The Mysteries of Udolpho: A Gothic Romance

Literature & Fiction

Radcliffe, Ann

Literary

Idle Spider Books

After being abandoned by the man she believes to be her father, Adeline St. Pierre finds precarious refuge with Pierre de la Motte and his family. Although La Motte is himself fleeing Paris to escape imprisonment, he agrees to take Adeline with them. Circumstances force La Motte and the others to settle in a remote, desolate abbey within the depths of the forest of Fontanville. The travelers’ initial relief is disturbed by the arrival of the Marquis de Montalt, owner of the forest. While Adeline is haunted by terrifying, mysterious dreams, La Motte becomes entangled in the corrupt schemes of his new-found benefactor. First published in 1791, The Romance of the Forest was Ann Radcliffe’s breakout book. This edition has been copyedited to current American practice in respect to punctuation. In some places words and phrases have been reordered — and in a very few cases altered or deleted — to improve ease of comprehension. The interspersed poems have been removed. 400 pages; 133,000 words. Includes map.

The Romance of the Forest: A Gothic Novel

Strange moans and mysterious lights haunt the south wing of the Mazzini castle where Julia, the beautiful younger daughter of the Marquis de Mazzini, lives. The terrors of the unknown fade to insignificance when Julia's father orders her to marry the cruel Duke de Luovo. Julia flees the castle and is propelled into a series of adventures that eventually lead her back to the castle, where she discovers an unspeakable crime. This edition has been copyedited in accordance with current American practice in respect to punctuation. In some places words and phrases have been reordered — and in a very few cases altered or deleted — to improve ease of comprehension. The interspersed poems have been removed. 278 pages; 67,000 words. Includes map.

A Sicilian Romance: A Gothic Novel

The attempt of Osbert, the Earl of Dunbayne, to bring justice to the killer of his father fails terribly. During his attack on the castle of Athlin, he's seized and imprisoned by his enemy. Worse, Osbert's sister, the lovely and innocent Mary, becomes a pawn in his enemy's plans. But all is not lost, as the noble-hearted peasant Alleyn desperately searches for a way to free the earl and save Mary from a fate that would make death preferable. Anne Radcliffe's first published work, The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne, draws on the influence of Horace Walpole, Clara Reeve, and other writers of the period. There is the rightful heir, who, ignorant of his patrimony, nonetheless shines with virtue despite his base upbringing, and the chaste, highborn maiden who loves him. And of course there is the ancient castle with its secret doors and musty passages. At 42,000 words, it's the shortest of the Radcliffe works. (In comparison, her longest novel, The Mysteries of Udolpho, weighs in at 285,000 words.) The shorter length doesn't prevent Radcliffe from including multiple battles, several dungeon excursions, and two pairs of star-crossed lovers. Not until the very last pages does she tie off all the loose threads with a revelation and happy ending. This edition has been copyedited in accordance with current American practice in respect to punctuation. In some places words and phrases have been reordered to improve ease of comprehension.

The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne: A Highland Romance

Genre Fiction

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Books by Idle Spider Books

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The Mysteries of Udolpho: A Gothic Romance

The Romance of the Forest: A Gothic Novel

A Sicilian Romance: A Gothic Novel

The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne: A Highland Romance