The Monk (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading)

By Matthew G. Lewis and Allen Grove

Demon worship, imprisonment, illicit desire, rape.  With such subject matter, it’s little surprise that Matthew Gregory Lewis’The Monk became a sensation as soon as it appeared in 1796.  England’s reading public found the book so compelling that it went through numerous editions within the first couple years of its publication.  Today, Matthew Lewis is widely recognized as a central figure in the history of Gothic fiction.  In The Monk, he uses the novel’s twisting plots and supernatural machinery to expose the dangers of repressed desire, attack religious hypocrisy, and challenge late eighteenth-century definitions of virtue and propriety. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble
• Release date: Mar 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781411434042

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

DEMON WORSHIP, IMPRISONMENT, ILLICIT DESIRE, RAPE. WITH SUCH subject matter, it's little surprise that Matthew Gregory Lewis' The Monk became a sensation as soon as it appeared in 1796. Nor is it a surprise that the novel immediately drew the censure of moralists and literary critics. Still, England's reading public found the book so compelling that it went through numerous editions within the first couple years of its publication. Today, Matthew Lewis is widely recognized as a central figure in the history of Gothic fiction. In The Monk, he uses the novel's twisting plots and supernatural machinery to expose the dangers of repressed desire, attack religious hypocrisy, and challenge late eighteenth-century definitions of virtue and propriety. The novel was so popular and notorious in its day that readers and acquaintances began to call the author Monk Lewis. The book's importance did not die with its author, and generations of Gothic novelists and horror writers—from Mary Shelley to Bram Stoker to Stephen King—owe a debt to Lewis' innovations.

Matthew Lewis was born in London on July 9, 1775. His father, also named Matthew, worked in the War Office for his entire career and amassed considerable wealth. He married Frances Maria Sewell with whom he had four children, Matthew Gregory being the oldest. The marriage was a rocky one. Lewis' stern father and sociable mother proved incompatible, and in 1781 Frances left her husband to move in with a musician with whom she had an illegitimate child. Lewis senior's petition for divorce was turned down by the House of Lords in 1783. Despite these problems, the family's wealth and social connections resulted in Matthew Gregory Lewis being educated at Oxford for a diplomatic career. In 1794, he traveled to The Hague where his father had secured him a position in the British embassy in Holland. Lewis found the work tedious, so with a head full of ghost stories from his early reading and travel, he turned his efforts to writing The Monk. He completed the novel in a few months at the age of nineteen. When his father died in 1812, Lewis inherited a sizable plantation in Jamaica and began working to improve the conditions of the slaves there. On a return trip in 1818, Lewis died of illness and was buried at sea.

While Lewis is best known for The Monk, he wrote several other works of fiction and drama. Despite his parliamentary seat in the House of Commons, he consistently demonstrated more interest in writing than politics. At sixteen he wrote a comedy, The East Indian, which was performed at Drury Lane seven years later. The success of The Monk did not weaken Lewis' interest in drama, and over the course of his career he wrote numerous comedies, tragedies, and melodramas including The Castle Spectre, The Minister, The Peruvian Hero, The Bravo of Venice, Adelgitha, and The Feudal Tyrants. Both in the Romantic period and today, however, it is The Monk that earned Lewis his literary reputation.

The Monk's plot has a level of complexity that resists summary. In fact, the novel really has three central storylines, not one. At the heart of the work is the tale of Ambrosio, a proud monk who gives in to temptation and commits a series of increasingly heinous crimes. Lewis interweaves two courtship plots with Ambrosio's tale. One follows the efforts of Lorenzo to woo and marry Antonia, a virtuous yet naive girl whose social class is far below his own. The other story traces Don Raymond's efforts to marry Agnes despite the strong objections of her family. Both pairs of lovers find their desires blocked by protective if not tyrannical family members and cruel ecclesiastics. The lives of all the characters are further complicated by the fact that nothing turns out to be what it at first appears, and supernatural beings walk the earth.

