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

For:$15.95
Product Rating:

9 Reviews
Info:
Set Price Alert Save to Wish List

BestDeal

$15.95 at Amazon

Write a product review

ProductReviews

1-9 out of 9

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 this book has some bad flaws, and despite it being a readable...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

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 the works it helped inspire is like comparing the Wright...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

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 falling from the sky and crushing a weakling boy on his...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

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 did not quite make it to widowed woman. There are financial...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

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 the story lies within its historical relevance and what it...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

From: Amazon
Posted: Nov-03-2003

Leading the Way

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...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

From: Amazon
Posted: Apr-10-2003

The Broadview Edition of Horace Walpole's Castle of Otranto

Prospective buyers and users should take note that the Customer Reviews posted on Amazon.com are erroneous. They pertain to previouseditions 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...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

From: Amazon
Posted: Mar-27-2002

Best edition available

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...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

From: Amazon
Posted: May-09-1997

I found this book very good and a bit scary.

Castle of Otrantoby Horace Walpole I found that this book, was a very good book. It was so good that I felt that I was in the book. Throughout most of the book I was feeling cold shivers dancing up and down my spine, especially when Manfred chased Princess Isabella. The one part that I...

Read full review | Report as inappropriate

Write a product review

Page 1 of 1