving of the melodrama. And I think Gone Girl's third act might make more sense if viewed as Southern Gothic. But YMMV.

[mmack]

Cheboludo, I think you might be on to something. I like Southern Gothic and I really enjoyed Dark Places and Gone Girl. On the other hand I wasn't impressed by The Girl on the Train or Apple Tree Yard or a lot of the other domestic thrillers that I've read recently. Dark Places definitely has an In Cold Blood vibe.
OP, Have you read the John Connolly Charlie Parker books? They are mainly set in Maine but are very dark and gothic. I'm a big fan of True Blood as well.

[TwinsetBeck]

James Lee Burke- Dave Robicheaux series

[SunnyBaudelaire]

Carson McCullers - the ballad of the sad cafe
William Faulkner - As I lay dying

[Ohwhatfuckeryisthis]

Yy to efes and Mrsdb. Knockemstiff is by my bed right now. Also (and don't know how gothic you deem them) but The Ballad of Sailor and Lula by Barry Gifford is excellent. It's tge basis of Wild at Heart (when Nic Cage was hot)
Also Joe Lansdale-Captains Courageous is a good start. Some of his stuff is shite though.

[EnormousDormouse]

It's 'true crime' not fiction but Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a fab evocation of Savannah.

[beavington]

Thanks everyone for the extra suggestions as Im trying to get my books from either the library or super cheap and not doing so well! I got Donna Tartts The Little Friend from the kindle 99p deal that was on another thread but no other suggestions have been in my library (which is usually not too bad!) will check these new ones out!

mmack no, heard of John Connolly but overlooked him. Not a fan of John Grisham and just lumped them together! I love a good book series, it makes getting your next book simple and stops that 'what am i going to do when i finish this' feeling

che thats interesting, i really liked the setting of Gone Girl in Missouri so will look into Flynns other books.

ohwhatfuckery nic cage was hot?! I must see Wild At Heart

[efeslight]

Yes, really enjoyed midnight in the garden of good and evil.

[OuchLegoHurts]

And the Ass saw the Angel by Nick Cave (the singer) is very unusual, and I think it fits your genre... Also Beloved by Toni Morrison is set in times of slavery in the deep South, and has touches of magic realism, it's a fantastic read

[CoteDAzur]

Ooh yes, Nick Cave's book And The Ass Saw The Angel is a great example of this genre!

[burblish]

I see Anne Rice has been mentioned - her Mayfair Witches books fit the genre. YY to Beloved by Toni Morrisson. You could also try Harry Crews, although less of the supernatural touch in his works.

[tripfiction]

Great Southern book = The Memory Thief by Rachel Keener set in South Carolina + mountains...