Gothic classics part 1

The novels that started a genre...these three classics are perfect October reads:

First published in 1764, Horace Walpole’s “The Castle of Otranto” is generally regarded as the first gothic novel, a work which blended supernatural and fantastical elements with realistic characters and events. Heralding in a new and immensely popular literary style, the novel purports to be the true story of Manfred, lord of the Italian Castle Otranto during medieval times, who out of concern for carrying on his lineage attempts to marry off his son to the young and beautiful Princess Isabella. When a tragic and supernatural accident kills his son on his wedding day, a desperate Manfred will stop at nothing to wed Isabella himself and ensure the continuation of his line. The innocent Isabella flees Manfred’s foul clutches and is aided by the poor and honorable Theodore, who is not what he seems to be. Many of the elements that would come to define the gothic genre are present here in exciting abundance: secret passages, ghostly interventions, hidden identities, frightening coincidences, and violent confrontations. “The Castle of Otranto” is a chilling gothic masterpiece that has inspired countless writers and thrilled readers for generations since its first appearance.

With The Mysteries of Udolpho, Ann Radcliffe raised the Gothic romance to a new level and inspired a long line of imitators. Portraying her heroine's inner life, creating a thick atmosphere of fear, and providing a gripping plot that continues to thrill readers today, The Mysteries of Udolpho is the story of orphan Emily St. Aubert, who finds herself separated from the man she loves and confined within the medieval castle of her aunt's new husband, Montoni. Inside the castle, she must cope with an unwanted suitor, Montoni's threats, and the wild imaginings and terrors that threaten to overwhelm her.

‘Few could sustain the glance of his eye, at once fiery and penetrating’

Savaged by critics for its supposed profanity and obscenity, and bought in large numbers by readers eager to see whether it lived up to its lurid reputation, The Monk became a succès de scandale when it was published in 1796 – not least because its author was a member of parliament and only twenty years old. It recounts the diabolical decline of Ambrosio, a Capuchin superior, who succumbs first to temptations offered by a young girl who has entered his monastery disguised as a boy, and continues his descent with increasingly depraved acts of sorcery, murder, incest and torture. Combining sensationalism with acute psychological insight, this masterpiece of Gothic fiction is a powerful exploration of how violent and erotic impulses can break through the barriers of social and moral restraint.