Dark Academia Recommendations | Classics 

So interesting! My idea of dark academia has been broadened, as the novel that I was thinking was Goethe's FAUST. But I hadn't even considered THE DIVINE COMEDY, CRIME & PUNISHMENT, and FRANKENSTEIN.

I’m going to recommend to you again the novel “beneath the wheel” by Hermann Hesse. It also has the dark academia vibe. I think in particular it beautifully describes the pressure of academic success and the resulting poignant impact to the psyche.

Thank you! I was looking for a video on exactly this! I've read several of these and will be looking for the rest!

I LOVE this! Raskolnikov the student is so dark academia, I never thought of that 🤣🤣 And Dr. Faustus is even a professor, at least in Goethe's version!

I’ve been waiting for this for so long!!!

This was a great idea for a video. I would include "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" because it deals with an attempt to acquire the knowledge of how to suppress the evil in human nature, which is definitely forbidden knowledge.

This is such a great list! At the beginning of the video, Frankenstein was immediately coming to mind, but Crime and Punishment is an amazing dark academia recommendation. I’m not sure I would have thought of that on my own, but it fits perfectly! I still need to get to Demian. After you and Christy read it, I’ve been trying to get my hands on it!

She was so vivacious and erudite. I will follow through with most of those- if I have enough time left. She always dressed just so. Very appropriate for the topic. She is missed

Frankenstein, Crime and Punishment, and Dorian Gray are some of my favorites, and I want to reread both of them. I need to pick-up Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost again.

Gah this video is brilliant! you tied the 'thematic threads' through all these so wonderfully 🧐.. i hadn't thought but you're absolutely right about Raskolinov / C&P, & re Romola (coveting & preserving of ancient knowledge in a patriarchal system) was so compelling to me.. & of course im thrilled you're enjoying (at least somewhat) HJames (he's always a slow read for me). Can't wait to get to IHours, Marlowe Mann & Frankenstein...🤗🤓👍

This was great! I love genre theory and around this in particular is interesting. First interesting one since maybe cyberpunk? And yeah! It’s so fun to contribute to the conversation around what dark academy even is. Because it originated as basically just the aesthetic in Secret History, I believe. But now it’s this whole other beast and I like your codification! I don’t think I’ve read any except Demian, and many are on my TBR. The crime and punishment I have is a newer translation, the new one before the one last year with the bloody axe on the cover, and the cartoonish dude looking wild with an axe instead lol that’s the one I have

Thank you for your enthusiastic recommendation of Frankenstein! You made me want to read it right now!

Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco can also be included

Some excellent recommendations and reviewing here. I love Crime and Punishment and Frankenstein, but will be looking at some of the other titles too.

Frankenstein is going to be my Victober pick.

Loved the video! Thanks to your recommendation, I took a chance on The Divine Comedy - and I'm blown away! That came to be a surprise, because when I read Inferno as a school read, I didn't really feel it. But now, when I'm taking my time with the whole book, I utterly enjoy it. Thanks for making me come back to it!

Wonderful list! I dis DNF Romola because at the time it was difficult for me. I knew I would try again at some point and this made me want to pick it back up. Thanks

these type of videos are horrible for my restrictive book-buying habits, yet here we are! Also, both Maurice and Brideshead are fantastic as their tv adaptations!! (specially the 1981 series starring jeremy irons)

_Narcissus and Goldmund,_ also by Hesse, is another framed in a school setting. Intellectual vs. physical knowledge.

Your voice and accent are soothing.

Yes to all, and glad to see my beloved Keats here! I'd also say the Sherlock Holmes stories, though maybe that could move into DA mystery territory.

Perhaps not "full dark academia", but leaning that way imo is Bram Stoker's The Jewel of Seven Stars. The Victorian Egyptomania gives me very similar vibes to many dark academia books.

No. In _Frankenstein_ it's clear the monster is NOT human. Humans are revulsed by it (if they see it).