The thirty-ninth book: #39 The Castle of Otranto - Horace Walpole
This is said to be the first gothic novel, in part thanks to its addition to the subtitle, but it also doesn't appear to have refined it quite yet. There are the supernatural occurences, which mix up the story nicely, but for the most part they don't inform the story as much as I wish it was. Instead, the supernatural events, like a giant helmet falling out of nowhere, feel more like they reinforce the story, sometimes as a plot device, sometimes to emphasize what is already happening. There are a lot of events of death and betrayal, but I couldn't quite keep up with the events - perhaps not quite in the right mindset, but I felt I missed out on some of the hooks as well. One step at a time.