The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole

Publisher: Lexido.com (2014)

98 pages, eBook (Purchased Myself for $0.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Ratings:

Violence: Mild-Moderate-Brutal

Swearing: Clean-Light-Filthy

Sexual Content: White-Pink-Red

Summary:

Looking to solidify his claim to his position as Lord of the Castle, Manfred has contracted for his sickly son, Conrad, to wed fair Isabella, but before the nuptials can take place the young man is killed, and Manfred decides to seek the alliance by attempting to divorce his wife and marry Isabella himself, but many things stand in his way.

My Thoughts:

I wanted to read this and the Mysteries of Udolpho, as a prelude to Northanger Abbey, because I figured, if I was going to read Jane Austen’s satirized version of a gothic novel, I wanted to know beforehand what she was poking fun at. This is a short story, but it is widely regarded as the first gothic novel, laying the way for bestselling authors such a Ann Radcliffe to follow. Considering the time period in which it was written, its main objective seems to be a desire to provide people with thrills and be generally “deliciously shocking.” There was some humor in it, but not the dark humor I expected, more “who's on first” verbal misunderstandings as you often find in Shakespeare and other such works. All of the women in the story (Hippolita, Matilda and Isabella) could fit the damsel in distress description (naive, sheltered, duty-bound, self-less martyr), but I felt particularly sorry for Matilda, who I felt got the shortest end of the stick here. I don’t think this would qualify by today’s standards as a thriller (no gory/violent elements), but it had some ghost story elements, and the atmosphere was quite mysterious. Entertaining read!

Edition Notes:

This Lexido Annotated Edition has optimum organization, readability and maneuverability for ebook. It also includes a bit of background on the author and the story, at the back of the text, for those with an interest. It is prefaced by the portion from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen that references the “Northanger Horrid Novels,” while The Castle of Otranto was not specifically mentioned, it is the forerunner of such stories. Great edition for the price.

Quotes:

“Heaven nor hell shall impede my designs—” -Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto

“We are all reptiles, miserable sinful creatures. It is piety alone that can distinguish us from the dust whence we sprung, and whither we must return.” -Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto

“I can forget injuries, but never benefits.” -Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto

“They start up, said the friar, who are suddenly beheld in the seat of lawful princes; but they wither away like the grass, and their place knows them no more.” -Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto

“Since she cannot live mine, cried he, at least she shall be mine in death!” -Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto

“—he was persuaded he could know no happiness but in the society of one with whom he could forever indulge the melancholy that had taken possession of his soul.” -Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto