The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg

This Gothic novel (published in 1824) tells the story of Robert Wringhim, a zealous Christian living in rural Scotland. The novel is divided into three parts, the beginning and end are 'The Editor's Narrative' while the middle is the supposed transcription of Wringhim's confessions.
Hogg satirises the duality of 19th century society; the extremes of religious fanaticism are portrayed through Wringhim, whilst the conservative objectiveness of the narrator represent secularism and rationalism. The plot of the story is relatively simple compared to the more complex allegorical aspects, essentially Wringhim meets a man who looks just like himself, a twin. There is a strong supernatural theme throughout the book, but Hogg's fluctuating narrative disguises this as mystery at times. Wringhim's doppelganger persuades him to commit various sins, such as the murder of his brother George, all the while assuring Robert that his actions are justified in keeping Christianity pure. Wringhim's terribly misguided actions cause him great distress but he avoids punishment as his doppelganger is able to create sufficient alibis for his innocence. Hogg is keen to illustrate the dangers of fundamentalism and false messiahs, yet at times the dialogue of his characters appears more as sermon than speech; this is however acceptable due to the religious interests of the characters themselves.
The epistolary novel may appear repetitive to the modern reader, the first section of the novel describes intimately the strange events of the evil Wringhim and then Wringhim's confessions re-tell this story through his own perspective, the final editor's narrative serving as a conclusion to the novel. Hogg uses Scottish dialect which may frustrate some readers, but it does, in my opinion, add an air of authenticity to the work, a sort of cultural identity.
Confessions of a Justified Sinner may be a comparatively obscure Gothic novel, but its allegorical message is common up to this day. The reader is left to question whether Wringhim actually perceives his doppelganger or whether it is a mere delusion brought on by his over-zealous religious practice. This novel shows an intriguing dark side to religion that was so often overlooked by other authors of the time, Hogg demonstrates the nightmarish consequences of self-justified sin.

La Bas by J.K Husymans

This Gothic-Decadent thriller is by the same author of Against Nature, and is no less shocking. It tells the story of Durtal, a writer loosely based on Husymans himself, who is writing a biography of the medieval knight, Gilles de Rais. Durtal is obsessed with the occult and Satanism. The novel itself was published around about the same time as The Picture of Dorian Gray, but this novel is a thousand times more graphic than Wilde's depiction of decadence. Durtal befriends a bell-ringer in a local bell tower and there he learns more of the occult. The novel is essentially an essay on Satanism and religious piety, culminating in a black mass in which Durtal encounters Canon Docre, a perverse Satanist involved with Madame Charteouve, Durtal's lover. This novel is not for the squeamish as it graphically describes the murders of boys and girls by the hand of Gilles de Rais, a knight who once protected Joan of Arc but later turned to  Satanism. Husymans shocking display of graphic narrative will deter the faint-hearted reader, but his unflinching attention to detail and esoteric references will enthrall those who are willing to take a pinch of salt and read this work for it's literary value.
La Bas is a novel that is not for everyone, if you are not thrown off by the debate of naturalism at the beginning you will probably become bored by Carhaix's lengthy harangue on bell-ringing. But once Durtal begins describing the terrible crimes of Gilles de Rais the reader cannot help but be drawn in even if only out of curiosity. If you are looking for a new author to shock and educate you, I suggest you read Husymans and then judge contemporary thriller novels.

