The Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Story (Oxford World's Classics)

Book Description

First published pseudonymously in 1764, The Castle of Otranto purported to be a translation of an Italian story of the time of the crusades. In it Walpole attempted, as he declared in the Preface to the second edition, `to blend the two kinds of romance: the ancient and the modern'. He gives us a series of catastrophes, ghostly interventions, revelations of identity, and exciting contests. Crammed with invention, entertainment, terror, and pathos, the novel was an immediate success and Walpole's own favourite among his numerous works. His friend, the poet Thomas Gray, wrote that he and his family, having read Otranto, were now `afraid to go to bed o'nights'. The novel is here reprinted from a text of 1798, the last that Walpole himself prepared for the press.

Customer Reviews:

Probably better in its day.......2006-12-16

This book, like Pamela for feminist literary history, is important due to the fact that it was the first gothic novel ever written. The voice is a good one for the story, deep, reverant, dramatic; the writing is of excellent breed as well. With that said, however, so much has been ripped-off from this novel, and into novels that we've already read, that the story itself comes off as a bit cliche, not to mention ridiculous. Although the hyperbole of the novel is based off sybolic intentions, the best that one can say about this piece is that it lit a torch for future great novels--not that it's so much a great novel on its own two feet. Worty of reading if you care about the history of novels in general, but if you're looking for a great gothic novel this shouldn't be a first choice.

Walpole's Castle: More Historical Then Entertaining.......2006-08-21

When Horace Walpole published THE CASTLE OF OTRANTO in 1794, his reading public was unprepared for what was to them a floodtide of unrestrained emotion. It had only been recently that the concept of "sensibility" in writing had been in vogue. In novels of this type (later popularized by Austen) the protagonist, usually a well-born female, would be subject to a non-stop series of emotional excesses like fainting, weeping, and otherwise losing all restraint. And lying behind this relatively recent vogue of sensibility lay a much longer tradition of its polar opposite: the damming of all feeling in favor of a carefully controlled harmony between man and nature. With THE CASTLE OF OTRANTO, this harmony cracked into innumerable pieces that manifested themselves into what was soon to become staples of the genre: unexplained supernatural phenomenon, dark and dank castles that hinted at the equally dark and dank recesses of the human psyche, and a series of images that exploded into a cacophony of sound and sight.

The story is slight both in plot and theme. The evil Manfred, the usurping ruler of Otranto, plans to marry his weakened son solely to ward off a prophecy that suggests that unless he has male heirs, he will be deposed. Just before the nuptuals between his son and Manfred's choice for him, Isabella, a colossal helmet comes crashing down, crusahing his son to pieces. This tragedy does not deter Manfred as he then plans to marry the lovely Isabella himself. Isabella, aided by the peasant Theodore, helps Isabella escape. Theodore is captured, but the ghost of the previous owner of Otranto, Alonso appears and incredibly blasts his own castle to pieces, leaving Isabella to marry Theodore. Even for a nonsense story, the plot does not hold water. Further, the writing style is inexplicably formal, with all events, both mundane and preternatural, narrated in a pseudo-classic manner that fits in well enough in the Augustan mode but seems ill-suited to this new genre of emotional excess. Still, THE CASTLE OF OTRANTO is significant in that for those who care to learn the where and the how of the horror genre, then Walpole's innovative surge of novelistic emotion is a good place to begin.

Lovely, trashy early novel.......2005-12-24

The Castle of Otranto isn't the best novel you'll ever read, since its characters are more like "types" than living human beings. That said, it's a breezy example of an early novel, before the Victorians got hold of the form and made the books longer and more "respectable." This is one of the books that Jane Austen's gothic-novel-obsessed character Catherine Morland (in Northanger Abbey) would have read to scare herself out of her wits. For that reason alone it's worth reading--to understand what types of books Jane Austen herself was reacting to when she wrote her books.

Also, it's worth reading simply because the story begins with a character being killed by a giant helmet. What a great, fun, gloriously trashy way to begin a book!

Horace Walpole, incidentally, was the son of the prominent 18th century politician Robert Walpole, who is satirized in John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera" and in a number of works written by Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope. Perhaps fortunately, however, the father had passed away before his son wrote this book.

A strangely epitomizing expression of gothic literature.......2005-12-08

I read this book back in May, 2005, as part of my Gothic Lit. class. It's not a book I'd read again strictly for pleasure, but there is a strange quality to it that beckons me to read it again.

