--- product_id: 35095026 title: "Haunted Castles: The Complete Gothic Stories (Penguin Horror)" price: "NT$1124" currency: TWD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.tw/products/35095026-haunted-castles-the-complete-gothic-stories-penguin-horror store_origin: TW region: Taiwan --- # Haunted Castles: The Complete Gothic Stories (Penguin Horror) **Price:** NT$1124 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Haunted Castles: The Complete Gothic Stories (Penguin Horror) - **How much does it cost?** NT$1124 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tw](https://www.desertcart.tw/products/35095026-haunted-castles-the-complete-gothic-stories-penguin-horror) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Horror legend Ray Russell’s haunting and macabre stories, including “perhaps the finest example of the modern Gothic ever written” (Stephen King), with a foreword by acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro Haunted Castles is the definitive, complete collection of Ray Russell’s masterful Gothic horror stories, including the famously terrifying novella trio of “Sardonicus,” “Sanguinarius,” and “Sagittarius.” The characters that sprawl through Haunted Castles are frightful to the core: the heartless monster holding two lovers in limbo; the beautiful dame journeying down a damned road toward depravity (with the help of an evil gypsy); the man who must wear his fatal crimes on his face in the form of an awful smile. Engrossing, grotesque, and completely entrancing, Russell’s Gothic tales are the best kind of dreadful. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. Review: A Great Collection of Gothic Horror Stories. - If you like gothic horror stories you must get this collection. Every story was enjoyable. A must have. Review: Classic Gothic Tales from Ray Russell - I purchased this book primarily for the story 'Sardonicus' but was pleased with the inclusion of the three 'S' stories: Sardonicus, Sagittarius, and Sanguinarius. Sardonicus was eventually made into the Roger Corman cult favorite 'Mr. Sardonicus'. Both Sardonicus and Sanguinarius are worth the purchase alone, and while I enjoyed Sagittarius, I have to admit the ending left me baffled. Russell's command of the gothic tale and his ability to recreate it in these three tales is impressive. The other stories are good as well but, for me, didn't quite live up to the first three stories. Good stuff! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #806,908 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #757 in Horror Collections & Anthologies (Books) #2,083 in Gothic Fiction #2,130 in Horror Occult & Supernatural | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 410 Reviews | ## Images ![Haunted Castles: The Complete Gothic Stories (Penguin Horror) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91qYL4SMdSL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Great Collection of Gothic Horror Stories. *by J***T on May 28, 2026* If you like gothic horror stories you must get this collection. Every story was enjoyable. A must have. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Classic Gothic Tales from Ray Russell *by J***F on October 21, 2019* I purchased this book primarily for the story 'Sardonicus' but was pleased with the inclusion of the three 'S' stories: Sardonicus, Sagittarius, and Sanguinarius. Sardonicus was eventually made into the Roger Corman cult favorite 'Mr. Sardonicus'. Both Sardonicus and Sanguinarius are worth the purchase alone, and while I enjoyed Sagittarius, I have to admit the ending left me baffled. Russell's command of the gothic tale and his ability to recreate it in these three tales is impressive. The other stories are good as well but, for me, didn't quite live up to the first three stories. Good stuff! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Exceeded my expectations *by M***. on February 23, 2017* Let me first say that I had never read any Russell before, so if you're a newcomer like me, listen up! (And if you're in a rush, just go ahead and buy it, it's worth your time and money.) Russell can only be labelled "modern" gothic in the sense that he was writing in the 20th century. Otherwise, his stories are set during fascinating, terrible lifespans anywhere from the 1500s to the late 1800s. His period language is meticulously researched and correct, while his grammar and writing style are gorgeous, first-rate. This rich, sometimes dense prose is balanced (I can't say lightened) by pulpy thrills: horrifically unflinching details, an unsavory but irrepressibly sexual atmosphere, and grisly motives & plot twists that will make you wince -- all of a thoroughly sadistic bent. Sardonicus, arguably the most original of the 'S' trilogy, fully deserves its reputation as a masterpiece, but it was Sanguinarius that most impressed me. When I finished that story, I had to immediately read more about Elisabeth Báthory; yet, in the end, the world Russell created is inkier, redder, more saturated and enchanting than the true history. Sagittarius had a bit of a clunky frame narrative which I can only partly endorse, but the story within was more than enjoyable. So the frame can be forgiven. I was sad and a little apprehensive after completing the 'S' trilogy -- would I be disappointed by the other stories? Rest assured, the remainder of the collection is solid. Comet Wine and The Vendetta tie in subtly to the same fictional universe by means of a minor character from Sardonicus. The Cage and The Runaway Lovers, somehow less detailed, could be called sketches. But it is probably more useful to think of them as dark parables, and they are quite effective despite having less meat on their bones. Last, I just want to add that I'm grateful to Penguin for making Russell available. It would be unjust to see a talent like his lost to dust. While other genre fiction has enjoyed increasing respect from the publishing and academic worlds, horror & supernatural literature still remain undervalued. That said, Penguin has made real efforts to correct this (usually, though not in this case, with the help of S.T. Joshi). The Oxford World Classics series has some good anthologies as well. ## Frequently Bought Together - Haunted Castles: The Complete Gothic Stories (Penguin Horror) - The Case Against Satan (Penguin Classics) - The Penguin Book of Witches --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tw/products/35095026-haunted-castles-the-complete-gothic-stories-penguin-horror](https://www.desertcart.tw/products/35095026-haunted-castles-the-complete-gothic-stories-penguin-horror) --- *Product available on Desertcart Taiwan* *Store origin: TW* *Last updated: 2026-10-21*