The Castle of Otranto and The Mysterious Mother (Broadview Literary Texts)

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) more

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Recent Reviews

3/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Apr-20-2008; Disappointing?; Known as the landmark in "Gothic literature", I wasn't too sure of what to expect with this. Things started off well when the would-be husband gets squished under a giant helment mysteriously fallen from the sky. But then...I believe...; read full review | report as inappropriate

2/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Dec-10-2007; the humble beginnings of gothic fiction; Here it is: the novel that created the gothic fiction genre and paved the way for such works as Frankenstein, Dracula, The Monk, Melmoth the Wanderer, The Shining and Alien (to name just a few). Yet, comparing The Castle of Otranto with...; read full review | report as inappropriate

2/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Nov-07-2007; It may have it's place as the first Gothic, but it's still bad; This mess of a book, a semblance of ideas inspired largely by Shakespeare is nothing less than throw-away trash. This book is an inspiration to the art of cheesy writing, with silly visuals (a Monty Python opening involves a large helmet...; read full review | report as inappropriate

3/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Sep-03-2007; Free SF Reader; A nasty accidental death is not a good thing to have happen on yourwedding day, particularly when it happens to the guy you were going to marry.After this unfortunate event, the father of the dead groom decideshe needs to marry the now...; read full review | report as inappropriate

Selected Reviews

4/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Jun-10-2007; Setting the Tone; "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...; read full review | report as inappropriate

3/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Apr-20-2008; Disappointing?; Known as the landmark in "Gothic literature", I wasn't too sure of what to expect with this. Things started off well when the would-be husband gets squished under a giant helment mysteriously fallen from the sky. But then...I believe...; read full review | report as inappropriate

2/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Dec-10-2007; the humble beginnings of gothic fiction; Here it is: the novel that created the gothic fiction genre and paved the way for such works as Frankenstein, Dracula, The Monk, Melmoth the Wanderer, The Shining and Alien (to name just a few). Yet, comparing The Castle of Otranto with...; read full review | report as inappropriate