The first reviews of The Monk were mixed at best. A few critics noted that the author had some talent, and several praised the poetry in the novel. In general, however, the earliest reception of the novel was harsh. A writer for The British Critic in 1796 stated, we are sorry to observe that good talents have been misapplied to the production of this monster. The Critical Review in 1797 declared that a writer of such horrors deserves our gratitude almost equally with him who would drag us by way of sport through a military hospital. The same reviewer labelled the book pernicious for blending, with an irreverent negligence, all that is most awfully true in religion with all that is most ridiculously absurd in superstition. In fact, the complaints against the novel's representation of religion, particularly the equation of the Bible with the annals of a brothel, rose to such a fevered pitch that Lewis was forced to cut many questionable passages from the fourth edition in 1798.

Along with attacks on the novel's immorality and absurdity, some reviewers also claimed it lacked originality. Many of these complaints point to Lewis' note on the text in which he states that his central plot came from Santon Barsisa, a story published in The Guardian about a man who sells his soul to the devil to avoid being punished for murder. Lewis also claims to have heard the story of the Bleeding Nun in Germany, and he admits that some of his poetry is derivative of earlier works. One critic observed similarities between some of Lewis' harrowing scenes and those in Mme. De Genlis' Knights of the Swan; or, the Court of Charlemagne. Yet another writer claimed that Lewis' storyline was borrowed from The Devil in Love by Jacques Cazotte and that Ambrosio's final tragedy was taken from Veit Weber's The Sorcerer.

Whatever the critics said about the novel, their opinions did not lessen its popularity. Not only did the book go through multiple editions during the late eighteenth century, but it also spawned numerous imitations and stage adaptations. James Boaden dramatized the Ambrosio and Matilda story in Aurelio and Miranda, a five-act drama performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in 1798. In it, Lewis' central antagonists are transformed into virtuous victims of circumstance who eventually marry. The Raymond and Agnes story likewise found its way to the stage as a two-act drama, Raymond and Agnes; The Travellers Benighted; or, The Bleeding Nun of Lindenberg. The play weaves together the tale of the Bleeding Nun with the story of Marguerite and Baptiste in a melodramatic spectacle that concludes with a cavern collapsing as the bleeding nun ascends to heaven. And if that wasn't enough sensationalism for eighteenth-century theatre-goers, Mr. Farley composed Airs, Glees, and Chorusses in a new Grand Ballet Pantomime of Action, Called Raymond and Agnes; or, The Castle of Lindenbergh. This musical was performed at the Theatre Royal at Covent Garden, and this time the bloody conclusion is punctuated with a lively Spanish fandango.

While these theatrical productions reveal that the late eighteenth century is not likely to be remembered for its drama, the period does represents the heyday of Gothic fiction, a genre defined by its gloomy settings, lurking dangers, hidden passages, mysterious screams, and dark secrets. Horace Walpole generally gets credit for writing the first Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, in 1765. The genre is slow to gain traction, and a second Gothic work does not appear until Clara Reeve's The Old English Baron in 1777. It's really not until the start of the French Revolution in 1789 and the publication of Ann Radcliffe's A Sicilian Romance in 1790 that the English appetite for all things Gothic takes hold. During the 1790s, hundreds of works set in castles, caverns, convents, and dilapidated manor houses poured off the presses. Most of these works, perhaps justifiably, have been lost to history. The few exceptions include Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) and The Italian (1797), and Matthew Lewis' The Monk.

These notable writers—Walpole, Reeve, Radcliffe, and Lewis—define the two extremes of Gothic fiction. On one side are Reeve and Radcliffe, whose works contemporary scholars generally label as female Gothic. More sentimental in nature, these novels reveal a level of restraint and propriety often missing in the excesses of the male Gothic. Neither Reeve nor Radcliffe presents the graphic violence or wild supernaturalism that we find in Walpole and Lewis. In fact, Radcliffe became well known for her explained supernatural—at the end of her novels, nearly all seemingly supernatural events are traced to natural causes. In Radcliffe's books, rational thought triumphs over superstition, and good finds its reward.

