The Castle of Otranto (Unabridged)

By Horace Walpole

This eBook has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. The Castle of Otranto is generally regarded as the first gothic novel. It tells the story of Manfred, lord of the castle, and his family. On the wedding-day of his sickly son Conrad and princess Isabella, Conrad is crushed to death by a gigantic helmet that falls on him from above. This inexplicable event is particularly ominous in light of an ancient prophecy. Manfred, terrified that Conrad's death signals the beginning of the end for his line, resolves to avert destruction by marrying Isabella himself while divorcing his current wife Hippolita, whom he feels has failed to bear him a proper heir. The novel merged medievalism and terror in a style that has endured ever since. The aesthetics of the book shaped modern-day gothic books, films, art, music and the Goth subculture.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Musaicum Books
• Release date: Dec 21, 2018
• ISBN: 9788027247042

Horace Walpole

Horace Walpole (1717-1797) was an English writer, art historian, Whig politician, and a man of letters, a group of intellectuals dedicated to solving society’s problems. As the youngest son of a prime minister, Walpole was born into a noble family and became an Earl in 1791. Long before that, Walpole was an elected member of parliament, where he represented the Whig party for thirteen years. Because Walpole’s house, called Strawberry Hill, had its own printing press, he was able to enjoy a prolific writing career, publishing many works of fiction and nonfiction. Walpole has been credited for creating the gothic literary genre with his novel The Castle of Otranto.

Book preview

Preface To The First Edition

Table of Contents

The following work was found in the library of an ancient Catholic family in the north of England. It was printed at Naples, in the black letter, in the year 1529. How much sooner it was written does not appear. The principal incidents are such as were believed in the darkest ages of Christianity; but the language and conduct have nothing that savours of barbarism. The style is of the purest Italian. If the story was written near the time when it is supposed to have happened, it must have been between 1095, the era of the first crusade, and 1243, the date of the last, or not long afterwards. There is no other circumstance in the work that can lead us to guess at the period in which the scene is laid; the names of the actors are evidently fictitious, and probably disguised on purpose; yet the Spanish names of the domestics seem to indicate, that this work was not composed until the establishment of the Arragonian kings in Naples had made Spanish appellations familiar in that country. The beauty of the diction, and the zeal of the author (moderated, however, by singular judgment), concur to make me think that the date of the composition was little antecedent to that of the impression. Letters were then in the most flourishing state in Italy, and contributed to dispel the empire of superstition, at that time so forcibly attacked by the reformers. It is not unlikely that an artful priest might endeavour to turn their own arms on the innovators; and might avail himself of his abilities as an author to confirm the populace in their ancient errors and superstitions. If this was his view, he has certainly acted with signal address. Such a work as the following would enslave a hundred vulgar minds beyond half the books of controversy that have been written from the days of Luther to the present hour.

This solution of the author’s motives is, however, offered as a mere conjecture. Whatever his views were, or whatever effects the execution of them might have, his work can only be laid before the public at present as a matter of entertainment. Even as such some apology for it is necessary. Miracles, visions, necromancies, dreams, and other preternatural events, are exploded now even from romances. That was not the case when our author wrote; much less when the story itself is supposed to have happened. Belief in every kind of prodigy was so established in those dark ages, that an author would not be faithful to the manners of the times who should omit all mention of them. He is not bound to believe them himself, but he must represent his actors as believing them.

If this air of the miraculous is excused, the reader will find nothing else unworthy of his perusal. Allow the possibility of the facts, and all the actors comport themselves as persons would do in their situation. There is no bombast, no similes, flowers, digressions, or unnecessary descriptions. Everything tends directly to the catastrophe. Never is the reader’s attention relaxed. The rules of the drama are almost observed throughout the conduct of the piece. The characters are well drawn, and still better maintained. Terror, the author’s principal engine, prevents the story from ever languishing; and it is so often contrasted by pity, that the mind is kept up in a constant vicissitude of interesting passions.

Some persons may, perhaps, think the characters of the domestics too little serious for the general cast of the story; but, besides their opposition to the principal personages, the art of the author is very observable in his conduct of the subalterns. They discover many passages essential to the story, which could not be well brought to light but by their naïveté and simplicity: in particular, the womanish terror and foibles of Bianca, in the last chapter, conduce essentially towards advancing the catastrophe.

It is natural for a translator to be prejudiced in favour of his adopted work. More impartial readers may not be so much struck with the beauties of this piece as I was. Yet I am not blind to my author’s defects. I could wish he had grounded his plan on a more useful moral than this; that the sins of the fathers are visited on their children to the third and fourth generation. I doubt whether, in his time, any more than at present, ambition curbed its appetite of dominion from the dread of so remote a punishment. And yet this moral is weakened by that less direct insinuation, that even such anathema may be diverted by devotion to St. Nicholas. Here the interest of the monk plainly gets the better of the judgment of the author. However, with all its faults, I have no doubt but the English reader will be pleased with a sight of this performance. The piety that reigns throughout, the lessons of virtue that are inculcated, and the rigid purity of the sentiments, exempt this work from the censure to which romances are but too liable. Should it meet with the success I hope for, I may be encouraged to reprint the original Italian, though it will tend to depreciate my own labour. Our language falls far short of the charms of the Italian, both for variety and harmony. The latter is peculiarly excellent for simple narrative. It is difficult in English to relate without falling too low or rising too high; a fault obviously occasioned by the little care taken to speak pure language in common conversation. Every Italian or Frenchman, of any rank, piques himself on speaking his own tongue correctly and with choice. I cannot flatter myself with having done justice to my author in this respect: his style is as elegant as his conduct of the passions is masterly. It is pity that he did not apply his talents to what they were evidently proper for—the theatre.

I will detain the reader no longer, but to make one short remark. Though the machinery is invention, and the names of the actors imaginary, I cannot but believe that the groundwork of the story is founded on truth. The scene is undoubtedly laid in some real castle. The author seems frequently, without design, to describe particular parts. The chamber, says he, on the right hand; the door on the left hand; the distance from the chapel to Conrad’s apartment: these, and other passages, are strong presumptions that the author had some certain building in his eye. Curious persons, who have leisure to employ in such researches, may possibly discover in the Italian writers the foundation on which our author has built. If a catastrophe, at all resembling that which he describes, is believed to have given rise to this work, it will contribute to interest the reader, and will make The Castle of Otranto a still more moving story.

Preface To The Second Edition

Table of Contents

The favourable manner in which this little piece has been received by the public calls upon the author to explain the grounds on which he composed it. But before he opens those motives, it is fit that he should ask pardon of his readers for having offered his work to them under the borrowed personage of a translator. As diffidence of his own abilities, and the novelty of the attempt, were the sole inducements to assume that disguise, he flatters himself he shall appear excusable. He resigned his performance to the impartial judgment of the public; determined to let it perish in obscurity, if disapproved; nor meaning to avow such a trifle, unless better judges should pronounce that he might own it without a blush.

It was an attempt to blend the two kinds of romance: the ancient and the modern. In the former, all was imagination and improbability; in the latter, nature is always intended to be, and sometimes has been, copied with success. Invention has not been wanting; but the great resources of fancy have been dammed up, by a strict adherence to common life. But if in the latter species nature has cramped imagination, she did but take her revenge, having been totally excluded from old romances. The actions, sentiments, conversations, of the heroes and heroines of ancient days, were as unnatural as the machines employed to put them in motion.