Against Nature by J.K Husymans

This novel is a key Decadent text, aiming to dispel the effects of idealistic Naturalism of the 1800s and instead reveal the perverse pleasures and practices of the 19th century dandy. It is worth mentioning that this text inspired Oscar Wilde to write The Picture of Dorian Gray, a novel exploring the depths of sin and social reactions. Against Nature tells the story of Des Essientes, an aristocratic French gentleman who has become wearied by recent social changes and as a result decides to live in solitude in a secluded area. The reader is instantly reminded of Henry Thoreau's Walden, an autobiographical account of life in the woods away from the harshness of urban environs. But no, Husymans is wholly cynical in his diagnosis of society, his irreverence towards monarch and government is characteristic of the Decadent movement.
It should be noted here that the novel itself has only one major character, Des Essientes. The only other character are his staff and others referenced throughout. This unique format allows Husymans to deliver a well thought out character study as well as avoiding distracting the reader from these ideas by any kind of narrative plot. The neurotic nature of Des Esseintes may seem frustrating to the modern reader as he plunges into a lengthy discourse on the 'gamy flavours' of classical literature, but I assert that it is not necessary to understand every literary allusion to understand this text. Moreover, Des Essientes represents a part of 19th century society that was overlooked by common man, for being too perverse and obscure. There is a hint of pederasty where Des Essientes is attracted to a young boy, but the overall sexual theme of this novel is that of ennui and disillusionment. Des Essientes is a man with infinite needs but finite pleasures, his sickness towards the end of the novel is the result of his neurosis and isolation, this is resolved by his reluctant move back to the city. Whereas other Naturalist writers such as Zola would assert that peace is to be found amongst nature, Husymans shows how isolation in nature only results in the fulfilling of perverse wants and obsessive states. This short novel is painfully relevant to our modern age of impulse and luxury, that we want it all now, even if that means compromising our ethics.

The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope

The satirist and poet, Alexander Pope wrote the heroi-comical poem, The Rape of the Lock circa. 1712. Just like the satires of  fellow writer Jonathan Swift (Gullivers Travels, Battle of the Books), this poem aims at mocking the grandiloquent narratives of the age. Pope uses a highly literary vocabulary blending archaic language with the language of the period. The poem is divided into five cantos, the traditional format for narrative poems. The stylistic conventions of The Rape of the Lock aside, Pope wishes to satirize the narrative form, this is achieved by the taking of a minor incident and transforming it into a matter for the gods. The poem tells the story of Belinda, a notable belle who is the subject of a man's affection, being totally entranced by her, he cuts off a lock of her hair without her permission ( hence the title, 'The Rape of the Lock). The satire lies in this banal and/or bawdy incident being told in such epic verse. Pope's dramatised tone uses exclamation and lamentation to further the satire, the train of minute sylphs that watch over Belinda warn her to 'beware of man!' (Canto 1, Line. 114).
However, Pope also highlights the fragility of beauty, Belinda losing a lock of her hair affects her deeply;

The meeting points the sacred hair dissever

From the fair head for ever, and for ever!' (Canto 4, line 57-8)

Pope was one of the best satirists of his time and there is lasting influence in his works that is relevant now. The Rape of the Lock represents melodrama and perhaps even vanity that so trivial events can be interpreted as a divine battle. Pope's obscure and classical references may deter some modern readers but it is not necessary to translate every obscurity to still understand the humourous satire of this narrative poem.

The Golden Ass by Apuleius

The Transformations of Lucius Apuleius, which was later renamed The Golden Ass (asinus aureus) by Saint Augustine, describes the protagonist Lucius' transformation from human to donkey form. The novel is full of earthly humour, comparable to the bawdy lyric of Chaucer. I have read the Robert Graves translation of this text and it is written in such down-to-earth prose that the modern reader will undoubtedly pick up on the farcical as well as the allegorical elements of the text.
The crux of the novel is: Apuleius falls in love with a slave girl after staying at a distinguished nobleman's house. He becomes acquainted with her and learns that the nobleman's wife is a witch capable of changing form. Lucius is interested in this magic and tries to change himself into a bird, but instead he mistakenly becomes an ass. A series of far-fetched events then occur, similar to that of Voltaire's Candide. Lucius is sold numerous times as a draught animal, he carries loot for thieves and crops for farmers. Each time he narrowly avoids death from beating or execution. An important part of this novel is Lucius' observations, as an animal he cannot intervene with human affairs but instead he listens and plans his escape from captivity.
It is revealed that the spell that keeps Lucius in the form of a donkey can only be broken by the ingestion of rose petals. Though he tries many times to find these flowers he is pulled away by his masters, this display of futility is deeply engaging and the reader develops sympathy for poor Lucius. The spell is finally broken after Lucius manages to escape his final master. He then beseeches the Egyptian goddess Isis. The goddess appears and breaks the spell, this is the end of the novel.
The Golden Ass is an example of Ovidian transformation, a theme that has captivated literature for centuries. Apuleius' comic tale is both witty and insightful, creating an interesting picture of the ancient slave trade as well as the value of morals and compassion.

The Aeneid by Virgil

This, the greatest Latin epic, was written by Virgil over the course of many years. The influence of The Aeneid on western literature cannot be overstated, it is a story of war, exile and love. I could plunge into a lengthy essay about the historical context of the poem but Virgil's masterful narrative is such that the story explains itself.
I shall provide a basic outline of the plot; Aeneas, a citizen of Troy escapes from the invasion of the city by Greeks (c.f: The Trojan War). He embarks on a seven year journey to Carthage where he meets Queen Dido. The pair fall in love but as Aeneas is summoned by the gods to found a new city for the exiled Trojans, he must leave her behind. This is the tragic element of The Aeneid, Dido's suicide due to unrequited love and Aeneas' guilt and fear of his own fate, this is later mirrored by the death of Pallas and the cost of war, as discussed in Book 12. The poem continues with Aeneas visit to the underworld under the guidance of the Sibyl of Cumae, as well as further battles and encounters with Greek and other civilizations.
It is important to note here that Virgil wrote The Aeneid as a response to Homer's Odyssey. There are many parallels between the two texts and there is an abundant supply of commentary and criticism that aims to highlight this, however, The Aeneid does not require extensive knowledge of Greek and Latin texts, certainly the Penguin classics edition has a large glossary of Latin terms. The opening line 'I sing of arms and the man' is true of the text, Virgil gives reportage of Aeneas' adventures but maintains an exquisite poetic voice that is unwavering in its portrayal of the beauty of love and the horror of war.
The Aeneid is essential reading for those interested in the epic poem as, arguably, it is the source of all other epic poems, the very archetype of later works such as Dante and Longfellow. By reading The Aeneid, one can grasp at a vision of war that is both enthralling and reflective.

The Metamorphoses by Ovid

This collection of stories told in hexametric epic verse is perhaps the defining work of all other tales of transformation and divine supernatural influence. Ovid was born circa 43 B.C in a small village near Rome, this was about the same period as the murder of Julius Caesar and the subsequent fall of Rome. The Metamorphoses are a re-telling of Greek and Roman myths and legends, Ovid describes humans being changed into animals as punishment for their sins or hubris against the gods. It is not necessary for the modern reader to have encyclopedic knowledge of ancient Rome to get a good understanding of what this work is about. Many of the books (or chapters) of the Metamorphoses are comparable to fables in which characters receive their just deserts as consequence for their actions.
One of my favourite stories is that of Narcissus and Echo (book III). A vain sixteen year old boy is obsessed with his looks, hence the term narcissism, he chases a young nymph called Echo, who he finds particularly attractive. She calls to him and her voice echoes but he cannot find her, he rests by a pool. One of Narcissus' jilted lovers than prays to Nemesis (goddess of revenge) that: 'may he himself love as I have loved him, without obtaining his beloved' (lines 521-22, book III). This prayer is answered, Narcissus stares at his reflection in the pond and falls in love with himself while Echo departs. Out of grief, he dies and his body is transformed into a flower which is, of course, the Narcissus daffodil.
The text is filled with curious stories like these which impart morals and common ideas which will be familiar to the modern reader. Not only this, but Ovid's fluid style and unerring narrative make for great reading, the hexameter verse is the perfect fit for the smooth rhythm and the language is both common and understandable yet filled with brilliant metaphor and colourful imagery.
Ovid has inspired a myriad writers of all genres, from Dante's epic verse to the magical realism of Salman Rushdie and of course James Joyce's epic Ulysses. The relevancy of the Metamorphoses cannot be understated, read this work if you ever wish to write a poem about transformation or magic.