Lewis creates a world where the opposite is true. Good characters die in The Monk, and supernatural events are truly supernatural—the Bleeding Nun, Wandering Jew, and Satan himself all inhabit Lewis' fiction. Whereas Radcliffe ultimately reaffirms eighteenth-century enlightenment ideals of reason and intellection, Matthew Lewis suggests that our rational thought processes cannot fully explain the world around us. When Raymond asks Agnes if she believes in the Bleeding Nun, the heroine rebukes him with seemingly sound logic: I have too much reason to lament superstition's influence to be its Victim myself. The problem here is that she is wrong.

Indeed, much of the terror in The Monk comes from the fact that nothing is quite what it seems to be. Raymond nearly loses his life by misjudging the good-humoured Baptiste and ill-mannered Marguerite. Ambrosio appears a saint to all Madrid, but in private leaves no mortal sin unexplored. Angels transform into demons, men turn out to be women, and the rich travel as the poor. Lewis' monastery is not a sanctuary from the sins of the world, but a place of cruelty, torture, rape, and murder.

These reversals do not merely serve the novel's sensationalism. Part of what makes The Monk such a rewarding read is that Lewis uses the conventions of Gothic fiction to challenge many late eighteenth-century ideals, especially those connected to gender and sexuality. In the majority of fiction from Lewis' time, the female heroines are portrayed as angels on earth. Their goodness and sensibility radiate forth so forcefully that the hero falls immediately in love and the villains pause to question their own cruelty. Lewis exposes such characterizations as the fictions that they are. In The Monk, Antonia exemplifies the typical heroine we would find on the pages of a Radcliffe novel. Lewis, however, presents her innocence as a failing, not a strength. Her ignorance ultimately makes her incapable of recognizing evil and defending herself against it. It is the unchaste Agnes who ultimately triumphs in Lewis' novel. She makes mistakes, but in the process she gains valuable experience, a far more important commodity to Lewis than innocence.

Lewis' privileging of experiential learning places his gender politics in line with Mary Wollstonecraft, author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792). Wollstonecraft argues that eighteenth-century women have become unfit mothers and wives because they are taught to value their ability to feel, not their ability to think. Women, she claims, would rather have men faun over them than respect them. Lewis, like Wollstonecraft, calls into question men's misplaced affections. When Lorenzo plans to marry Antonia because she is young, lovely, gentle, sensible, his friend Don Cristoval immediately challenges him: Sensible? Why, she said nothing but 'Yes,' and 'No.' We quickly learn that Don Cristoval's assessment is correct—Antonia may have sensibility, but she has too little sense to navigate the treacherous world around her.

Still, even while Lewis champions experiential learning for women, his feminism has a disturbing undercurrent of misogyny. Older women such as Dame Cunegonda and Leonella are constant targets of ridicule and abuse in The Monk, and Lewis sometimes makes narrative asides that insult women. Also, the novel's violence and voyeurism is almost entirely directed at women, from the brutal mob killing of the Prioress to Antonia's titillating bath scene. Lewis takes woman off of her dehumanising pedestal, but he still treats her as a physical object for the prurient interests of his readers.

Lewis' representation of sexuality is equally complex. Not all scholars agree on whether or not Matthew Lewis was homosexual, although the general opinion is that he was. But regardless of the author's own sexual identity, his novel certainly presents human desire as something complicated and changing. When we first meet Ambrosio in the cloister, we learn that no voice sounded so sweet to him as did Rosario's. The relationship between the monk and novice is intimate and heartwarming. When the relationship becomes explicitly sexualized with the unveiling of Matilda, the nature of the original friendship between Rosario and Ambrosio falls into question. Matilda herself seems to recognize the same-sex relationship as the healthier of the two: Oh! Call me not Matilda! Call me Rosario, call me your friend! Those are the names which I love to hear from your lips. When we later find identity transforming a second time through supernatural means, we would have a hard time defining Ambrosio's desire as either heterosexual or homosexual. Instead, Lewis once again resists any simple binary view of the world.

In the end, the richness of The Monk lies in its ability to challenge its readers' assumptions and resist any reductive view of the world. Interwoven with the sensational storyline are questions about who we are and what we value. The novel reveals imagination to be as important as reason, and experience to be more valuable than purity. Lewis' concept of virtue breaks from the norm as he challenges the teachings of both family and church. Lewis provides no easy answers to what it means to be male or female, masculine or feminine. Both the horror and beauty of Lewis' Gothic landscape is that so little is knowable, and the little we thought we knew quickly falls into question.

Allen Grove is Professor of English at Alfred University. He holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Pennsylvania, and his teaching and research focus primarily on the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century British novel.

PREFACE

IMITATION OF HORACE, EPODES, I, XX

METHINKS, OH, VAIN ILL-JUDGING BOOK,

I see thee cast a wishful look,

Where reputations won and lost are

In famous row called Paternoster.

Incensed to find your precious olio

Buried in unexplored portfolio,

You scorn the prudent lock and key;

And pant, well bound and gilt, to see

Your volume in the window set

Of Stockdale, Hookham, or Debrett.

Go, then, and pass that dangerous bourn

Whence never book can back return;

And, when you find—condemned, despised,

Neglected, blamed, and criticised—

Abuse from all who read you fall,

(If haply you be read at all)

Sorely will you your folly sigh at,

And wish for me, and home, and quiet.

Assuming now a conjuror's office, I

Thus on your future fortune prophesy:

Soon as your novelty is o'er,

And you are young and new no more,

In some dark dirty corner thrown,

Mouldy with damps, with cobwebs strown,

Your leaves shall be the bookworm's prey;

Or sent to chandler-shop away,

And doomed to suffer public scandal,

Shall line the trunk or wrap the candle!

But, should you meet with approbation,

And someone find an inclination

To ask, by natural transition,

Respecting me and my condition,

That I am one, th' inquirer teach,

Nor very poor, nor very rich;

Of passions strong, of hasty nature,

Of graceless form and dwarfish stature;

By few approved, and few approving;

Extreme in hating and in loving;

Abhorring all whom I dislike,

Adoring who my fancy strike:

In forming judgments never long,

And for the most part judging wrong;

In friendship firm, but still believing

Others are treacherous and deceiving;

And thinking, in the present era,

That friendship is a pure chimera;

More passionate no creature living,

Proud, obstinate, and unforgiving,

But yet, for those who kindness show,

Ready through fire and smoke to go.

Again, should it be asked your page,

Pray, what may be the author's age?

Your faults, no doubt, will make it clear,

I scarce have seen my twentieth year,

Which passed, kind reader, on my word,

While England's throne held George the Third.

Now then your venturous course pursue:

Go, my delight! Dear Book, adieu!

M. G. L.

HAGUE, October 28, 1794

CHAPTER I

SCARCELY HAD THE ABBEY BELL TOLLED FOR FIVE MINUTES, AND ALREADY was the church of the Capuchins thronged with auditors. Do not encourage the idea that the crowd was assembled either from motives of piety or thirst of information. But very few were influenced by those reasons; and, in a city where superstition reigns with such despotic sway as in Madrid, to seek for true devotion would be a fruitless attempt. The audience now assembled in the Capuchin church was collected by various causes, but all of them were foreign to the ostensible motive. The women came to show themselves—the men, to see the women: some were attracted by curiosity to hear an orator so celebrated; some came, because they had no better means of employing their time till the play began; some, from being assured that it would be impossible to find places in the church; and one half of Madrid was brought thither by expecting to meet the other half. The only persons truly anxious to hear the preacher were a few antiquated devotees and half a dozen rival orators determined to find fault with and ridicule the discourse. As to the remainder of the audience, the sermon might have been omitted altogether, certainly without their being disappointed and very probably without their perceiving the omission.

Whatever was the occasion, it is at least certain that the Capuchin church had never witnessed a more numerous assembly. Every corner was filled, every seat was occupied. The very statues which ornamented the long aisles were pressed into the service. Boys suspended themselves upon the wings of cherubims; St. Francis and St. Mark bore each a spectator on his shoulders; and St. Agatha found herself under the necessity of carrying double. The consequence was that, in spite of all their hurry and expedition, our two newcomers, on entering the church, looked round in vain for places.