The author of the following pages thought it possible to reconcile the two kinds. Desirous of leaving the powers of fancy at liberty to expatiate through the boundless realms of invention, and thence of creating more interesting situations, he wished to conduct the mortal agents in his drama according to the rules of probability; in short, to make them think, speak, and act, as it might be supposed mere men and women would do in extraordinary positions. He had observed, that in all inspired writings, the personages under the dispensation of miracles, and witnesses to the most stupendous phenomena, never lose sight of their human character; whereas, in the productions of romantic story, an improbable event never fails to be attended by an absurd dialogue. The actors seem to lose their senses, the moment the laws of nature have lost their tone. As the public have applauded the attempt, the author must not say he was entirely unequal to the task he had undertaken; yet if the new route he has struck out shall have paved a road for men of brighter talents, he shall own with pleasure and modesty, that he was sensible the plan was capable of receiving greater embellishments than his imagination or conduct of the passions could bestow on it.

With regard to the deportment of the domestics, on which I have touched in the former preface, I will beg leave to add a few words. The simplicity of their behaviour, almost tending to excite smiles, which at first seems not consonant to the serious cast of the work, appeared to me not only not improper, but was marked designedly in that manner. My rule was nature. However grave, important, or even melancholy, the sensations of princes and heroes may be, they do not stamp the same affections on their domestics; at least the latter do not, or should not be made to express their passions in the same dignified tone. In my humble opinion, the contrast between the sublime of the one and the naïveté of the other, sets the pathetic of the former in a stronger light. The very impatience which a reader feels while delayed by the coarse pleasantries of vulgar actors from arriving at the knowledge of the important catastrophe he expects, perhaps heightens, certainly proves, that he has been artfully interested in the depending event. But I had higher authority than my own opinion for this conduct. That great master of nature, Shakespeare, was the model I copied. Let me ask if his tragedies of Hamlet and Julius Cæsar would not lose a considerable share of their spirit and wonderful beauties, if the humour of the grave-diggers, the fooleries of Polonius, and the clumsy jests of the Roman citizens, were omitted, or vested in heroics? Is not the eloquence of Antony, the nobler and affectingly unaffected oration of Brutus, artificially exalted by the rude outbursts of nature from the mouths of their auditors? These touches remind one of the Grecian sculptor, who, to convey the idea of a Colossus within the dimensions of a seal, inserted a little boy measuring his thumb.

No, says Voltaire, in

Reviews for The Castle of Otranto (Unabridged)

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole to be an odd yet entertaining story about a tyrant knight called Manfred, Prince of Otranto, and his family. Considered to be the father of Gothic romance fiction this fantasy is set in the middle ages, and is peopled by characters experiencing strong emotional and psychological distress. The story develops around a supernatural event that occurs at the beginning of the story and causes the death of Manfred’s only son and heir. Unfolding in a castle that comes with underground passages, sealed vaults, and trap doors, my favorite part of the story was when the young Princess Isabella, fearful for her virtue, is running away from Manfred through the dark and haunted castle.In a melodramatic yet playful manner the story has the evil usurper, the noble yet humble rightful heir, two virtuous princesses and a host of other characters running around the Castle of Otranto confronting vanishing giants, pieces of enormous armour, moving artwork and each other.This deceptively simple story deals with issues of inheritance, power and morality and religion. It is important to remember that this novel is the first of its kind and the plot, which appears overworked and familiar today is, indeed, the first of it’s kind and did cause quite a sensation in it’s day.

[ctpress_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A castle and abbey with secret tunnels. A dark landscape, lecherous villains, supernatural visions, a hero with a secret lineage, and beautiful and imperiled women (with a tendency toward the hysterical).What more can you ask for :)As an exploration of the history of literature this “granddaddy” of the gothic novel is interesting and a lot of fun. This is not my favorite genre at all - and the plot is so contrived that you want to laugh - and do laugh a lot of times.This is the kind of literature Catherine Morland loves in Northanger Abbey - as she asks in anticipation of yet another thrilling read: “Is it really horrid?”. Yes, Catherine. It is indeed.

[tloeffler_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Described as "one of the first and greatest of Gothic novels." I'm not so sure about the "greatest" part, but it was a good read. On the death of his son, medieval prince Manfred decides to divorce his wife and marry his son's betrothed, Isabella. However, a young peasant intervenes, and when all the surprises and mistaken identities are revealed, the ending, though not a happy one, puts everything in its place. Except, of course, the statue in the church...

