A Wednesday Addams Reading List

October 16, 2024

Literature

Nesha Ruther

Writer at Bond & Grace

October is here, and what is a well-read girl to do but succumb to the crisp chill and turn her literary tastes to something darker, to indulge in a taste of the sinister? For spooky reads that send a shiver down the spine, we turn to the library of the spookiest girl in town, although none of us can say we’ve ever seen her flinch. Here are ten dark and disturbed books recommended by Wednesday Addams or that we believe she would love.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

This is not pure speculation. In Netflix’s 2022 show, Wednesday refers to Mary Shelley as her “literary hero and nemesis,” honestly relatable. It's no surprise Wednesday loves Frankenstein: with reanimated dead bodies, dramatic pursuits, and murder aplenty, Mary Shelley’s seminal novel has everything a gothic girl could want.

The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli

Have you ever heard the term Machiavellian? Wednesday certainly has. Used to describe people who can emotionally manipulate others and are indifferent to typical moral codes, Machiavelli coined the cynical, apathetic outlook Wednesday so fashionably wears. In his 16th-century political treatise, The Prince Machiavelli argues that immoral acts are justified if they help one achieve personal glory.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

A novel that's as philosophical as it is thrilling and mysterious, Robert Louis Stevenson’s meditation on the duality of man also contains lots of murder and intrigue. We know Wednesday would rejoice in this classic mystery with a fascinating premise that also isn’t afraid to drop a few bodies.

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

Poe’s 1845 narrative poem is beautifully written, incredibly ambient, and also severely haunted. sounds like Wednesday’s dream (or nightmare?) As an unnamed student laments the loss of his love a raven appears to taunt him with the repetition of the word, “nevermore.”

The Shadow over Insmouth by H.P. Lovecraft

H.P. Lovecraft’s famous short story about a town that sacrifices women to a deep-sea fish god is legitimately terrifying. And while we don’t think Wednesday would approve of Lovecraft’s thinly veiled commentary on the danger of interracial relationships (he was a notorious racist), it is a classic of the genre and the twist at the end is pretty phenomenal.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

You can’t talk about women in horror without mentioning the queen herself, Shirley Jackson. This deliciously unsettling novel is deeply atmospheric with a slow build that leaves you increasingly uncomfortable. Isolated, neurotic, and possibly murderous, We Have Always Lived in the Castle would read to Wednesday like the nostalgic chronicling of a happy childhood.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

Talk about being deeply disturbed! This 1985 historical fantasy follows neglected orphan Jean-Baptiste Grenouille and his supernatural sense of smell. Grenoiulle uses his powers for good by becoming a successful perfumer, but things go dark when he murders a young girl, enamored by her singularly delicious scent. Creepy!!

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman’s iconic children’s story about the precocious Coraline and her evil other-mother would no doubt enchant and enamor a young Wednesday Addams. Is there anything as charming as a quick-tongued girl protagonist with hair so dark it appears almost blue?

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

Isolated and exhausted by the birth of her first child, an artist-turned-stay-at-home mom begins to shift and change, gaining new powers and terrifying abilities. Who knows, Rachel Yoder’s dark and witty magical realist novel on the perils of motherhood might even give Wednesday new appreciation for her dear mother Morticia.

Slewfoot by Brom

Set in Colonial New England, a dark entity deep in the forest begins haunting a Puritan community, but it is the saving grace for a young widow trying to find autonomy in a patriarchal world. Dark, demonic, and deeply unsettling, Wednesday would swallow Slewfoot whole.

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From Italian philosophy to modern magical fantasy we hope this spooky Wednesday-approved reading list leaves you speaking in a monotone and afraid of nothing, and don’t forget those braids!