However, the old woman continued to move forwards. In vain were exclamations of displeasure vented against her from all sides; in vain was she addressed with: I assure you, Segnora, there are no places here. I beg, Segnora, that you will not crowd me so intolerably! Segnora, you cannot pass this way. Bless me! How can people be so troublesome? The old woman was obstinate, and on she went. By dint of perseverance and two brawny arms she made a passage through the crowd, and managed to bustle herself into the very body of the church at no great distance from the pulpit. Her companion had followed her with timidity and in silence, profiting by the exertions of her conductress.

Holy Virgin! exclaimed the old woman, in a tone of disappointment, while she threw a glance of inquiry round her. Holy Virgin! What heat! What a crowd! I wonder what can be the meaning of all this. I believe we must return; there is no such thing as a seat to be had, and nobody seems kind enough to accommodate us with theirs.

This broad hint attracted the notice of two cavaliers, who occupied stools on the right hand and were leaning their backs against the seventh column from the pulpit. Both were young, and richly habited. Hearing this appeal to their politeness pronounced in a female voice, they interrupted their conversation to look at the speaker. She had thrown up her veil in order to take a clearer look round the cathedral: her hair was red, and she squinted. The cavaliers turned round, and renewed their conversation.

By all means, replied the old woman's companion; by all means, Leonella, let us return home immediately; the heat is excessive, and I am terrified at such a crowd.

These words were pronounced in a tone of unexampled sweetness. The cavaliers again broke off their discourse, but for this time they were not contented with looking up: but started involuntarily from their seats, and turned themselves towards the speaker.

The voice came from a female, the delicacy and elegance of whose figure inspired the youths with the most lively curiosity to view the face to which it belonged. This satisfaction was denied them. Her features were hidden by a thick veil; but struggling through the crowd had deranged it sufficiently to discover a neck which for symmetry and beauty might have vied with the Medicean Venus. It was of the most dazzling whiteness, and received additional charms from being shaded by the tresses of her long fair hair, which descended in ringlets to her waist. Her figure was rather below than above the middle size: it was light and airy as that of an Hamadryad. Her bosom was carefully veiled. Her dress was white; it was fastened by a blue sash, and just permitted to peep out from under it a little foot of the most delicate proportions. A chaplet of large grains hung upon her arm, and her face was covered with a veil of thick black gauze. Such was the female to whom the youngest of the cavaliers now offered his seat, while the other thought it necessary to pay the same attention to her companion.

The old lady with many expressions of gratitude, but without much difficulty, accepted the offer, and seated herself; the young one followed her example, and made no other compliment than a simple and graceful reverence. Don Lorenzo (such was the cavalier's name whose seat she had accepted) placed himself near her; but first he whispered a few words in his friend's ear, who immediately took the hint, and endeavoured to draw off the old woman's attention from her lovely charge.

You are doubtless lately arrived at Madrid? said Lorenzo to his fair neighbour. It is impossible that such charms should have long remained unobserved; and, had not this been your first public appearance, the envy of the women and adoration of the men would have rendered you already sufficiently remarkable.

He paused, in expectation of an answer. As his speech did not absolutely require one, the lady did not open her lips. After a few moments, he resumed his discourse:

Am I wrong in supposing you to be a stranger to Madrid?

The lady hesitated; and at last, in so low a voice as to be scarcely intelligible, she made shift to answer: No, Segnor.

Do you intend making a stay of any length?

Yes, Segnor.

I should esteem myself fortunate were it in my power to contribute to making your abode agreeable: I am well known at Madrid, and my family has some interest at court. If I can be of any service, you cannot honour or oblige me more than by permitting me to be of use to you. Surely, said he to himself, she cannot answer that by a monosyllable; now she must say something to me.

Lorenzo was deceived, for the lady answered only by a bow.

By this time he had discovered that his neighbour was not very conversable; but, whether her silence proceeded from pride, discretion, timidity, or idiotism, he was still unable to decide.

After a pause of some minutes, It is certainly from your being a stranger, said he, and as yet unacquainted with our customs that you continue to wear your veil. Permit me to remove it.

At the same time he advanced his hand towards the gauze; the lady raised hers to prevent him.

I never unveil in public, Segnor.