[librarycin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is considered the first gothic horror novel, originally written in 1764. Conrad is found dead, just as he was to marry Isabella. Manfred (Conrad's father) then decides to divorce his wife and marry Isabella instead. Isabella is horrified and runs away with the help of a mysterious stranger... It was ok. It started off better for me, but I was listening to the audio and as does sometimes tend to happen with audios with me, I get distracted and miss parts of the story, which unfortunately is what happened here. I wonder if I would have liked it more if I'd read it in print? It was set in a creepy gothic castle, so the setting was fun.

[philsyphe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not the most memorable of novels. It's three years since I read it yet even skimming other people's reviews and the synopsis hasn't jogged my memory!Well, I gave it three stars after finishing the book, so must've liked it, though clearly it's left no impression on me.

[weeturtle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's dark, it's supernatural, it's emotional, and outrageous enough to see how it spawned a trail of works and a new literary genre. It's brief, if one considers events and not the length of the sentences in the heavily worded dialogue, so it's almost best to go in blind. It starts fast, so there isn't much place for soaking in plot. I read the first two chapters but found the flow of the narrative and sparse line breaks in my text to be a dizzying read so I switched to audio book and found it easier to follow and easier to feel and enjoy. If you prefer reading to audio, I recommended glancing at the state of the text to make sure it won't be a headache to follow. It wasn't so much difficult, I feel, as an effort of stamina so as not to lose my place from glancing away for a moment. Perhaps this actually assists with the gasping wonder with which the characters take in the events at Otranto.

[kaydence_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Castle of Oranto describes a tyrant of a father that wants to have an heir to ensure that his property stays within the family. However, this tyrant actually was the recipient of the land through unlawful means. There is a supernatural curse upon the family that states whenever the true heir of the lands becomes too big then the tyrant would be overthrown. The first catastrophe that happens is the only son of the tyrant is slain on his wedding day. Along with this discovery is a gigantic helmet. The tyrant then decides that he is going to divorce his wife and marry the woman that he had secured for his son. When he divulges this plan to the bride to be (Isabella), she flees the castle for the church on the property. A peasant is charged with the murder of the tyrant’s son, but gets away and helps Isabella escape. A chase ensues. The tyrant looks for Isabella, but finds the peasant. At this time, his servants swear they see a giant foot. The story then has many more twists and turns until almost everyone dies, or is about to die. It was very entertaining. I think I have found a new/old genre to enjoy. As a gothic novel, it has a supernatural aspect (the giant), a lady in distress (actually all of them are at some point in time), and the whole story takes place in a castle that has endless mazes, a haunted forest with caves, and a few hidden passages. The book is very suspenseful and a little overdramatic, especially in dealings with love, jealousy, and possible death.

[finxy · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

From BadelyngeManfred is having a really bad day. No really, he's having a really, really bad day. It all starts with his son being crushed to death by a gigantic helmet that falls out of the sky. And his day is going to get much worse.The Castle of Otranto was written in 1764 by Horace Walpole. So many times I have heard the name of this book being dropped by literary historians citing its place as the forerunner to the gothic novel, works that would include author's such as Poe, Stoker and Du Maurier. In fact the book is little more than fluff that just happens to contain a castle and a penchant for the romantic, the unlikely and the plain ridiculous.

[cherylpeeves · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm reading this book right now and it is so cool. Supposedly the first gothic novel ever written. Secret passages, haunted castle, strange happenings, and a damsel in distress. One of the least boring classics I've ever read.

[squeakychu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The last third of this novel just blew me away. In it, all of the main characters kept turning up in unexpected places doing and saying unexpected things with unexpected results until an ancient prophesy was fulfilled. That part of the book alone was jaw-dropping!

