The Castle of Otranto, by Horace Walpole, 1765

This is believed to be the first Gothic Novel.  While not particularly frightening by today's standards, it is still intriguing, and it's influence can be felt in many gothic novels that would follow.  It involves ghosts, a giant, a love triangle, and inexplicable events. 

The story begins with what is still one of the most uncanny opening scenes in literature.  Manfred, lord of the castle believes in an ancient curse.  The curse oddly states that once the castle becomes "too large for it inhabitants", it will fall back into the hands of its original owner.  Manfred interprets this to mean once the family has become to small for the castle, then they will fall out of the favor of destiny.  So he has arranged a marriage between his son Conrad and the reluctant Isabella.  Then suddenly a gigantic knights helmet falls from the sky, killing Conrad.  Manfred then decides he will marry Isabella himself.  Manfred explains as of this hour, he is divorced, because he declared this to be so, and that he will tell his wife later, as she is currently sick and confined in her room.

Meanwhile, a peasant Theodore approaches the castle, with information about the mystery of the giant helmet.  He says that an identical, but smaller helmet is missing from a statue of Alfonso, in the town.  While this sheds no real light on the mystery, Manfred accuses Theodore of colluding in some kind of sorcery, and has him imprisoned in the castle.

Isabella manages to escape, and Manfred chases her through secrete passageways.  As the story progresses, the legend of the curse continues to manifest its-self.  Manfred witnesses the image of the portrait of Alfonso, the castles original lord, walk out of the frame and vanish behind a door.  Servants report seeing a giant, clad in armor of Alfonso in the Castle.  Theodore escapes and promises to save Isabella, becoming the hero of the story.  Later we encounter a traveling knight, a grim reaper like apparition, and other surprises and interconnected twists.  

While not particularly complex in it character development, it is well defined in it's themes and story arc.  One theme that could be read into this, is that destiny is inescapable.  Manfred tries to defy the ancient curse, but Alfonso's spirit manifests its self in uncanny ways, from the giant helmet, to the sighting of the giant, to Theodore putting on Alfonso's coat of armor when he defends Isabella.

This 1936 photos is believed to show the ghost of Lady Walpole.  I'm not sure if she was part of Horace Walpole's family, but I thought this would be appropriate for my first entry.  Photo by Captain Hubert C. Provand