There is a quiet and peculiar atmosphere that settles over the world when autumn arrives. The light deepens, the shadows lengthen, the weather changes and we seek warmth, mystery and solace within the pages of a great book.
While the same handful of titles dominate the classics of every fall reading list — the misty moors of “Wuthering Heights” or the castle of “Dracula” — true autumn magic often lies in the neglected corners of the book lists.
This fall season, let’s look beyond the obvious choices and discover four underrated classics that perfectly mirror the gathering gloom and introspection of the changing temperatures, as well as the spooky season ahead.
"The Woman in White" by Wilkie Collins
If your mind craves an intricate puzzle to piece together, Wilkie Collins’ “The Woman in White” is your essential companion. Published in November 1859, Collins’ novel is more than just a mystery. It is a masterwork of Victorian social suspense.
The novel begins with a single, spectral encounter: a woman dressed entirely in white, appearing under the moonlight on a lonely road. This moment plunges drawing master Walter Hartright into a complex web of deception, identity theft and familial secrets.
Collins’ genius is in his narrative architecture. The story unfolds through testimonies, letters, and diaries, creating a thrilling atmosphere of a fragmented reality. It is a book about the darkness that can hide behind the most reasonable doors, and its long, absorbing plot is the perfect commitment for a season of indoor retreat. You will find yourself rooting not just for the heroine, but against one of literature’s most urbane and chilling villains, the charming, exotic and wholly unforgettable menace, Count Fosco.
"The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James
For those who find the jump scares of traditional ghost stories too blunt, Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw” offers an entirely different form of terror: the slow, elegant disintegration of the mind. This novella is a short, sharp masterpiece that is deeply unsettling.
First published in 1898, the story tells of a young governess sent to a remote estate, Bly, to care for two beautiful, unnervingly-perfect children. She soon begins to see the apparitions of two deceased, corrupt servants and becomes convinced the ghosts are trying to possess the children’s souls.
The book’s autumnal chill comes from its profound ambiguity. Is the governess a heroic savior? Or is she a neurotic wreck whose imagination is projecting horror? The novella leaves this question for the reader, forcing us to become the ultimate detective of the governess’s sanity. It is the perfect intellectual fright, and a story that, once finished, continues to haunt your thoughts.
"The Riddle of the Sands" by Erskine Childers
Moving away from the haunted halls, we can embrace the brisk chill of the sea. Erskine Childers’ “The Riddle of the Sands” is widely regarded as the first modern spy thriller. Published in 1903, it follows two young Englishmen, Carruthers and Davies, who embark on a seemingly innocent yachting trip among the treacherous sandbanks and tidal flats of the Frisian Islands of the German coast.
What begins as a sporting adventure quickly turns into an important discovery of a potentially- imminent invasion plot against Great Britain. Different from the others on this list, this novel’s atmosphere is one of maritime grit, yet it maintains a fog-bound uncertainty. The suspense is powerful, driven by careful navigation, code-breaking and close-quarters danger aboard a small yacht. It is the perfect adventure read for fall, blending the cozy intimacy of a small boat with the cold, vast expanse of the North Sea in October.
"North and South" by Elizabeth Gaskell
If the weight of existential dread grows too heavy, you need a story with a beating, compassionate heart at its center. This is where Elizabeth Gaskell’s “North and South” steps in. Too often relegated to the shadow of Jane Austen, Gaskell’s work offers a much richer and more grounded look at the complexities of Victorian life. In this book, published in 1855, the heroine, Margaret Hale, is uprooted from her idyllic, rural southern home and forced to move to the bustling, smoke-choked industrial north of England.
The novel beautifully captures the stark, atmospheric contrast between the tranquil countryside and the energy of the factory town of Milton. It is a story about finding beauty and common ground during stark social divides, drawing on moral dilemmas that resonate today.
It also features one of the most satisfying slow-burn romances in literature, pitting the proud mill-owner John Thornton against the fiercely-independent Margaret. Its detailed domestic scenes and emotionally resonant character arcs make it a wonderfully rewarding and substantial book — the perfect armchair escape.
Bloomington has many wonderful bookstores perfect for finding these reads and more. Convenient and close to campus, Morgenstern Books & Café and Book Corner both offer great selections of these and other spectacular novels through many different published editions. Happy reading and may these forgotten gems come your way through the year’s most atmospheric season.
