The Gothic Revival

At the height of the Victorian period, a craze for Gothic style swept Englandnd spread far beyond. Gothic architecture, associated with the social andultural ideals of the Middle Ages, was seen as a means of remaking theodern world.;In this exposition, Chris Brooks unravels the layers of meaninghat Gothic held for its many reinventors: from the political uses of Gothicistory in the 17th century to Barry and Pugin's Houses of Parliament in theid-19th century. Yet Gothic is not just buildings: continually recreated, itas taken the form of poetry and fiction, of painting and sculpture, ofovies and video games, of Gothic music and Gothic punk. Gothic became aominant cultural and architectural force not only in 19th-century Britain,ut across Europe, in the United States and in the countries of the Britishmpire. It is still pervasive. This book deals comprehensively with the wholecope of the Gothic Revival.

Chris Brooks lectures on Victorian culture at Exeter University's School of English. He is also Chairman of the Victorian Society, a Trustee of the Albert Memorial, and a member of English Heritage's Cathedrals and Churches Advisory Committee. He has written and edited several books, including Signs for the Times: Symbolic Realism in the Mid-Victorian World.