Horror Novels as Candles: A Fragrant Journey into Fear

If you’ve followed me for long, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of immersive reading. So when I saw this week’s prompt for a Top Ten Tuesday, I knew I had to join in! Imagine how absolutely perfect it would be to curl up with a good horror novel, getting totally lost in the pages, and having your room filled with a scent that elevates the entire experience. Heaven! Or sort of, at least. I’ve paired some of my favourite spooky stories with some pleasant (and not so pleasant) scents to bring your reading experience to a whole new level.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula – Stone, Wood, Smoke

A timeless tale deserves a timeless scent. And while I know there’s not much of the story that actually takes place in the castle, I’ve based the candle off of this creepy crypt. One of the reasons I fell in love with this book is the amazing atmosphere at the beginning. Jonathan’s isolation is haunting, and if there is a candle for Dracula, it needs to reflect that.

For this candle? Picture the scent of ancient stone walls and old oak furniture. Smoke still lingers in the air from the last candle (and hope) you have. His brides are coming. There’s nowhere left to hide now, and all you can do is pray you make it until morning.

Adam Nevill’s The Ritual – Earthy and Rain

The movie was perfection, the book was haunting, and the candle needs to match. The Ritual follows four friends on a hiking trip gone bad. People are hurt, friends are turning on each other, and an old-world god is hunting them through the dark woods. A candle inspired by this read would need to be the perfect blend of earth and rain. It should feel like you’re crawling through the thorny brush, begging for someone, anyone, to help you.

Stephen King’s Misery – Baby Powder and Snow

Misery is one of those books that has lived with me. I think it’s probably a book that has lived with every author. It’s a story of a reader’s obsession and an author’s capitivity, and it’s everything I could ask for in a spooky King read. The scent for this one has to capture the oddly comforting scent of Annie Wilkes and the sheer terror of Paul Sheldon. My suggestion? Baby powder and crisp snow. It’s a scent that will have stand right up in the theatre and shout, “BUT HE DIDN’T GET OUT OF THE COCKADOODY CAR!”

Stephen Kind’s It – Cotton Candy and Sewer Drains

Hey, not every scent is a winner, okay? This book is a masterclass in childhood fears (and a reminder to never get close to storm drains). If this book had a candle, it would have to smell like the perfect mixture of childhood dreams and the rotting underbelly of a creature hiding in the sewers. Sewer drains and cotton candy are the picture (disgusting) mixture of unique and unsettling. This thing is going to remind you that sometimes, the scariest things are hidden behind a thin veil of sweetness.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein – Paper, Metal, and Graveyard Dirt

A classic novel deserves a classic scent, and boy oh boy is this novel a classic! Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein follows the story of a man learning the consequences of playing god. But remember, before there was The Monster, there was the academic. The candle scent for this classic would be a combination of paper, metal, and graveyard dirt. The smell of aged paper reminds of us Viktor’s life before The Monster. A metallic scent represents the tools of creation (destruction?). And finally, the earthy aroma of graveyard dirt reminds us of… graveyard dirt, I guess.

Got Any Candle Recs?

I’ve really loved getting a chance to participate in this little event, and I look forward to doing more! If you want to check out what scents other bloggers have whipped up, be sure to check out the original blog post here. Until next time, light a candle, open a book, and let the scents guide you through the dark corridors of your imagination.