And where is the harm, I pray you? interrupted her companion somewhat sharply. Do not you see, that the other ladies have all laid their veils aside—to do honour, no doubt, to the holy place in which we are? I have taken off mine already; and surely, if I expose my features to general observation, you have no cause to put yourself in such a wonderful alarm! Blessed Maria! Here is a fuss and a bustle about a chit's face! Come, come, child! Uncover it! I warrant you that nobody will run away with it from you—

Dear aunt, it is not the custom in Murcia—

Murcia, indeed! Holy St. Barbara, what does that signify? You are always putting me in mind of that villanous province. If it is the custom in Madrid, that is all that we ought to mind; and therefore I desire you to take off your veil immediately. Obey me this moment, Antonia, for you know I cannot bear contradiction.

Her niece was silent, but made no further opposition to Don Lorenzo's efforts, who, armed with the aunt's sanction, hastened to remove the gauze. What a seraph's head presented itself to his admiration! Yet it was rather bewitching than beautiful; it was not so lovely from regularity of features as from sweetness and sensibility of countenance. The several parts of her face considered separately, many of them were far from handsome, but when examined together the whole was adorable. Her skin, though fair, was not entirely without freckles; her eyes were not very large, nor their lashes particularly long; but then her lips were of the most rosy freshness; her fair and undulating hair, confined by a simple ribband, poured itself below her waist in a profusion of ringlets; her neck was full and beautiful in the extreme; her hand and arm were formed with the most perfect symmetry; her mild blue eyes seemed an heaven of sweetness, and the crystal in which they moved sparkled with all the brilliance of diamonds. She appeared to be scarcely fifteen; an arch smile, playing round her mouth, declared her to be possessed of liveliness, which excess of timidity at present repressed. She looked round her with a bashful glance; and, whenever her eyes accidently met Lorenzo's, she dropped them hastily upon her rosary; her cheek was immediately suffused with blushes, and she began to tell her beads, though her manner evidently showed that she knew not what she was about.

Lorenzo gazed upon her with mingled surprise and admiration; but the aunt thought it necessary to apologise for Antonia's mauvaise honte.

'Tis a young creature, said she, who is totally ignorant of the world. She has been brought up in an old castle in Murcia, with no other society than her mother's; who, God help her, has no more sense, good soul, than is necessary to carry her soup to her mouth; yet she is my own sister, both by father and mother.

And has so little sense? said Don Christoval, with feigned astonishment. How very extraordinary!

"Very true, Segnor; is it not strange? However, such is the fact; and yet only to see the luck of some people! A young nobleman, of the very first quality, took it into his head that Elvira had some pretensions to beauty. As to pretensions, in truth she had always enough of them; but as to beauty—if I had only taken half the pains to set myself off which she did! But this is neither here nor there. As I was saying, Segnor, a young nobleman fell in love with her, and married her unknown to his father. Their union remained a secret near three years; but at last it came to the ears of the old Marquis, who, as you may well suppose, was not much pleased with the intelligence. Away he posted in all haste to Cordova, determined to seize Elvira, and send her away to some place or other, where she would never be heard of more. Holy St. Paul! How he stormed on finding that she had escaped him, had joined her husband, and that they had embarked together for the Indies! He swore at us all, as if the evil spirit had possessed him; he threw my father into prison—as honest a painstaking shoemaker as any in Cordova; and, when he went away, he had the cruelty to take from us my sister's little boy, then scarcely two years old, and whom, in the abruptness of her flight, she had been obliged to leave behind her. I suppose that the poor little wretch met with bitter bad treatment from him, for in a few months after we received intelligence of his death."

Why, this was a most terrible old fellow, Segnora!

Oh, shocking! And a man so totally devoid of taste! Why, would you believe it, Segnor? When I attempted to pacify him, he cursed me for a witch, and wished that, to punish the Count, my sister might become as ugly as myself! Ugly, indeed! I like him for that.

Ridiculous! cried Don Christoval. Doubtless the Count would have thought himself fortunate had he been permitted to exchange the one sister for the other.

