For book lovers, a new year means a fresh chance to set and exceed reading goals, but sometimes, figuring out what to read can get in the way. With the recent release of Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, I feel inspired to incorporate gothic themes into my reading goals, hoping to stick with my goal of 50 books in 2025. It can be hard to find unique reading challenges to keep you on track, so I’ve put together a gothic-inspired reading challenge that can be interpreted in a thousand different ways to keep you reading in 2025.
But first, some gothic history about Nosferatu.
The original 1922 Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror film, created by F. W. Murnau, is a current cult classic that wasn’t even supposed to be released. The film is based directly on Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, but being that Stoker passed away in 1912, the film was never permitted to be made or released. To get around what few copyright laws there were at the time, they changed a few names including the name of Stoker’s Count Dracula, which was rewritten as Count Orlok in the German silent film. The name Nosferatu is derived from the old Romanian word nesuferitu, which means “the offensive one.” Although copyright laws weren’t taken seriously back in the early 20th century, Bram Stoker’s wife Florence still decided to take legal action against the film studio. She won the case, but the studio went bankrupt, and the only ruling was that all copies of the film should be destroyed. One copy was not accounted for and made its way to the United States, where it was widely distributed.
Now that you know a bit about the origins of the gothic tale of Nosferatu, you’re ready to start the 2025 Gothic Reading Challenge, where you’ll find many prompts relating to the original Dracula. Full of bats, rats, and shadows, Dracula surrounds this challenge and watches over it from his castle in Romania, and soon his estate in England. Enjoy your journey on the ship Demeter, and prepare to dock in the historical and folkloric world of vampires.
The Raven Boys, Maggie Stiefvater. (A book with supernatural elements.)
Timekeeper, Tara Sim. (A book that takes place in the Victorian era.)
The Bear and the Nightingale, Katherine Arden. (A book with folkloric elements.)
Charm, Tracy Wolff. (A book about vampires.)
Reading challenges can be repetitive or vague, so I hope this challenge can not only help you fulfill your reading goals, but also all your gothic fantasies. Happy 2025!
Callie Andrews, Pine Reads Review Writer, Social Media, & Web
Sources:
Bailey, Jonathan. “Dracula Vs. Nosferatu: A True Copyright Horror Story.” Plagiarism Today, 17 Oct. 2011, www.plagiarismtoday.com/2011/10/17/dracula-vs-nosferatu-a-true-copyright-horror-story
Bauman, Oscar Kim. “The Haunting History Behind Nosferatu.” SYFY Official Site, 23 Dec. 2024, www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/the-haunting-history-behind-nosferatu.
Little, Becky. “How ‘Nosferatu’ Reinvented the Vampire.” HISTORY, 29 Oct. 2024, www.history.com/news/vampire-nosferatu-dracula.