10 Creepy Classic Lit Reads for Halloween

I’m a scaredy cat, ok? When it comes to books and movies, I’m not in it for any kind of thrill. I like action, adventure, romance, great storytelling, even some danger and intrigue, but nothing that is going to give me any major creeps. Naturally, this leads me to steer clear of most Halloween related book lists, but I love to read seasonally so it’s kind of a bummer. My solution? Come up with a list of classic literature titles that are low-key creepy enough to scratch the seasonal reading itch without giving me nightmares.

All of these works are probably already familiar to you, and several are a well-accepted part of the holiday – like Frankenstein and Dracula. When I decided to put together this list I had already read most of the books I thought I wanted to include, but I did have to play catch up on a couple of titles. This lead to me knocking several off of my ‘classics you should have already read’ list, which was a win all by itself.

Also, if even these books seem too scary, I feel you, friend. The good news is, Christmas is right around the corner, and I’m reading way more of those types of book right now than the creepy ones to get ready for my annual Christmas book list. You can look for that right after Thanksgiving (because I have big feelings about not jumping the gun on holidays) and in the meantime, you can look at last year’s list here.

I’d love to know which of these titles you’ve already read and what your favorites are! Also let me know if I missed any good ones, so we can all be prepared to add those in next year.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I might make some extra coffee money at no extra expense to you if you buy something through one of my links. Read more about that here.

Creepy Classic Literature (AKA your highbrow Halloween reading list)

Rebecca

This book is eerie to say the least. The protagonist is never named and lives in the shadow of her new husband’s deceased first wife, Rebecca. There is suspicion surrounding her life and death, and a very creepy housekeeper who is staunchly loyal to her former mistress. The ending is unexpected and the tone of this story is suspenseful all the way through. Bonus tip: I listened to this one on audio and really enjoyed it in that format.

The Tell-Tale Heart

This famous story by poet Edgar Allen Poe is gruesome. In case you’ve never read it, it is told from the perspective of a guilt-ridden murderer who is sure the heartbeat of the victim, dismembered and hidden under the floor boards, can be heard as the authorities investigate. The option I’ve linked to also includes several other well-known short stories and poems, like ‘The Raven’ and ‘Annabel Lee’ (my favorite).

The Hound of the Baskervilles

I’m a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, so I had to include what is probably the most famous of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short stories. In it, Holmes and Watson travel to a gloomy manor on a desolate moor to investigate a suspected murder. At the center of the mystery is the legend of a huge, bloodthirsty hound bent on the destruction of the family who lives in the house.

And Then There Were None

Many would say that Agatha Christie is a master mystery writer, and And Then There Were None definitely kept me guessing to the end. There are some creepy vibes throughout this story as we watch the characters isolated on an island die one by one, each death related to the individual in a most uncanny way. I was wholly unprepared for the ending on this one.

The Hobbit

I read this book for the first time when I was about twelve years old and had the unique experience of being frightened, yet compelled to continue reading. As an adult, it’s not nearly as scary, but it fits the low-key creepy category with it’s trolls, dragons, and goblins. It is the story of a hobbit named Bilbo, who finds himself yanked from a very comfortable life and set on an extraordinary adventure. Peril follows him at every turn, and he learns that he is more capable than he ever thought as he endeavors complete his mission unharmed.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

It had been a very long time since I last read this famous short story, so I revisited it before composing this list. While it does have some ghostly innuendo, I was surprised to find it much funnier than I remembered. Ichabod Crane’s attempts at courtship, which is the ultimate cause of his being pursued by the Headless Horseman, was comical to be sure.

The Canterville Ghost

Speaking of comical, I stumbled across this short story by Oscar Wilde completely by accident, but I loved it. When an American family moves into a haunted English manor house, the ghost who resides there is frustrated to find that the family is not at all frightened by his antics. In fact, he is harassed by the young twins, despite his best efforts to scare them, and pitied by their older sister. This story is not at all what you might expect, and is quite entertaining.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

When a man is charged with a brutal crime, it comes to light that he is somehow associated with the well-respected Dr. Henry Jekyll. As the good doctor investigates this supposed connection, he uncovers a frightening truth. This is such an interesting story, and one that is well-known in modern culture although it was first published in 1886.

Frankenstein

Victor Frankenstein is a young man with a talent for the natural sciences who gets swept away in his attempt to create life. He is successful, but his creation is so hideous that he abandons it in fear. The consequences of his invention are far-reaching and terrible for him and for others. This story explores the intersection between humanity and scientific progress. I’m going to be honest for a second here. I don’t think this one is scary at all, and I actually thought it was pretty boring. In my opinion the story could have been told with half as many words without decreasing the impact.

Dracula

Moment of truth again – I am in the middle of this book as of the time of this posting. Of all the books on the list I’m finding it to be the creepiest so far, but I like the epistolary style of it. I’m about 20% in so far and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Even though it is perhaps the scariest book on this list, somehow the fact that it is set so far and so long ago makes me feel far enough removed that I’m not getting scared.