Oh Christ! Segnor, you are really too polite. However, I am heartily glad that the Condé was of a different way of thinking. A mighty pretty piece of business to be sure Elvira has made of it! After broiling and stewing in the Indies for thirteen long years, her husband dies, and she returns to Spain without a house to hide her head or money to procure her one! This Antonia was then but an infant, and her only remaining child. She found that her father-in-law had married again, that he was irreconcileable to the Condé, and that his second wife had produced him a son, who is reported to be a very fine young man. The old Marquis refused to see my sister or her child; but sent her word that, on condition of never hearing any more of her, he would assign her a small pension, and she might live in an old castle which he possessed in Murcia. This had been the favourite habitation of his eldest son; but, since his flight from Spain, the old Marquis could not bear the place, but let it fall to ruin and confusion. My sister accepted the proposal; she retired to Murcia, and has remained there till within the last month.

And what brings her now to Madrid? inquired Don Lorenzo, whom admiration of the young Antonia compelled him to take a lively interest in the talkative old woman's narration.

Alas! Segnor, her father-in-law being lately dead, the steward of his Murcian estates has refused to pay her pension any longer. With the design of supplicating his son to renew it, she is now come to Madrid; but I doubt that she might have saved herself the trouble. You young noblemen have always enough to do with your money, and are not very often disposed to throw it away upon old women. I advised my sister to send Antonia with her petition; but she would not hear of such a thing. She is so obstinate! Well, she will find herself the worse for not following my counsels: the girl has a good pretty face, and possibly might have done much.

Ah, Segnora! interrupted Don Christoval, counterfeiting a passionate air. If a pretty face will do the business, why has not your sister recourse to you?

Oh! Jesus! My Lord, I swear you quite overpower me with your gallantry! But I promise you that I am too well aware of the danger of such expeditions to trust myself in a young nobleman's power! No, no; I have as yet preserved my reputation without blemish or reproach, and I always knew how to keep the men at a proper distance.

Of that, Segnora, I have not the least doubt, But permit me to ask you, have you then any aversion to matrimony?

That is a home question. I cannot but confess, that if an amiable cavalier was to present himself—

Here she intended to throw a tender and significant look upon Don Christoval, but, as she unluckily happened to squint most abominably, the glance fell directly upon his companion. Lorenzo took the compliment to himself, and answered it by a profound bow.

May I inquire, said he, the name of the Marquis?

The Marquis de las Cisternas.

I know him intimately well. He is not at present in Madrid, but is expected here daily. He is one of the best of men; and if the lovely Antonia will permit me to be her advocate with him, I doubt not my being able to make a favourable report of her cause.

Antonia raised her blue eyes, and silently thanked him for the offer by a smile of inexpressible sweetness. Leonella's satisfaction was much more loud and audible. Indeed, as her niece was generally silent in her company, she thought it incumbent upon her to talk enough for both: this she managed without difficulty, for she very seldom found herself deficient in words.

Oh, Segnor! she cried. You will lay our whole family under the most signal obligations! I accept your offer with all possible gratitude, and return you a thousand thanks for the generosity of your proposal. Antonia, why do you not speak, child? While the cavalier says all sorts of civil things to you, you sit like a statue, and never utter a syllable of thanks, either bad, good, or indifferent!

My dear aunt, I am very sensible that—

Fie, niece! How often have I told you that you never should interrupt a person who is speaking! When did you ever know me do such a thing? Are these your Murcian manners? Mercy on me, I shall never be able to make this girl anything like a person of good breeding. But pray, Segnor, she continued, addressing herself to Don Christoval, inform me, why such a crowd is assembled today in this cathedral.

Can you possibly be ignorant that Ambrosio, abbot of this monastery, pronounces a sermon in this church every Thursday? All Madrid rings with his praises. As yet he has preached but thrice, but all who have heard him are so delighted with his eloquence that it is as difficult to obtain a place at church as at the first representation of a new comedy. His fame certainly must have reached your ears?

Alas, Segnor, till yesterday I never had the good fortune to see Madrid; and at Cordova we are so little informed of what is passing in the rest of the world that the name of Ambrosio has never been mentioned in its precincts.

