 First edition | |
| Author | Robert Bloch |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Psychological horror |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
Publication date | 1974 |
| Media type | |
| Followed by | TBA |
American Gothic is a 1974 psychological horror novel by American writer Robert Bloch, a fictionalized portrayal of real life serial killer H. H. Holmes, who is renamed "G. Gordon Gregg" for the story. [1] [2]
Inspired by the case of real-life serial killer H. H. Holmes, the story follows maniacal surgeon G. Gordon Gregg, who preys on young beautiful women and, luring them into his labyrinthine castle, kills them, thus orchestrating the perfect series of crimes. However, an ambitious Chicago journalist called Crystal (last name never given) becomes suspicious of Gregg, a feeling made much more complicated by her attraction to him and vice versa. Crystal also must balance her own career with that of her fiancé, an insurance agent named Jim Frazer, and her boss Charlie Hogan, who is tolerant and kind and believes Crystal's story. Posing as the niece of one of Gregg's victims, Crystal finds employment with Gregg as his secretary, discovering over time damning clues as to Gregg's true nature. Hogan infiltrates the castle, finding Gregg's laboratory and the horrors within. There, Gregg ambushes him, knocking him unconscious. Meanwhile, Crystal also finds a secret entrance to the cellar and enters it. Gregg attacks Crystal, but she and Charlie Hogan hold him off. Hogan douses Gregg with acid; reeling, Gregg fatally impales himself on a scalpel. After Hogan and Crystal escape, they express feelings for one another, and as the castle burns down, the 1893 World's Fair is brought to its spectacular end. [3]
Bloch also wrote a 40,000-word essay based on his research for the novel, "Dr. Holmes' Murder Castle" (first published in Reader's Digest Tales of the Uncanny, 1977; since reprinted in Crimes and Punishments: The Lost Bloch, Vol. 3, 2002).
The Los Angeles Times praised American Gothic, calling it a "chip off the old Bloch". [4]
Warner Bros. purchased the film rights to the book. A live action feature film is in the works.
Robert Albert Bloch was an American fiction writer, primarily of crime, psychological horror and fantasy, much of which has been dramatized for radio, cinema and television. He also wrote a relatively small amount of science fiction. His writing career lasted 60 years, including more than 30 years in television and film. He began his professional writing career immediately after graduation, aged 17. Best known as the writer of Psycho (1959), the basis for the film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock, Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over 30 novels. He was a protégé of H. P. Lovecraft, who was the first to seriously encourage his talent. However, while he started emulating Lovecraft and his brand of cosmic horror, he later specialized in crime and horror stories working with a more psychological approach.
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