While a fairly absurd and not-very-frightening book (at least to modern readers), this book is worth reading as it seems to contain every element that is a staple of gothic fiction -- and why not? It's the first, after all.

After the class and a little thought, I lean toward considering the following elements to be the staples of "true" gothic stories:

1. Numinous (frightening and awe-inspiring) supernatural elements (one could say that should be drawn loosely from real-world beliefs, but I won't make that stipulation myself)

2. Excessive violence (not necessarily blood/guts/gore, but something that leaves you thinking "that wasn't called for")

3. Sexual perversion (not necessarily anything explicit, just hints at something "not right" -- this element makes things both more exciting and more menacing)

4. Madness

5. Helpless hero (necessarily useless, but overwhelmed, unable to accomplish everything and/or take an active approach to the problem)

6. Social injustice (a challenge to "life as usual")

6. Religion gone wrong (a bleaker, maybe questioning look at religion and religious beliefs)

The surprising thing is that it does this while remaining a fairly tame book. It's excessive violence is performed off-camera, as does the majority of its supernatural elements. Manfred's desire to leave his wife on the basis that their marriage is actually incestuous in order to marry his late son's fiance was sufficiently disturbing to me but far even from X-rated. Manfred is flighty and prone to a kind of mania. The hero is vastly overwhelmed, stays on the defense, and is unable to save the one thing most important to him. At the heart of the novel are pointed social and religious questions/commentary.

One of the things that has fascinated me with this book is the retellings it has inspired in The Old English Baron and The Castles of Athlin & Dunbayne. Both of those are significantly less gothic than Otranto (especially Castles, which is not gothic at all), but are better retellings of the core romance between the hero and his love.

All in all, I'd recommend this work to anyone interested in gothic literature. I'd also recommend The Old English Baron and The Castles of Athlin & Dunbayne (especially the latter) as better retellings of the romance in the book.

Sterility, sterility! or, You Must Be Kidding.......2005-08-28

If "The Castle of Otranto" were *only* a predictable-yet-ridiculous, overwrought mass of goo -- a narrative devoid of delight, pacing, or any discernible reason to care about it -- I would not be writing this review. But it is also a frigid travesty of the English language, an abomination of unnatural phrases.

I shudder to think that anyone would deem this book more than a greasy stain upon the annals of English literature, supposing its faults to be just the pitfalls of its period, the charming traits of a world whose sentiment and taste have grown alien to modern readers. No! For God's sake, man, this was the same decade that saw "Tristram Shandy," the same year as Johnson's Preface to Shakespeare! I made the mistake of coming to "Otranto" right after treating myself to an 18th century novel in French. Walpole has managed to copy from his French contemporaries many words, prepositional expressions, etc., that have no place in the English tongue, but nothing of their grace, intelligence, or ability to fashion a story and a style.

Finally, what is going on with the Oxford World's Classics? This edition thinks you want an asterisk and an endnote to inform you that "brazen" means "brass." (It is interesting to see that Oxford imagines the readers of this text -- presumably English lit grad students -- as less literate than those who might pick up the World's Classics edition of, say, "Leaves of Grass," where you wouldn't find the help you might need.)

Two stars instead of one because it's just ludicrous enough a trainwreck to be very mildly diverting, and because its occasional lapses into competent fiction seem more pleasing after wading through the muck.

"This is more than fancy, said the marquis; her terror is too natural and too strongly impressed to be the work of imagination." You wish, Horace.

The Castle of Otranto (Penguin Classics)

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Setting the Tone
Leading the Way
The Broadview Edition of Horace Walpole's Castle of Otranto
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The Castle of Otranto (Penguin Classics)
Horace Walpole , and Michael Gamer
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140437673

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)

Customer Reviews:

Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

A nasty accidental death is not a good thing to have happen on your
wedding day, particularly when it happens to the guy you were going to marry.

After this unfortunate event, the father of the dead groom decides
he needs to marry the now did not quite make it to widowed woman. There are financial reasons, for this, of course.

Plenty of supernatural and other sorts of suspense follow.

Setting the Tone.......2007-06-10

"The Castle of Otranto" by Horace Walpole, is regarded as the first novel of the gothic genre. Indeed its short and simple story is filled with the supernatural, and what must nowadays count as caricatures for characters. The charm of the story lies within its historical relevance and what it brought to future stories within that genre, not in the story itself.

