The Mysteries of Udolpho

Written by Ann Radcliffe

Narrated by Karen Cass

Wildly popular upon its release, The Mysteries of Udolpho is a Gothic novel of undeniable charm and power. The virtuous and loving Emily, the young protagonist, finds herself in the care of her aunt following the death of her father. Her aunt promptly marries the villain Montoni, a cruel and calculating man whose scheming leads him to lock both women in the dark and winding castle of Udolpho. Will they survive to tell of its terrors?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks
• Release date: May 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781843799504

Ann Radcliffe

Ann Radcliffe (1764-1823) was an English novelist. Born in London, she moved with her family to Bath in 1772 and was known as a shy girl in her youth. In 1787, she married Oxford graduate William Radcliffe, who owned and edited the English Chronicle. While he worked late to supervise the publication of the evening paper, Ann remained at home working on stories for her own entertainment. Eventually, with William’s encouragement, she began publishing her novels and soon became one of the bestselling writers of her time. Recognized as a pioneering author of Gothic fiction, Radcliffe first found acclaim with The Romance of the Forest (1791) and published her magnum opus, The Mysteries of Udolpho, just three years later. By the end of the eighteenth century, Radcliffe found herself at odds with the growing popularity of Gothic fiction and withdrew from public life almost entirely. While several biographers, including Christina Rossetti and Walter Scott, have attempted to piece together the story of her life, a lack of written correspondence and her overall pension for privacy have made her a figure whose mystery mirrors that of her novels.

Reviews for The Mysteries of Udolpho

[dickens.and.docks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great reader! This story is so fun—especially if you read it in tandem with Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. :)

[Sue Bastian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh, dear, those insipid heroines of the age… It seems their greatest virtue is becoming faint, passing out, crying buckets of tears, being kind and good and boring as all hell. Still, it is important to read such historical literature to get a sense of the way, a heroin was perceived. For some of us, the true heroine is Annette, one with courage and spunk and humor. I am Radcliffe goes on and on and on and on, and on with her situation‘s of utter despair and agony in the door, and out of the door, up the stairs and down the stairs, but then again, back up the stairs and another passage but wait, let’s go to the other passage and wait there is a lamp. Oh, it is not a lamp. It is the reflection… However, above all of this, the exquisite performance must be noted. Her astonishingly beautiful, singing voice caused me to replay all of the songs. Is Karen Cass a famous singer I hope? What a beautiful job she does with accents and voices!

[Lucia Garcia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting and entertaining.
I am not a big fan of the super long story and descriptions.
I am amazed and pleasantly surprised at the explicit scenes of blood and death, that they were written by a woman in the 1700s! Wonderful.
I read this book parallel to Northanger Abbey and it brought a deeper understanding and enjoyment ?