Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bellefleur | 1980 | Joyce Carol Oates | Buy |
| 2 | A Bloodsmoor Romance | 1982 | Joyce Carol Oates | N/A |
| 3 | Mysteries of Winterthurn: A Novel | 1984 | Joyce Carol Oates | N/A |
| 4 | My Heart Laid Bare | 1998 | Joyce Carol Oates | Buy |
| 5 | The Accursed | 2013 | Joyce Carol Oates | Buy |
The Gothic Saga began with Bellefleur in 1980, when Oates surprised readers by moving away from her usual realism into full-blown Gothic fiction. The series uses supernatural elements, sprawling family dynasties, and historical settings to explore the darker side of American life.
Bellefleur spans multiple generations of a wealthy upstate New York family, A Bloodsmoor Romance is set in the 1870s-1900s, and Mysteries of Winterthurn takes the form of a Victorian detective story. My Heart Laid Bare follows a family of con artists, and The Accursed (2013) is set in early 1900s Princeton among real historical figures.