6 Classic Gothic Novels to Read if You Love 'Wuthering Heights'

Love isn’t always light. It’s often the darker, complicated kind that keeps readers turning pages long into the night. Take Wuthering Heights, for example—the classic gothic romance full of brooding heroes, passionate heroines, and heartbreak so raw it becomes a study of the human condition. Melancholic landscapes mirror the characters’ emotions while offering a glimpse into Victorian society, creating the perfect setting for yearning and tension to fester. Add doomed love and atmospheric suspense, and it’s no wonder this novel has inspired centuries of gothic fiction.

Like the characters they spotlight, every stormy story has its own twists. Some dwell on longing and obsession, as in Wuthering Heights, while others confront societal pressures and dark secrets. Romance or tragedy, each of these classic gothic novels features moody settings and multilayered leads that make them impossible to put down. Keep reading for six timeless tales full of moors, mansions, and mystery—and who knows, your favorite story might already be waiting for you on screen.

1. Jane Eyre
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray
3. Frankenstein
4. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
5. Rebecca
6. Tess of the d’Urbervilles

Jane Eyre

Enamored with the emotional intensity and moral tension of Wuthering Heights? Jane Eyre offers a quieter—but no less gripping—kind of gothic romance. Charlotte Brontë’s novel follows an orphaned young woman who endures cruelty, isolation, and strict social rules before finding connection at the eerie Thornfield Hall. Her relationship with her boss, the brooding Mr. Rochester, is shaped as much by secrets and power imbalances as by love. When a devastating truth emerges, Jane must choose between self-respect and passion. The result is a gothic classic that prizes restraint, integrity, and emotional endurance as much as romance.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

If what drew you to Wuthering Heights was its fixation on obsession and moral corrosion, The Picture of Dorian Gray takes that darkness inward. Oscar Wilde’s only novel follows a young man who trades his conscience for eternal youth, allowing a hidden portrait to absorb the consequences of his excesses. As Dorian’s outward beauty remains untouched, his inner life curdles into cruelty, vanity, and self-destruction. Lush, unsettling, and psychologically sharp, Wilde’s gothic classic is less a love story than a study of desire without limits—and the damage it leaves behind.

Frankenstein

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein isn’t just a horror story: it’s a dark tale of obsession, isolation, and the consequences of playing god. Victor Frankenstein creates a living being he cannot control, and when tragedy strikes, both creator and creature spiral into revenge and despair. Like Wuthering Heights, the novel thrives on somber settings, emotional extremes, and characters pushed to their limits. Gothic, tragic, and strangely intimate, Shelley’s masterpiece is a timeless exploration of human desire and the costs of defying nature. Wuthering Heights fans: Jacob Elordi, who plays Heathcliff on screen, also stars in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, bringing brooding intensity to the story.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Anne Brontë’s fiercely unsettling novel swaps wild romance for something colder and more dangerous. When the reserved Helen Graham arrives at the decaying Wildfell Hall, her silence and isolation spark gossip—but the truth is far more disturbing. As her past slowly comes into focus, the novel reveals the brutal realities of marriage, addiction, and control in the 19th century. With its claustrophobic settings and sense of moral urgency, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall utilizes a gothic atmosphere to expose the limited protection women had once they said “I do.” It’s tense, angry, and surprisingly modern: proof that the darkest Brontë may not be the one most people expect.

Rebecca

Living in someone else’s shadow is a tragedy in itself, and Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca explores it fully. The unnamed young wife marries the wealthy, widowed Maxim de Winter and moves into his grand Manderley estate—only to find herself haunted by the memory of his first wife, Rebecca. With an intimidating housekeeper, crippling jealousy, and lingering traces of Rebecca’s presence, what starts like a fairy-tale marriage quickly becomes a tense psychological thriller. Like Wuthering Heights, it’s a tense, gothic tale of jealousy, obsession, and secrets that won’t stay buried.

Tess of the d’Urbervilles

Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles is a rags-to-riches story turned cautionary tale. Tess rises from her modest village life when her family discovers a noble lineage, leading her into the world of the wealthy d’Urbervilles. There, she’s seduced by the predatory Alec before marrying the idealistic Angel Clare—only to face rejection and betrayal that force her back into danger. Hardy’s novel explores desire against the stringent standards of Victorian society, showing how social hypocrisy and class pressures can shape—and destroy—a life. With love and loss at every turn, Tess’s story is yet another tragic tale that lingers long after the last page.