[shereadsnovels · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When I first opened this book I was confronted by page after page of almost continuous text with virtually no paragraph breaks and no quotation marks or any way of marking when one person stops speaking and the next begins. This made it difficult to follow the dialogue but otherwise the story is easy enough to understand considering it was published in 1764.Manfred, the Prince of Otranto, has arranged a marriage between his fifteen year old son Conrad and the princess Isabella. However, on the day of the wedding Conrad is found crushed to death in the courtyard beneath an enormous black feathered helmet which appears to have fallen from the sky. As his son is obviously now in no position to go ahead with the wedding, Manfred decides to marry Isabella himself...but Isabella has other ideas. Cue a never-ending chain of misunderstandings, coincidences and mayhem.The Castle of Otranto is historically important because it was the first gothic novel - complete with haunted castles, underground tunnels, damsels in distress, knights, ghosts and paintings that move - but don't expect a piece of great literature. In places the plot is so ridiculous and the writing so melodramatic that it's actually hilarious.The Castle of Otranto is funny and entertaining – and very short – but I can't imagine ever wanting to read it again. For a better introduction to gothic fiction I would recommend The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, which is a longer book but much better written.

[bridgetmarie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely over the top and more wonderful for it, READ THE TWO INTRODUCTIONS, it makes all the difference in the world, especially if you know the different reactions from his audiences. I had to read this book for a class and ended up keeping it instead of turning it in.Credited as being the first of the Gothic horror genre, Walpole hits many of the stereotypes (the damsel in distress, the Pagan curse handed down through Christian generations, etc) and thumbs his nose at others. I don't even like Gothic fiction and I kept this book.

[trinitym82 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The original soap opera. It takes place in Italy, over the course of a few days. There is a young peasant of noble blood, Theodore, a princess who is more virtuous than reality allows (Matilda) a villan with a good heart who is paying for the crimes of his grandfather (Manfred) and a daughter and a father who are rightful heirs to the land of Otranto. It's pretty humourous, the outlandish dialogue and events. There are ghosts and saints that are interceding on behalf of Isabelle and Frederic, so that Manfred and his family are punished according to biblical justice. There is no happy ending - Manfred kills his daughter on mistake - he thought it was Isabelle who he wanted to marry in order to ensure sons and his claim to the throne. Theodore was in love with Matilda, after only a few hours of acquaintance, and he marries Isabelle so that they can spend the rest of their days missing her together. Bizzarre, but obviously the origin of many genres. Also nice and short!

[amydross · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story is often cited as the first/one of the first gothic novels, but it's hard to believe since even at this early date it already reads like pastiche. Far from being predictable archetypes, the main characters are constantly upsetting our expectations: the pure, steadfast maiden turns out to be gossip-y and backstabbing, the gallant hero tries to save the maiden and winds up accidentally stabbing her father, the pious friar turns out to be weak and self-serving... Certainly not what I was expecting from a "classic" gothic novel. Other than that, I don't know that I'd call Otranto a masterpiece, but it's definitely an interesting historical document.

[sedelia_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In The Castle of Otranto, Manfred is determined to keep his family in power, which means he needs an heir. When his engaged son dies by being crushed by a statue's helmet, Manfred resolves to marry his son's betrothed, Isabella, and produce heirs so that his family can live on. Understandably, Isabella doesn't want to marry the man who was going to be her father-in-law and leads Manfred on a merry chase throughout the castle and its surrounding area.If you take this book seriously, I'm not sure how enjoyable it is. The supernatural elements are a bit out of sync with the plot itself -- they aren't integrated well into the whole story. The characters are more like caricatures, and the end is quickly tied up into a haphazard bow. I know that if I looked at it as a serious piece of fiction, I would have hated it. Luckily, I found it all a bit funny. Yes, it's an important novel since it's considered the first Gothic novel, and yes, it's a "classic" and deals with themes like family, power, gender stereotypes, etc. But that doesn't mean you have to take the plot seriously, and I certainly didn't.It all started with Conrad being mysteriously crushed by a statue's helmet. Then, bits and pieces of the statue started appearing in the castle for no apparent reason. I just couldn't take it seriously. If you like the overly dramatic, bit of fun Gothic story, I think you'd really enjoy this. It has crazy twists and turns (you can definitely see a Shakespearean influence in this), and without including much character building, internal dialogue or much character self-reflection, the story moves along at a brisk pace. The writing may be a bit hard to understand (it is an eighteenth-century book, after all, and the editors have kept all the weird commas, lack of paragraph breaks, and misspellings), but if you read period lit, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. All in all, fun if you want to see what supposedly started the whole Gothic thing, but not something I'd want to enjoy a glass of wine and relax with.

