At the dawn of the millennium, Dark Academia began as an internet trend that romanticized an idealized view of higher education, classic literature, ancient arts, Greek and Gothic architecture, maximalists’ interiors, and a nostalgic obsession for a story dripping in decadence. It has become a subgenre of books, movies, and fashion that encompass multiple literary categories. Critics insist this subculture can romanticize academic elitism, class privilege, and self-destructive behaviors. These arguments are not new, but this nostalgic rebirth of interest allows us to consider the impact of foundational literature and apply shared concepts to modern storytelling.
If you follow the Dark Academia genre back in time, you will find more than a romanticized lifestyle. Discover the first-wave of modern feminists, the exploration of social-critiques by women, the fight against oppressive medical and domestic structures, battles against authoritarianism and gender roles, and the development of psychological healthcare.
In the semi-autobiographical short story “The Yellow Wall-paper and Selected Writings” (FIC Gil), Charlotte Perkins Gilman describes a woman’s descent into madness following childbirth and how she is subjected to the “rest cure,” a very strict and isolating medical treatment of the 19th-century mostly prescribed by men for women’s health issues. This book also includes nearly two dozen other short stories with an array of topics.
“A Room of One’s Own” (305.42 Woo) is a reflective essay based from a series of lectures presented by Virginia Woolf at the University of Cambridge in the early 20th century. Woolf insisted that a woman must have personal annual income in order to afford a room of her own (literal and figuratively) to freely write fictional works and to preserve an independent self-identity.
“The Bell Jar” (FIC PLA) by the famous Sylvia Plath is a poetic story presented in the form of flashbacks that create a scene that questions a woman’s place in society. The story’s main character is expected to follow presumed domestic duties rather than be herself while the writing as a whole points a finger at the oppressive patriarchal society of the mid-20th century and the dark shadow that hangs over women submerged in this lifestyle.
Donna Tartt is considered the first author responsible for the creation of the Dark Academia genre and similar types of stories quickly rose on best-selling lists. Her book “The Secret History” (FIC Tar) has sold over 5 million copies. It describes the world of a working-class young man who transfers to an elite college and becomes caught up with a wealthy group of students who cross moral boundaries by committing murder. Already read it twice? Grab a front row seat and get lost in a similar theme in M.L. Rio’s “If We Were Villains” (FIC Rio), a story about seven Shakespearean acting students who find themselves in a layer of intense rivalries that blur the lines of reality and lead to a tragic murder.
Obsessed with classical trends and alternate histories? Katie Lowe’s “The Furies” (FIC Low) follows the story of students whose research evolves into an occult obsession focused on revenge at a private boarding school near a coastal town with a dark history of witch trials.
“Sirens & Muses: A Novel” (FIC Angress) follows four art college students caught in an intense artistic and romantic entanglement that leaves them underprepared for the real world. Antonia Angress mindfully examines the real effects of privilege, intangible art markets, and generational differences in values, priorities, and experiences within a fictional space.
Visit one of our book displays to find these books or other great reading materials at the Crawfordsville District Public Library. Checkout our website at crawfordsvillelibrary.in.gov to learn how to acquire an Evergreen library card, access our catalog, or sign up for our weekly e-Newsletter Wowbrary.
Toni Ridgway-Woodall is a library assistant in the adult services department and the gallery coordinator at the Crawfordsville District Public Library.
