The time on and around Halloween is the perfect time to read those scary classics. And, if you've never had the opportunity to read the greatest Halloween scares and terrors in classic literature, these books are a great introduction! Read more about the history of Halloween, read the scary classic, and enjoy those monsters all year round. Read on.
1. A Halloween Reader: Poems, Stories, And Plays From Halloweens Past
by Lesley Pratt Bannatyne. Pelican. In the "Halloween Reader," Lesley Pratt Bannatyne offers perspective on the history of Halloween, but she also includes poems, stories, and plays from Edgar Allan Poe, James Joyce, Robert Burns, and others. This book is scary fun for any time of the year. In her Introduction, Bannatyne writes: "What makes the older Halloween literature so enthralling is that it lets us travel back and forth to the land of the dead without consequence."
2. The Halloween Encyclopedia
Lisa Morton. McFarland & Company. In this comprehensive sourcebook, Lisa Morton covers Halloween history, mythology, fortune-telling lore, harvest legends, and more. Find out the origins of all those scary stories you've read or heard about in literature and legend.3. Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night
by Nicholas Rogers. Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "Boasting a rich, complex history rooted in Celtic and Christian ritual, Halloween has evolved from ethnic celebration to a blend of street festival, fright night, and vast commercial enterprise. In this colorful history, Nicholas Rogers takes a lively, entertaining look at the cultural origins and development of one of the most popular holidays of the year."4. Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life
by Jack Santino (Editor). University of Tennessee Press. In this book, 13 essayist examine Halloween in history and legend. From the publisher: "'Halloween and Other Festivals' of Death and Life is a unique contribution that questions our concepts of religiosity and spirituality while contributing to our understanding of Halloween as a rich and diverse reflection of our society's past, present, and future identity."