[misswoodhouse1816 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting, if short, introduction to the Gothic genre. Included are all the classic elements- mysterious characters, long lost children, giant's armour and legs, sudden death, cruel tyrants, caves, secret passageways, and peasants who are more than they seem. Oh yes, and portraits walk around too...

[lgandt · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I tried, just could not make hide nor hair of it. I got the jist of the story, but either I just found it simply too boring or missed a crucial element somewhere along the line.Of course I can see how gothic after was inspired by this, but I was expecting something a bit different.I loved the settings but just did not connect with any of the characters.

[souloftherose · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to read a gothic novel to help me better understand what Jane Austen is satirizing in Northanger Abbey. I picked The Castle of Otranto purely because it was the shortest.The book (published in 1764) starts with an introduction from Horace Walpole explaining that this is an English translation he has made of an Italian manuscript dating from 1529; however the introduction makes clear that it's possible that the original work was in fact written much earlier. Walpole also states his belief that the story he has translated is based on truth and events that must have really taken place In fact, none of this was true; it was written in English by Horace Walpole in the 18th century, but at the time it was considered much more worthwhile to read a true story than a fictional one. Interestingly the wikipedia article on the book seems to indicate that the work was critically quite well received until Walpole 'fessed up and admitted he'd made up the whole thing when all the critics promptly decided that it was worthless fluff.Once you're past the introduction this gothic tale kicks off with someone being crushed to death by a giant helmet:"he beheld his child dashed to pieces, and almost buried under an enormous helmet, an hundred times more large than any casque ever made for human being, and shaded with a proportionate quantity of black feathers"Right.All the other gothic staples are included of course; innocent virgins, noble knights, princes in disguise, incest, duels, gloomy castles and ghosts. It was difficult for me to take this book as seriously as I assume the original 18th century readers took it. Most of the scenes which are presumably supposed to be scary seem ridiculous to a modern reader (death by giant helmet being the prime example). There are also a lot of scenes which I think may have been intended to be comic as the introduction notes that 'some persons may perhaps think the characters of the domestics too little serious for the general cast of the story'; there were some wonderful scenes very reminiscent of Shakespeare where the domestics were constantly interrupting each other or wandering from the point to the infuriation of their lords and ladies.Ultimately, this was a short, enjoyable if somewhat strange read. Reading the free kindle version I definitely felt the lack of any explanatory notes to help me put this work in context but I think it was worth reading even so as it's given me a better understanding of Northanger Abbey.

[jvioland_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This was one of those works I found on a poll called Great Books You Must Read Before You Die. It was number 34 of the world's greatest novels. They lied. Don't bother.

