The Castle of Otranto (Penguin Classics)
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
On the day of his wedding, Conrad, heir to the house of Otranto, is killed in mysterious circumstances. Fearing the end of his dynasty, his father, Manfred, determines to marry Conrad's betrothed, Isabella, until a series of supernatural events stands in his way. . . .
Set in the time of the crusades, The Castle of Otranto (1764) established the Gothic as a literary form in England. With its compelling blend of psychological realism and supernatural terror, guilty secrets and unlawful desires, it has influenced a literary tradition stretching from Ann Radcliffe and Bram Stoker to Daphne Du Maurier and Stephen King.
This Penguin Classics edition includes a full selection of early responses to the novel, as well as a critical introduction, chronology of Walpole's life and works, suggestions for further reading, and full explanatory notes.
"[Walpole] is the father of the first romance and surely worthy of a higher place than any living writer." (Lord Byron)
The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature
Horror tale by Horace Walpole, published in 1765. The work is considered the first gothic novel in the English language; its supernatural happenings and mysterious ambiance were widely emulated in the genre. Manfred is the tyrannical usurper of the princedom of Otranto. On the day his son Conrad is to marry Isabella, Conrad is found dead in the courtyard, crushed by a mammoth plumed helmet. Manfred decides to divorce his wife and marry Isabella in order to produce the heir he needs to retain control of the realm, but Isabella escapes to Father Jerome with the help of Theodore, a handsome young peasant. From a birthmark on Theodore's neck, Father Jerome discovers that the young man is really his natural son, born before he entered the priesthood, when he was the prince of Falconara. Later, the giant form of the martyred rightful prince Alfonso appears, proclaiming Theodore's right of succession, and then ascends to heaven. Manfred and his wife enter separate convents. Theodore marries Isabella and rules Otranto as prince.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
The Castle of Otranto (Penguin Classics)
The Castle of Otranto (Penguin Classics),Horace Walpole,Michael Gamer,Penguin Classics,0140437673,Classics,Fiction,Gothic fiction,Horror fiction,Inheritance and succession,Italy,Literary,Literature - Classics / Criticism,Literature: Classics,16th to 18th century fiction,Classic fiction,English,Fiction / Literary,Novels, other prose & writers: 16th to 18th centuries
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