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The Castle of Otranto and the Mysterious…
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The Castle of Otranto and the Mysterious Mother: A Gothic Story; And, the Mysterious Mother : A Tragedy (Broadview Liter (edition 2003)

by Horace Walpole

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842318,069 (4.05)5
If you are a fan of the gothic novel you must read this. Written by Horace Walpole this is the first and original gothic novel in English. Walpole was obsessed with all things Gothic and even built/decorated his Strawberry Hill mansion in the gothic style. It might seem a bit hackneyed reading it now but try to approach it from the perspective of someone who'd never encountered the genre before. It's surprisingly frightening for a book written so long ago and it's dark macabre feeling is delicious. I found that the plot devices used by Walpole, though we've seen them all before in most gothic novels since, have a unique freshness that comes from the originality of the work for its time. Excellent read. Give it a go. ( )
  Wanderlust_Lost | Jun 23, 2007 |
Showing 2 of 2
The Broadview edition brings together both of Walpole's formative works of gothic literature from the late 18th century. Both are fairly quick reads. For the modern reader, Walpole's stories may seem a bit trite as his imagery, plots and characters have frequently appeared throughout gothic genre in the years since Walpole's works were originally published. However, as the origins of gothic literature, both are interesting for anyone interested in the gothic movement. ( )
  musecure | Jan 1, 2018 |
If you are a fan of the gothic novel you must read this. Written by Horace Walpole this is the first and original gothic novel in English. Walpole was obsessed with all things Gothic and even built/decorated his Strawberry Hill mansion in the gothic style. It might seem a bit hackneyed reading it now but try to approach it from the perspective of someone who'd never encountered the genre before. It's surprisingly frightening for a book written so long ago and it's dark macabre feeling is delicious. I found that the plot devices used by Walpole, though we've seen them all before in most gothic novels since, have a unique freshness that comes from the originality of the work for its time. Excellent read. Give it a go. ( )
  Wanderlust_Lost | Jun 23, 2007 |
Showing 2 of 2

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