Starting an Addams Family Book Club
In this piece, we will explore 15 titles you can add to your book club reading list for The Addams Family, divided into three categories: selections to learn more about the work of Charles Addams, Wednesday Addams-inspired books for high school readers, and Pugsley Addams-inspired picks for middle grade readers.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
Research indicates that theatre is an effective and engaging medium for connecting with reluctant readers and fostering a love of literacy (Levy, 2005; Rozansky & Aagesen, 2010; Okikawa, 2010; Certo & Brinda, 2011). Immersing oneself in a story is inherent to the theatrical experience; actors embody new characters, set designers construct imagined worlds, and composers imagine a story’s sound. This experience has the potential to grip even the most apprehensive of readers and prompt deeper literary engagement. Creating a book club within your theatre company is an excellent way to support this literacy development, as well as build camaraderie and encourage dramaturgical research.
Learn About Charles Addams and His Artistic Style
The Addams Family: An Evilution
The Addams Family: An Evilution is a must-read for any participant in or fan of The Addams Family stage musical. Written by Kevin Miserocchi, Executive Director of The Tee & Charles Addams Foundation and Executive Producer of The Addams Family 2019 and 2021 animated films and Netflix’s Wednesday, The Addams Family: An Evilution compiles over 200 original Addams Family cartoons and details the evolution of the characters.
The Charles Addams Mother Goose
In 1967, Addams Family creator Charles Addams published an illustrated collection of Mother Goose nursery rhymes, reimagining the classics through his unique comedic and artistic lens. As the book is out of print, it can be difficult to track down a physical copy. However, Maria Popova wrote an article for The Marginalian that features an inside peek at Addams’s dark humored interpretations of classic children’s fables and songs, and you can access the full text on the Internet Archive with a free account. Your local library may have a copy in stock, too!
Addams' Apple: The New York Cartoons of Charles Addams
Addams' Apple: The New York Cartoons of Charles Addams compiles over 150 of Charles Addams’ cartoons for The New Yorker and other publications, and even some of his New Yorker covers. Addams’ Apple is a great way to see Addams’ development as an artist and comic throughout his lifetime, and especially to compare his style before and after the success of the Addams Family.
Wednesday’s Bookshelf
The Portable Edgar Allan Poe
Without Edgar Allan Poe, there would be no Addams Family. The original Master of the Macabre, Edgar Allan Poe was a prolific American Gothic poet and author of short stories known for creating the modern horror, science fiction, and mystery genres. Charles Addams was certainly a fan of the mad genius, and published a cartoon of Poe brainstorming his iconic Raven poem in an October 1973 edition of The New Yorker (p. 33). Both men were ahead of their times with their gruesome humor, carefully threading the line between the terrifying and the absurd in a way that did not always land with general audiences. Poe’s critics called his work “juvenile, vulgar, and artistically debased,” a critique that could be lobbied against Addams’ cartoons, too (Poetry Foundation, n.d.). Of Addams, Bob Mankoff of The New Yorker wrote:
“Addams made the horror hilarious: disturbing, but at the same time friendly, identifiable, and acceptable…Horror films that combine humor with horror, such as ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street,’ with its wise-cracking Freddy Krueger, are also in his debt. And, of course, Addams’s humor was ‘black’ and ‘sick’ before those terms applied” (2010).
Poe’s work has been referenced in several Addams Family franchise installments. In the The Addams Family season one episode “Morticia and the Psychiatrist,” Morticia reads The Raven to Pugsley before bed (Coons et al., 1964). She recites the same text with husband, Gomez, in the season two episode “The Addams Family Policy” (Lanfield, 1966). Netflix’s Wednesday also makes several references to Poe’s canon; most notably, the school the show takes place in is called Nevermore Academy – a reference to Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven (Gough, et al., 2022–; Poe, 1845).
Frankenstein
The mother of Gothic literature, Mary Shelley, would most definitely live on Wednesday Addams’ bookshelf. In fact, in episode six of the Netflix series Wednesday, “Quid Pro Woe,” Wednesday calls author Mary Shelley her “literary hero and nemesis” for writing a novel as tremendous as Frankenstein at just age 19 (Monteiro, 2022). Frankenstein – which many consider to be the first science-fiction novel – tells the story of a scientist who pieces together the body parts of various corpses to create new life. While often reduced to a “monster tale” in popular culture, Shelley investigates much deeper themes in Frankenstein, including the hubris of man and the importance of a mother’s love.
Wuthering Heights
While other girls in her class may be drawn to the epic romances in Jane Austen novels, Wednesday Addams would certainly prefer the twisted connection between Cathy and Heathcliff in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. Published in 1847, Wuthering Heights is a decades-spanning epic about two troubled lovers who torment themselves, and their families, over their mutual obsession.
Dracula
To finish the Gothic literature trifecta, add Bram Stoker’s Dracula to your Wednesday Addams. A classic of the genre, Dracula is the seminal vampire story and an essential read for any horror fan. The Addams Family makes few overt references to the text; however, some visuals from the Stoker classic – and its countless adaptations in popular culture – are found throughout the franchise, including in the family’s vampiric dress and sleeping methods.
Carrie
Once again, Netflix’s Wednesday provides another literary reference to cement Wednesday Addams’ superb taste in the horror genre; in season one, episode four of the show, “Woe What a Night,” Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams lavishes being covered in blood during the school dance in a cruel prank by the bullies (Burton, 2023). The scene takes homage from Stephen King’s debut novel, Carrie (1974), about an abused and lonely teenage girl who discovers she has telekinetic powers. In the book’s finale, the school bullies dump a bucket of pigs’ blood on Carrie at the prom, leading Carrie to lash out humiliation and pain. King’s novel is a dark and dramatic coming-of-age story that would appeal to the teenage Wednesday Addams and would make an excellent addition to an Addams Family bookclub.
The Haunting of Hill House
For a more modern entry into the Gothic canon, add Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House (1959) to your reading list. Set in a historic haunted mansion rivaling the Addams estate, The Haunting of Hill House tells the story of an occult investigator and his three companions are attacked by paranormal phenomena within the home’s walls.
Pugsley’s Bookshelf
Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein
For a more accessible, middle-grade-friendly adaptation of the classic Shelley text, consider Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein, a graphic novel adaptation by the acclaimed illustrator Gris Grimly. A favorite artist of film director Guillermo Del Toro, Grimly is known for his whimsical visual style and empathetic exploration of those deemed “monstrous” by society. Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein is an excellent primer to the original Mary Shelley text, bringing her prose to life in fantastical illustration.
Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales
The Addams children are certainly the type to reject the sugar-coated Disney adaptations of classic fairytales in favor of their more gruesome original texts. Familiarize yourself with the gory tales in this compilation of the Brothers’ Grimm most popular works and consider how they’ve been sanitized over time.
The Body
The Body is a 1982 Stephen King novella about four boys who set out to find the dead body of a local boy, reckoning with their own traumas and the concept of mortality along the way. The story is certainly dark and handles mature topics, but is still remembered as a beloved coming-of-age story. This is largely due to its 1986 film adaptation Stand By Me, which expands the text with director Rob Reiner’s signature compassionate lens.
The Halloween Tree
The Halloween Tree is a 1972 novel by Ray Bradbury about eight boys who embark on a time-bending adventure to find their missing friend on Halloween. Across their journey, the boys learn about the ancient and cross-cultural origins of the holiday. Like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, artist Gris Grimly has also produced a graphic novel adaptation of the Bradbury novel.
The Bad Beginning: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Vol. 1
The Bad Beginning (1999) is the first entry in the beloved children’s series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (pen name of author Daniel Handler). In the novel, we meet the Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, who are placed under the care of their evil, greedy distant relative, Count Olaf. Like the Addams Family cartoons, A Series of Unfortunate Events is darkly comedic, irreverent, and – at times – violent.
Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor
In every iteration of the Addams Family, Pugsley is a connoisseur of torture devices – and even invents some of his own, too. Perusing Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor would surely help one get into the mindset of the fiendish Addams son. Compiled in association with the Smithsonian Institution, Weapon: A Visual History contains hundreds of illustrations and photographs of weaponry spanning 4,000 years of history.
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Addams, C. (1973, Oct. 29). “Nevermore” [Illustration]. The New Yorker, p. 33. https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1973-10-29/flipbook/032/.
Addams, C. (2002). The Charles Addams Mother Goose. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Boal, A. (1979). Theatre of the Oppressed. (McBride, C.A., McBride, M.L., & Fryer, E., Trans.) Pluto Press. (Original work published 1974).
Bradbury, R. (1972). The Halloween Tree. Alfred A. Knopf.
