The Italian

I read this after finishing The Monk to see which gothic classic would handle the tale of priestly corruption better. Apparently neither author was great at condensing their plotline (both feel quite overpadded at 400 pages), but there are certain things that Anne Radcliffe can do better than Matthew Lewis, such as describing Italian landscapes, providing interior characterization, and not sensationalizing sexual assault. Ultimately though because of its drama and theatricality, Lewis’ story remains the more memorable of the two. Radcliffe argues that she is writing the more psychologically sophisticated genre of “terror,” but her style of suspense seems too restrained to really terrify a modern reader. Lewis, operating in the show more realm of horror, was more capable of interesting me because there is something horrifying about awful people committing brutal violent acts. Thank you for attending my TedTalk. show less

Read for a graduate seminar on Romantic Era Women Writers at CU Boulder.

I'd give this novel 3.5 stars, if such an option existed. As is, I'm rounding up!

I love how intricate the plot of this Gothic romance is - there really isn't a dull moment and the foreshadowing is not at all as obvious as it appears. That said - I could do without the excessive exclamation points (Perhaps Jay Anson was an avid reader of Radcliffe!) or the excessive exultations of the numerous servants/guides throughout the novel to which the main characters frequently failed to listen. As a plot device, I found that pretty weak - admittedly because my 21st Century sentiments were a bit vexed at the prospect of action moving forward because the rich guy ignored the show more poor guy.

That said - I'd recommend giving this one a read at some point in your life. show less

Read for a graduate seminar on Romantic Era Women Writers at CU Boulder.

I'd give this novel 3.5 stars, if such an option existed. As is, I'm rounding up!

I love how intricate the plot of this Gothic romance is - there really isn't a dull moment and the foreshadowing is not at all as obvious as it appears. That said - I could do without the excessive exclamation points (Perhaps Jay Anson was an avid reader of Radcliffe!) or the excessive exultations of the numerous servants/guides throughout the novel to which the main characters frequently failed to listen. As a plot device, I found that pretty weak - admittedly because my 21st Century sentiments were a bit vexed at the prospect of action moving forward because the rich guy ignored the show more poor guy.

That said - I'd recommend giving this one a read at some point in your life. show less

Would be very much surprised if this novel did not directly or indirectly influence the first three Star Wars movies (from the 1980s). Can be a bit tedious in places, but then suddenly Radcliffe springs a plot twist on her reader and you're off again. The Inquisition scene really needs to be staged in order to be followed--too many characters, too much chaos. I think this is probably her best novel (that I've read(.

I found this book fun and easier going than some of the other gothic novels I've read. This book had characters which could easily be identified and a plot that was fairly easy to follow. I did miss a few plot points, but was set straight by my tutor immediately - so no harm done. My only issue with this novel was that it was very verbose so that the story often got lost in all of the words. However, that was only a minor issue. The story moved along well, and the scenery seemed so magnificent that I wished I could have jumped into this novel to travel along with the characters (well, maybe not into the Inquisitor's prison!).

Published in 1797 this was the final novel from one of the early initiators of Gothic Romance - and many would say the genre's queen. The story begins as a Romeo and Juliet type affair: Vivaldi has fallen for Ellena, an enigmatic orphan, but his family strongly oppose the match. There is also a seemingly supernatural element as young suitor is repeatedly warned to keep his distance by the ghostly appearance of a sinister black monk. The plot moves fast, with lots of gorgeous descriptions of travel in the Alps and across Italy, and it takes in along the way many of the deliciously overwrought staples of the genre: poison, deathbed confessions, evil priests, sequestered monasteries and even the Inquisition. The main character is one show more Father Schedoni, the confessor of Vivaldi's mother, who, once drawn in to oppose the match using any means possible, finds his own shady past and web of deceit begins to unravel.

This is worth a read, particularly if you are interested in the early history of the Gothic novel. But, though The Italian is commonly hailed as Radcliffe's finest work, I have to say I found this a bit of a slog in places and overall much preferred her earlier book, the beautifully creepy Mysteries of Udolpho. Also, the e-book I read was one of the worst Kindle editions I've seen: absolutely riddled with typos, which - even for 77p - was a real shame. show less

A really good classic book by Ann Radcliffe. I really enjoyed Vivaldi as a character, and the amount of family related plot twists in this book is staggering, but fun. It was stressful following the characters around as they had their goalpost move every time they got close to resolving their struggles. I really enjoy how versatile of a character Schedoni is throughout the book, his chapters were some of my favorite.