Dorothy Daniels

Dorothy Daniels' writing career commenced shortly after her marriage to Norman Daniels, a prolific detective and spy-story author. She began by writing romantic short stories and doctor/nurse novels, but when their healthy sales figures declined, Daniels' publisher suggested she turn to the gothic romance. Daniels is best known for her work in this genre.

Her novels uphold the traditions and attitudes of a solid middle-class experience where age and sex role expectations are clearly defined. The characters in the gothics pose no threat to the beliefs of the readers; Daniels receives popular acceptance because she treats the values of ordinary people with respect. Her insistence on happy endings reinforces the concept that good, by its very nature, must ultimately triumph over evil. For a reading audience experiencing many challenges to traditional modes of behavior in the 1970s, the gothic novel was a comforting assurance that certain standards never change. And despite rampant changes in society and mores in the 1980s and 1990s, Daniels is still a favorite among readers of gothic novels, or as they are frequently labeled, escapist literature. The immense response to her writing, however, stands as testimony to her ability to know and fulfill the desires of her reading audience. Rather than debate the merits or shortcomings of escapist literature, it is more important to study Daniels for her insight into the American psyche.

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