Brown, C.L., & Urice, J.K. (2003). Strategies for Improving the Status of Theatre in Secondary Schools. Arts Education Policy Review, 104(4), p. 25-28. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csusm.edu/10.1080/10632910309600053.
Brontë, E. (2002). Wuthering Heights. Penguin Publishing Group.
Burton, T. (Director). (2022, Nov. 23). “Woe What a Nightmare” (Season 1, Episode 4) [TV series episode]. In Gough, A., Millar, M., Burton, T., Alpert, K., Berman, G., Harper, T., Miserocchi, K., & Mittman, A. (Executive Producers), Wednesday [Television series]. MGM Television; Millar Gough Ink; Tim Burton Productions; Toluca Pictures.
Catterall, J.S., Chapleau, R., & Iwanaga, J. (1999). “Involvement in the Arts and Human Development: General Involvement and Intensive Involvement in Music and Theatre Arts.” In E.B. Fiske (Ed.), Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning (pp. 1-18). Washington DC: Arts Education Partnership and President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED435581.pdf.
Certo, J., & Brinda, W. (2011). Bringing Literature to Life for Urban Adolescents: Artistic, Dramatic Instruction and Live Theater. The Journal of Aesthetic Education, 45(3), 22–37. https://doi.org/10.5406/jaesteduc.45.3.0022.
Coons, H. & Winkler, H. (Writers), & Yarbough, J. (Director). (1964, Sept. 25). “Morticia and the Psychiatrist” (Season 1, Episode 2) [TV Series Episode]. In D. Levy (Executive Producer), The Addams Family. Filmways Television.
Ford, R. (2016). Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor. DK.
Grimm, J. & Grimm, W. (2011). “The Little Mermaid.” In M. Hunt’s Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairytales. Canterbury Classics.
Gough, A., Millar, M., Burton, T., Alpert, K., Berman, G., Harper, T., Miserocchi, K., & Mittman, A. (Executive Producers). (2022–). Wednesday [Television series]. MGM Television; Millar Gough Ink; Tim Burton Productions; Toluca Pictures.
Henry, S. & Sante, L. (2020). Addams' Apple: The New York Cartoons of Charles Addams. Pomegranate Communications.
Jackson, S. (1959). The Haunting of Hill House. Viking Press.
King, S. (1974). Carrie. Doubleday.
King, S. (1982). The Body. Viking Press.
Levy, J. (2005). “Reflections on How the Theatre Teaches.” The Journal of Aesthetic Education, 39(4), p. 20–30. https://doi.org/10.1353/jae.2005.0042.
Lanfield, S. (Director). (1966). “The Addams Family Policy” (Season 2, Episode 28) [TV Series Episode]. In D. Levy (Executive Producer), The Addams Family. Filmways Television.
Mankoff, R. (2010, Mar. 11). “Charles Addams.” The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/cartoons/bob-mankoff/charles-addams.
May, C.E. (2024). “Edgar Allan Poe.” EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/edgar-allan-poe.
Miserocchi, H.K. (2010). The Addams Family, An Evilution. Pomegranate Communications.
Monteiro, G. (Director). (2022, Nov. 23). “Quid Pro Woe” (Season 1, Episode 6) [TV series episode]. In Gough, A., Millar, M., Burton, T., Alpert, K., Berman, G., Harper, T., Miserocchi, K., & Mittman, A. (Executive Producers), Wednesday [Television series]. MGM Television; Millar Gough Ink; Tim Burton Productions; Toluca Pictures.
Okikawa, L.C. (2012). “Putting it Together: Musical Theater and Literacy for Children with Visual Impairments.” Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 106(6), p. 370–378. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X1210600608.
Pagan, A. (2019, Jan. 18). “Where to Start With Edgar Allan Poe.” New York Public Library. https://www.nypl.org/blog/2019/01/18/where-start-edgar-allan-poe.
Poe, E.A. (2006). The Portable Edgar Allan Poe. Penguin Random House.
Rozansky, C.L. & Aegesen, C. (2010, March). “Low-Achieving Readers, High Expectations: Image Theatre Encourages Critical Literacy.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(6), p. 458-466.
Shelley, M. (2018). Frankenstein: The 1818 Text. Penguin Random House.
Shelley, M. (Author) & Soenksen, S. (Illustrator). (2015). Gris Grimly's Frankenstein. Clarion Books.
Snickett, L. (1999). The Bad Beginning: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Vol.1. HarperCollins.
Stoker, B. (2011). Dracula. Barnes & Noble.