Immediately the reader is introduced to the tyrannical prince of Otranto, Manfred, as he is about to marry his sickly son to the princess Isabella in a quest to secure his claim to the throne he may not be entitled to. When Manfred's son Conrad is struck dead, with no witnesses to his ghastly death, Manfred is at a total loss. He strikes upon the idea of marrying the young princess Isabella for himself; when he proposes the notion to Isabella, she is frightened and repulsed and runs away, seeking sanctuary within the castle's monastery. Then ensues Manfred's stalking of Isabella while trying to get out of his marriage to his extremely pious wife Hippolita, while all about the castle the servants and ruling family keep having dreadful visions.

In the end these supernatural visions serve to bring justice to the rightful heir, a young man who unwittingly helps Isabella escape from Manfred's clutches only to fall in love with Manfred's daughter, Matilda. The theme is that of the sins of the father being visited upon the children (even generations later) and is not a new theme in modern literature, but an interesting choice and one that works with the supernatural means Walpole employs to bring it about. While "The Castle of Otranto" is a watershed in the gothic genre, it is by far not the best or most notable work of that period; yet without the blueprint laid meticulously out by Walpole, such greater stories may never have been written.

Leading the Way.......2003-11-03

Everything that can be said is almost certainly expressed in the comprehensive introduction to this fine edition.
I will attempt to review it anyhow as I enjoyed this literary, pioneering work immensely and hopefully my pale (in comparision to Walpole's and his peers) words might incite others to enjoy the first(claimed to be by many anyhow) gothic book written.

I am going to provide a brief synopsis although one has been provided in hopes of conveying how big and active the plot is of this novel. Manfred, Prince of Otronto prepares for his son' wedding day, but suddenly his son is crushed by a giant helmet. Not confident his wife would provide him with another male heir to carry on his line Manfred decides he wishes to marry his passed son's fiancee, Isabella. Fearing a marriage to tyrannical Manfred Isabella flees with help of the peasant Theodore, and finds sanctuary with the monk Jerome.
As Manfred tries to convince Jerome to bless his marriage to Isabella(and grant divorce from his wife)emmisaries from Isabella's family arrive at the castle. There is question of the legimitacy to Manfred's claim to the princedom of Otronto it seems and the rightful heir is Isabella's father one of the reasons Manfred is so keen on a marital union between the families. This all happens in the first fifty or sixty pages, and even as summed up I failed to really express how much takes place in this little book. Let's just say this is a dense plot, so much happening in so little time.
I tried to finish this book in time to post my review ofr it on Halloween, but The Castle of Otronto is not a book that can be called a fast read, nor is it a book you wish to skim pages on.
Walpole successfully blended romance and supernatural suspense leading the way in a genre of fiction that is still emulated and popular to this day.
The Castle of Otronto is a great Gothic novel and it is also a great novel period.

The Broadview Edition of Horace Walpole's Castle of Otranto.......2003-04-10

Prospective buyers and users should take note that the Customer Reviews posted on Amazon.com are erroneous. They pertain to previous
editions of Walpole's Gothic novel and do not apply to the Broadview edition. A unique feature of the Broadview edition is the inclusion of Walpole's drama, The Mysterious Mother, sometimes mentioned by literary historians as the first Gothic drama. Thus, the user has at his disposal two important prototypes of the Gothic novel. Appendices include excerpts from Burke's treatise on the sublime, Hurd's Letters on Chivalry and Romance, the Graveyard poets, Hervey's Meditations Among the Tombs, Walpole's correspondence, and the eccentric architectural splendors of Strawberry Hill, Walpole's Gothicized villa on the Thames. I am the edition's editor, Frederick S. Frank, another fact omitted from the Amazon.com descriptor.

Best edition available.......2002-03-27

Finally someone has provided us with a readable, absorbing, and correct edition of this novel. I've always found this a difficult work, but the introduction and notes are wonderful, reading the book as camp and as opera. The hundreds of errors in the Oxford University Press edition are finally corrected here, and the appendix (providing 75 years of responses to Walpole's romance) makes for hilarious reading. Without question the best available teaching text.

Three Gothic Novels: The Castle of Otranto; Vathek; Frankenstein (English Library)

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Early Gothic Novels by Walpole, Beckford, and Polidori
Gothick Terror, Oriental Decadence, Romantic Vampyres...
A great primer for those interested in early Gothic fiction

Three Gothic Novels: The Castle of Otranto; Vathek; Frankenstein (English Library)
Horace Walpole , William Beckford , and Mary Shelley
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140430369

Customer Reviews:

Early Gothic Novels by Walpole, Beckford, and Polidori.......2004-03-20

I was new to the Gothic genre when I first encountered this Dover publication some years ago. At that time I considered the plot for The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole to be farfetched, almost ludicrous. The mystical Oriental tale, Vathek (1782), by William Beckford seemed endless. Only the short story titled The Vampyre (1819, by John Polidori) met my expectations.

