The Supernatural in Modern English Fiction

"The Supernatural in Modern English Fiction" by Dorothy Scarborough is a study of supernatural themes in English fiction, especially within the Gothic style, written in the early 1900s. It looks at how supernatural ideas have changed in different kinds of writing, highlighting their impact on readers and their connection to what people believe about the unknown. Scarborough wants to show how the supernatural has always been present, from old Gothic stories to more modern writings, and how it continues to fascinate us. The book starts with a detailed introduction where the author talks about how challenging it is to study this topic because there is so much writing about it, and that it shows in the long list of books she used. Scarborough thinks about how the supernatural is always present in both old and new writings and how it relates to human psychology and what's popular in culture. This introduction is followed by chapters that will explore different parts of the Gothic style, the growing popularity of ghost stories, and how supernatural elements work together in various English fiction stories.