[bzedan_2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Oh Transport! Man, this book is a freaking lark. I can see how it's beautiful histrionics made for a smashing harliquenade. As Walpole said, "Everybody who takes this book seriously has been duped." Lovely.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This doesn't take long to read, although it does take a while if you happen to pick up an edition with 60 pages of introduction, and only 160 pages of story! I picked it up after watching the recent BBC series on Gothic in art (used all encompassingly). This was discussed in some detail, as it is regarded as the first Gothic novel. Not a genre I can say I have read a great deal of, but it was enough to spark my interest. Set over quite a short timeframe it's your average power crazed prince of a (presumably) Italian city state. It's also set in an unidentified timeframe, there are references to the crusades, but you're meant to think "in olden dayes", rather than a specific period, I think. Anyway, our tyrant has arranged for his son & heir to wed. Only, before he can do so, disaster strikes in a most unusual manner. At this point he turns entirely dolally and intends to divorce his wife (for only providing him with a son and daughter) then wed his son's betrothed, Isabella. She is, understandably, less than impressed, and manages to escape the prince and seek refuge in the chapel of the convent. In this she is abetted by a young man, supposedly a peasant, who turns up a few times as the book progresses. It is all wonderfully overblown and theatrical, the special effects you'd need would be worthy of a blockbuster film. By the end, there is a certain amount of resolution, although poor old Isabella seems to end up with the fuzzy end of the lollypop. It's neat and tidy, but not satisfactory. There is also some explanation of who the young man is, and how he came to turn up when he did, but that doesn't explain the supernatural elements that remain central to the plot. It's fun, it's not a difficult read, it's hardly shocking, but I imagine to shook the Victorians to their very core. An interesting beginning.

[david.alfred.sarkies · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

To put it blunt, this book is rubbish, and I must admit that my English lecturer, when he spoke on this book, pretty much said just as much. In fact the only reason the English Department included this book on the reading list is because it has the distinction of being the first gothic horror book written. Okay, maybe it is the first, but it really does very little to make it stand out from among all the other books of much higher quality that were written afterwards. Hey, they even had an essay question on it.Anyway, this is a classic example of a child of a very famous person using his father's influence to get rubbish published. I suspect that it happens quite a lot these days as well (Jessica Rudd), though I must admit that even being able to pull strings to get books published does not necessarily mean that anybody will actually read, and then recommend, the book (though that seems not to be the case with Campaign Ruby).You might actually be wondering who Horace Walpole is and what is father did to make him so famous. To be quite honest with you, until I had gone to the lecture on this book, I had never heard of Horace Walpole, or any other Walpoles that he might have been related to, however, if you were living in England in 1764, you certainly would have heard of Robert Walpole, namely because he was, next to the king, the most powerful man in England. In fact, Robert Walpole holds the record for being the longest serving British Prime Minister ever (twenty-one years in total). These days, ten years as Prime Minister is an effort, however unless the country has descended into a one party state, it is highly unlikely, in today's political climate, that anybody could last twenty years (though Robert Menzies did last 16 and Franklin Delanore Roosevelt lasted 13).It was not so much different back then either, though the voting franchise was severely restricted and cabinet appointments were made by the king. Getting elected into parliament, especially if you were a member of the aristocratic class, was not just easy, it was a right. There was no universal franchise, or proper electoral boundaries. In fact, one could live in an electorate (known as a borough) where the only person who could vote was you, so whenever an election came along you would vote for yourself (and why not) and you would automatically get elected. However, politicians didn't get paid back then, which also made it difficult for the lower classes to become politicians).I seem to have written nothing about the book, but then again, it is such rubbish that I personally really don't want to write anything about it. As for the concept of Gothic Horror, in a way it doesn't actually strike any chords in my memory. I guess I do not see any distinction with Gothic Horror. Hell, I can't even define it (not that I really want to) or even has the desire to jump over to Wikipedia to see if they say anything about it. I guess I am simply not interested in determining any definition for the genre. Okay, there are other 'Gothic Horror' books on my read list, however I would probably just put them more into horror than Gothic Horror. If anything, though, thinking over the books and films we explored, I suspect Gothic Horror deals more with concepts of horror (much like what I wrote about in Carrie) rather than a simple slasher flick. Silence of the Lambs is a horror (and a very good horror at that) but it is not a slasher flick. Far from it. However, this book is horror in name only. If I really wanted to categorise it, I would probably put it into a category called rubbish, however, that is what the rating is for.