My opinion today is quite different. I have gradually become familiar with Gothic literature, and I now appreciate just how innovative these three stories were, and to how great an extent these tales influenced later writers. I give four stars to this collection.

The eighteenth century was clearly a period of philosophical and scientific progress. And yet, many readers were immediately intrigued and entertained by the supernatural, bizarre elements in The Castle of Otranto. Hundreds of authors subsequently imitated Walpole's Gothic style. Although many of these later stories had little literary merit, the Gothic novel remained immensely popular for the following century.

Today, it is true that the supernatural aspects in The Castle of Otranto may be overworked, the dialogue is often stilted, and the plot relies too much on coincidences. Nonetheless, The Castle of Otranto remains quite entertaining and suspenseful. The lengthy introduction by Sir Walter Scott (included in the 1811 edition) illustrates the remarkable impact of "this new species of literary composition".

William Beckford's Vathek is so original that it hardly fits even the Gothic genre. Beckford, a noted scholar of early Arabian literature, provided more than fifty pages of explanatory end notes. For some reason he first published Vathek in French. Later it was translated and published in English without his approval. I still find Vathek to be overly long, but this time I was intrigued with its mystical Arabian Nights motif, its chilling characters, and its vivid portrayal of evil.

In an introduction to The Vampyre the author John Polidori claimed (possibly to increase sales) that Lord Byron had created the plot at the same literary soiree in Geneva in which Mary Shelley produced Frankenstein. Lord Byron disputed Polidori's claim and produced his own notes from that famous gathering. Regardless, The Vampyre is fascinating short story.

E. F. Bleiler edited this collection and provided a lengthy, interesting introduction to three authors that were instrumental in developing the Gothic novel.

Gothick Terror, Oriental Decadence, Romantic Vampyres..........2002-05-09

This volume is an excellent introduction to four
works of the Gothic mindset, which hit England at
the end of the 1700s and lasted on into the early
Romantic period, all the way up to the late decadence
of the 1890s, winding up in Robert Louis Stevenson's
THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1886),
Oscar Wilde's THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (1891), and
Bram Stoker's DRACULA (1897).
These are four of the earliest of this Gothic genre.
The volume includes Horace Walpole's THE CASTLE OF
OTRANTO (Christmas Eve, 1764); William Beckford's
VATHEK (1786); John Polidori's VAMPYRE (1819); and
a Vampire Fragment by Lord Byron (1819), "which was
published at the end of MAZEPPA in 1819."
The list of Gothic NOVELS (rather than stories)
in chronological order which make the grade are:
Horace Walpole's CASTLE OF OTRANTO (1764), Clara
Reeve's THE CHAMPION OF VIRTUE (1777), William
Beckford's VATHEK (1786), Ann Radcliffe's THE
MYSTERIES OF UDOLPHO (1794), Matthew Gregory Lewis's
THE MONK (1795), Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN (1818),
John Polidori's VAMPYRE (1819), Charles R. Maturin's
MELMOTH THE WANDERER (1820).
There are excellent introductions to each of the
writers and their works at the beginning of the book.
In speaking of THE CASTLE OF OTRANTO, Bleiler says:
"This novel has been called one of the half-dozen
historically most important novels in English. The
founder of a school of fiction, the so-called Gothic
novel, it served as the direct model for an enormous
quantity of novels written up through the first
quarter of the 19th century.... It was probably
the most important source for enthusiasm for the
Middle Ages that suddenly swept Europe in the later
18th century, and many of the trappings of the early
19th century Romantic movement have been traced to
it. It embodied the spirit of an age."
There is included a series of impressive "Notes"
to the novel VATHEK: An Arabian Tale. The novel
begins in an interesting fashion: "Vathek, ninth
caliph of the race of the Abassides, was the son
of Motassem, and the grandson of Haroun al Raschid.
From an early accession to the throne, and the talents
he possessed to adorn it, his subjects were induced to
expect that his reign would be long and happy. His
figure was pleasing and majestic: but when he was
angry, one of his eyes became so terrible, that no
person could bear to behold it; and the wretch upon
whom it was fixed instantly fell backward, and
sometimes expired. For fear, however, of depopulating
his dominions and making his palace desolate, he but
rarely gave way to his anger."
And here is a sample bite from John Polidori's
VAMPYRE: "There was no colour upon her cheek, not
even upon her lip; yet there was a stillness about
her face that seemed almost as attaching as the life
that once dwelt there: --upon her neck and breast
was blood, and upon her throat were the marks of teeth
having opened the vein: -- to this the men pointed,
crying, simultaneously struck with horror, "A
Vampyre! a Vampyre!"

