Welcome to the Shadows: Announcing 'The Accursed' Spooky Season Read-Along!
Get ready to dive into one of the most wildly ambitious, darkly atmospheric historical fantasies of modern literature just in time for Spooky Season. From October 1 through October 31, 2026, Marianne @ Let's Read and I are teaming up to tackle Joyce Carol Oates’s epic Gothic masterpiece, The Accursed—and we would love for you to join us!
Set in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1905–1906, the novel weaves real historical figures—like Woodrow Wilson, Grover Cleveland, and Upton Sinclair—into a chilling, surreal Gothic mystery. When a supernatural "curse" overtakes the elite families of the town, society crumbles under the weight of mysterious abductions, demonic visions, and long-buried hypocrisies.
At over 600 pages, it is a dense, feverish read—which is precisely why reading and discussing it together over the 31 days of October will make it so much more fun.
October Reading Schedule
We will break the novel down across the four weeks of October (roughly 150–170 pages per week) so we can all finish together right on Halloween night:
| Timeline | Assigned Reading | Key Themes / Focus |
| Week 1 (Oct 1–Oct 8) | Book 1 (Chapters 1–4) | The curse descends on the Slade wedding; Woodrow Wilson's strain |
| Week 2 (Oct 9–Oct 16) | Book 2 & Book 3 | Historical cameos; the eerie Bog Kingdom; social satire |
| Week 3 (Oct 17–Oct 24) | Book 4 & Book 5 | Hysteria spreads; moral decay of the Princeton elite |
| Week 4 (Oct 25–Oct 31) | Book 6 to End | Climax, resolution, and unpacking the narrator’s reliability |
How to Participate
Weekly Discussion Posts: Every Friday in October (Oct 9, 16, 23, and 30), a new post will go live right here on the blog with guided discussion prompts, character trackers, and space to share your thoughts.
Comment Section: Drop your theories, favorite quotes, and reactions in the comments of each weekly post as you read along with Marianne and me at your own pace.
Grab your copy, dust off your reading chair, and drop a comment below if you're joining us this October!
No comments:
Post a Comment