Gothic Tourism - (Palgrave Gothic) by Emma McEvoy (Paperback)

About the Book

"From Strawberry Hill to The Dungeons, Alton Towers to Barnageddon, Gothic tourism is a fascinating, and sometimes controversial area. Looking at Fonthill Abbey, phantasmagoria shows, the Gothic design of 18th-century duchess, Elizabeth Percy, at Alnwick Castle, and the oeuvre of Horace Walpole, Gothic Tourism considers the origins of Gothic tourism, and Gothic itself as a touristic mode. It covers the Chamber of Horrors and looks at Madame Tussaud's, past and present, discussing waxworks as objects of horror and the uncanny, and the phenomenon of the Gothic museum. It also looks at the Berry Pomeroy Castle and considers the processes by which, over 230 years, the building acquired its haunted reputation. Ghost walks, prison museums, Severs' House, scare attractions, the Necrobus and a poison garden provide the opportunity to discuss Gothic tourism's relationships with literature, film, folklore, heritage management, arts programming, and the 'edutainment' business"--

Book Synopsis

From Strawberry Hill to The Dungeons, Alnwick Castle to Barnageddon, Gothic tourism is a fascinating, and sometimes controversial, area. This lively study considers Gothic tourism's aesthetics and origins, as well as its relationship with literature, film, folklore, heritage management, arts programming and the 'edutainment' business.

Review Quotes

"This excellent book outlines a new and important field of study, offers convincing conclusions and invites Gothic scholars to go beyond the bounds of the book and explore the rich and diverse experiences offered by Gothic tourist attractions." (Chloe Germaine Buckley, Gothic Studies, Vol. 20 (1-2), 2018)

"Gothic Tourism is ... aimed not only at academics but a more general readership. Here, author Emma McEvoy examines everything from waxwork museums to ghost walks to ask what Gothic tourism is and how Gothic works as a touristic mode. ... Gothic Tourism covers an impressive range of sites in its tour of English Gothic ... . Gothic Tourism is a valuable -- and highly readable -- addition, then to histories of tourism as well as the history of geography ... ." (Jennifer Wallis, World Headpress, worldheadpress.com, May, 2016)

"This book is certainly a timely publication. ... the book invites further research in this area and a wider examination of this cultural tradition. The style throughout is both informative and interesting ... . this is an entertaining, educational read, which serves as an enlightening introduction to the fascinating and expanding realm of gothic tourism." (Elizabeth Parker, Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies, Issue 15, 2016)

About the Author

Emma McEvoy teaches at the University of Westminster, UK, in the department of English, Linguistics and Cultural Studies. She is the co-editor, with Catherine Spooner, of The Routledge Companion to Gothic (2007).