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Castle of Otranto is one of those must-read noteworthy books, but heck if I know why. It is listed as the first gothic novel and has those elements of romance and horror. But, I must say, gothic novels have come a looong way. This had many elements that we stereotype and mock - the fair maiden who above all else, must maintain her virtue and the evil villain whose goal in life is to make sure she fails. Ok reading for the historical sense, but not outstanding.

[katelisim · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3 StarsI read this one for my British Literature class. The Prince of Otranto, Manfred, arranges the marriage of his 15 yr old son, Conrad, to Princess Isabella. An unfortunate event on the wedding day, in the form of a huge falling helmet from the sky, kills poor Conrad. Instead of sending Isabella back home, Manfred decides he will marry her, since his wife hasn't produced a suitable heir for him. Of course, Isabella is completely against that.This is the original gothic novel. And being such, is filled with castles, underground tunnels, ghostly activity, and a prophecy. I thought this book was a fast fun read. Some of its over dramatic bits were hilarious, including the line "Ah me, I am slain" -- just wonderful. It was easier to read than I thought, with it being written well over 200 yrs ago. The story also moved nice and fast, instead of getting hung up on trivial details like so many modern novels do.

[billiecat_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Granting that this book has an important place in popular literature; granting that it influenced 'Gothic' writing for decades, and that its echoes can be heard today, granting all this, unless this is assigned to you in some class, don't waste your time. I have read other early Gothic novels, The Monk, Melmoth the Wanderer, Frankenstein, etc., and crude as they were they were light years ahead of Otranto. Spare yourself. Two stars for its historical curiosity, nothing else.

[crypto3willobie · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

What a silly book! My nose hurts from snorting. At first I was thinking "This would be great filmed by Ed Wood." but then I decided it would be more suited to a staging by the Monty Python troupe. It even features a giant foot at one point!

[cecrow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The original gothic novel, this reads preposterously if you don't know its pedigree. Gigantic elements of armour appear in the story without warning (though they are warnings in themselves), crushing the hapless and frightening other characters who respond as anyone might when faced with such inexplicable events: horror, shock, dismay, fear. It's the meshing of these that brought this novel lasting acclaim, however ridiculous its events now appear to a modern reader. I'm afraid I laughed in a few places I wasn't supposed to, but with a better understanding came a greater appreciation. It's a comfortably short read, and at least an interesting curiosity.

[slysionnach_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The original Gothic novel sets a standard of melodrama that soap operas would be proud to follow. And I say that in a good way. With hidden sons, love triangles, returning from the dead and ghosts and giants abounding, this quick read is good for a glimpse into what shaped the Gothic era of writing. Not wanting to say too much about the plot, since the story is only 92 pages long, I'll try to summarize it the best I can. Manfred, the current inhabitant of Otranto, is living according to a legacy that the true owner will come and take it from him. In an effort to prevent that, he decides that he must align himself with the rival family by marriage. Of course, nothing goes as planned.If you're interested in Gothic literature, why not read the source? It's quick, it's easy, and it's bound to entertain you.

[michaeladams1979 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Considered a gothic masterpiece, I found this to be a clever little novel of a crumbling monarchy in it's final days. You can certainly see how it influenced later works of both fantasy and more conventional literature. A number of convoluted machinations, some patent villainy, lots of life-changing revelations, and just a few hints of the supernatural. I honestly could have done with a little less of the domestic implosion of the household and a little more of the fantastical elements, but it is what it is. My one major complaint is the dialogue is not formatted in the modern style of quotation marks and individually indented paragraphs, separated only by commas, periods and dashes, somewhat inconsistently too, making it somewhat tricky to read, though I managed well enough once I found the conversational rhythm in each passage.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A rather short story and the only one published by Horace Walpole tell the story of Manfred, prince of Otranto and the death of his son and only heir Conrad. The castle with its vaults and secret passages make for the setting of a gothic novel. The setting is chivalric Middle Ages and deals with cruelty and tyranny as well as usurping of the castle and title of prince. It’s a very quick and easy read for those working on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.