A great primer for those interested in early Gothic fiction.......2000-06-21

This is a fabulous collection representing the beginning of Gothic fiction. Otronto is the very first such work, and is a perfect illustration of the basic themes and plotlines predominant in Gothic. Although not the most polished work of fiction, it's often so bad it's funny, and definitely worth reading. The other stories are much more professional, albeit a bit drier reading. I'm especially fond of Vathek, as it more clearly represents fear fiction as it was to become. Dr. Polidori's piece is particularly intersting as he was a physician and present at the famous ghost-story-telling session(s) of Byron and the Shelley couple.

Book Description

Macabre and melodramtic, set in haunted castles or fantastic landscapes, Gothic tales became fashionable in the late eighteenth century with the publication of Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto (1764). Crammed with catastrophe, terror, and ghostly interventions, the novel was an immediate success, and influenced numerous followers. These include William Beckford's Vathek (1786), which alternates grotesque comedy with scenes of exotic magnificence in the story of the ruthless Caliph Vathek's journey to damation. The Monk (1796), by Matthew Lewis, is a violent tale of ambition, murder, and incest, set in the sinister monastery of the Capuchins in Madrid. Frankenstein (1818, 1831) is Mary Shelley's disturbing and perennially popular tale of young student who learns the secret of giving life to a creature made from human relics, with horrific consequences. This collection illustrates the range and the attraction of the Gothic novel. Extreme and sensational, each of the four printed here is also a powerful psychological story of isolation and monomania.

The Castle of Otranto (Classic Literature with Classical Music)

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The Castle of Otranto (Classic Literature with Classical Music)
Horace Walpole
Manufacturer: Naxos of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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The Castle of Otranto (Large Print)
Horace Walpole
Manufacturer: ReadHowYouWant.com
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1425026079
Release Date: 2006-11-01

Book Description

An amusing and charming Gothic novel, which is remarkable for its masterful blend of ancient and modern romance. It is a story of Manfred's son and heir to the title of Otranto. It was first published with pseudonym in 1764. It is an ostensible translation of an Italian story of the crusades' time. Charismatic!

Three Eighteenth Century Romances: The Castle of Otranto; Vathek; The Romance of the Forest, (The Modern Student's Library)

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Three Eighteenth Century Romances: The Castle of Otranto; Vathek; The Romance of the Forest, (The Modern Student's Library)
Horace Walpole , William Beckford , and Mrs. Ann Radcliffe
Manufacturer: Charles Scribner's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B0006ALGWK

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The Castle of Otranto (Library Edition)
Horace Walpole
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audiobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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On the day of his wedding, Conrad, heir to the house of Otranto, is killed under mysterious circumstances. His calculating father, Manfred, fears that his dynasty will now come to an end and determines to marry his sons bride himselfdespite the fact he is already married. But a series of terrifying supernatural omens soon threaten this unlawful union, as the curse placed on Manfreds ancestor, who usurped the lawful Prince of Otranto, begins to unfold.

First published pseudonymously in 1764, The Castle of Otranto purported to be an ancient Italian text from the time of the crusades and is a founding work of Gothic fiction. With its compelling blend of sinister portents, tempestuous passions, and ghostly visitations, it spawned an entire literary tradition and influenced such writers as Ann Radcliffe and Bram Stoker.

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Otranto: A Criticism

A Challenging Thought-Provoking Read

Reading Rainbow's #1 pick

The Old English Baron / The Castle of Otranto (Eighteenth-Century Literature Series) (Eighteenth-Century Literature Series)
Clara Reeve , Horace Walpole , and Laura L. Runge
Manufacturer: College Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Pamela: Or Virtue Rewarded (Oxford World's Classics)

ASIN: 0967912121

Book Description

Clara Reeve's early gothic novel, The Old English Baron (1778), is paired with Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto (1764), the work that inspired it. Hers is the story of Edmund, the peasant-hero, who discovers his rightful heritage through mysterious portents, and whose loyalty and integrity are put to the test in bringing the villain to justice. With an emphasis on probability and domestic virtue, The Old English Baron plays an important role in the transformation of the gothic genre. While the Castle of Otranto initiates a tradition of horror, with violent deaths, tyrannical power and tragic doom. The Old English Baron redirects the gothic towards homosocial bonding, paternal goodness and, ultimately, sentimental domesticity. The College publishing edition includes a substantial introductory essay on historical and literary contexts, with additional "links" or short essays situated throughout the text, exploring subjects such as chivalry, younger sons, women and law, anti-Catholicism, gothic architecture, and the supernatural. The appendix includes eighteenth-and nineteenth century reviews of both novels.

Customer Reviews:

Otranto: A Criticism.......2005-09-19

Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto offers a delightfully gothic story of a man's lust for power. Manfred, the prince of Otranto, spends the course of the novella attempting to continue his bloodline. His son Conrad is a sickly adolescent who is mortally injured by the supernatural in the first pages of the story; the incident prohibits him from marrying the lovely princess Isabella. Manfred resolves to divorce his barren wife Hippolita and marry Isabella to produce the heir he needs. Theodore, a young peasant recently accused (unreasonably) of Conrad's death, aids Isabella in her escape from the castle. As Isabella escapes, Theodore is rediscovered by the king and promptly imprisoned. The stage is set for a wide array of strange occurrences.
The rest of the story yields many discoveries, such as Theodore's birthright, Manfred's motives for choosing Isabella, the identity of the silent knight, and the true meaning of the prophesy, "That the castle and lordship of Otranto should pass from the present family, whenever the real owner should be grown too large to inhabit it." (176)
The story does a marvelous job of keeping the keen reader astonished and engaged. Though the language complicates the dialogue at times, the back and forth provides for a fast-paced and enjoyable tale of self-destruction. While many of Walpole's uses of the supernatural are antiquated, the story's effect is not lost. Anything it loses in suspense it compensates for with its plot, providing a complex yet plausible web of relationships. Piety, greed, integrity, vengeance, cruelty, and the other themes of the novella keep the reader thinking throughout the text, while not being overwhelming. A short and pleasant read, The Castle of Otranto offers an insight into human nature, as well as into gothic literature.

A Challenging Thought-Provoking Read.......2005-09-17

The Castle of Otranto was an unbelievable, but, nonetheless, interesting novel. Throughout the story, ghosts emerge, mythical curses become reality, and other "weird" things happen. However, the weirdness of the story makes the plot more interesting for the reader. The story's outlandish events that also starkly contrast the scholarship of the writing.

The plot, although fairly developed, was at times startling and unexpected. Many times in the novel, various events occurred that the reader never thought would take place. As the story unravels, the plot becomes the major source for much of the character development. Therefore, the reader begins to understand the characters mainly through their interactions with one another.

In my opinion, the character who was almost fully developed was Manfred. Through observing his interactions with other people, the reader sees Manfred as being manipulative and ruthless when it comes to getting his way. Manfred will destroy virtually anyone who defies his will. He becomes even more tyrannical as the story progresses, and Manfred doesn't admit to his own faults until the very end, when much is already in devastation.

Most of the women in the book are passive and submissive. Look at Hippolitha! Too many times, Hippolitha tolerates the insolence and negligence of her "beloved" husband. Likewise, Matilda is very obedient towards her father. For most of the novel, Matilda is reluctant to defy her father's will. Although there were instances in which Matilda displayed hints of rebellion, these moments were fleeting.

Overall, I would say that this book was a good novel. Once you get used to the Old English language, the sophistication of the plot and the Gothic eeriness of the setting will make The Castle of Otranto an intellectually stimulating read.

Reading Rainbow's #1 pick.......2005-09-15

This book is the essence, and one of the first pieces of Gothic literature. It set the standards of cursed families, haunted castles, and other supernatural events in the genre.
A cursed and selfish king tries to continue his lineage against all odds. In each terrible plan of his, he only digs himself deeper in trouble with the supernatural.
This book is not a quick thriller because the plot is very complex and the language sometimes difficult to understand. The reader may have to reread again and again just to understand what is progressing in the story.
Most characters are characterized very well, both directly and indirectly, and seem to fit a certain stereotype. There is a hero, a tyrant, an obedient wife, and a couple women to be won. This furthers shows why this book set the standard for the Gothic genre. I would definitely recommend this book but it should not be taken lightly.

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