"You will find it in everyone's mouth at Madrid. He seems to have fascinated the inhabitants; and, not having attended his sermons myself, I am astonished at the enthusiasm which he has excited. The adoration paid him both by young and old, by man and woman, is unexampled. The grandees load him with presents; their wives refuse to have any other confessor; and he is known through all the city by the name of The man of holiness."

Undoubtedly, Segnor, he is of noble origin?

That point still remains undecided. The late superior of the Capuchins found him while yet an infant at the abbey door: all attempts to discover who had left him there were vain, and the child himself could give no account of his parents. He was educated in the monastery, where he has remained ever since. He early showed a strong inclination for study and retirement; and, as soon as he was of a proper age, he pronounced his vows. No one has ever appeared to claim him, or clear up the mystery which conceals his birth; and the monks, who find their account in the favour which is shown to their establishment from respect to him, have not hesitated to publish that he is a present to them from the Virgin. In truth, the singular austerity of his life gives some countenance to the report. He is now thirty years old, every hour of which period has been passed in study, total seclusion from the world, and mortification of the flesh. Till these last three weeks, when he was chosen superior of the society to which he belongs, he had never been on the outside of the abbey walls. Even now he never quits them except on Thursdays, when he delivers a discourse in this cathedral, which all Madrid assembles to hear. His knowledge is said to be the most profound, his eloquence the most persuasive. In the whole course of his life he has never been known to transgress a single rule of his order; the smallest stain is not to be discovered upon his character; and he is reported to be so strict an observer of chastity that he knows not in what consists the difference of man and woman: the common people, therefore, esteem him to be a saint.

Does that make a saint? inquired Antonia. Bless me, then am I one.

Holy St. Barbara! exclaimed Leonella. What a question! Fie, child, fie! These are not fit subjects for young women to handle. You should not seem to remember that there is such a thing as a man in the world, and you ought to imagine everybody to be of the same sex with yourself. I should like to see you give people to understand that you know that a man has no breasts, and no hips, and no. . . .

Luckily for Antonia's ignorance, which her aunt's lecture would soon have dispelled, an universal murmur through the church announced the preacher's arrival. Donna Leonella rose from her seat to take a better view of him, and Antonia followed her example.

He was a man of noble port and commanding presence. His stature was lofty, and his features uncommonly handsome. His nose was aquiline, his eyes large, black and sparkling, and his dark brows almost joined together. His complexion was of a deep but clear brown; study and watching had entirely deprived his cheek of colour. Tranquillity reigned upon his smooth unwrinkled forehead; and content, expressed upon every feature, seemed to announce the man equally unacquainted with cares and crimes. He bowed himself with humility to the audience. Still there was a certain severity in his look and manner that inspired universal awe, and few could sustain the glance of his eye, at once fiery and penetrating. Such was Ambrosio, abbot of the Capuchins, and surnamed The man of holiness.

Antonia, while she gazed upon him eagerly, felt a pleasure fluttering in her bosom which till then had been unknown to her, and for which she in vain endeavoured to account. She waited with impatience till the sermon should begin: and, when at length the friar spoke, the sound of his voice seemed to penetrate into her very soul. Though no other of the spectators felt such violent sensations as did the young Antonia, yet everyone listened with interest and emotion. They who were insensible to religion's merits were still enchanted with Ambrosio's oratory. All found their attention irresistibly attracted while he spoke, and the most profound silence reigned through the crowded aisles. Even Lorenzo could not resist the charm; he forgot that Antonia was seated near him, and listened to the preacher with undivided attention.

In language nervous, clear, and simple, the monk expatiated on the beauties of religion. He explained some abstruse parts of the sacred writings in a style that carried with it universal conviction. His voice, at once distinct and deep, was fraught with all the terrors of the tempest, while he inveighed against the vices of humanity, and described the punishments reserved for them in a future state. Every hearer looked back upon his past offences, and trembled: the thunder seemed to roll whose bolt was destined to crush him, and the abyss of eternal destruction to open before his feet! But when Ambrosio, changing his theme, spoke of the excellence of an unsullied conscience, of the glorious prospect which eternity presented to the soul untainted with reproach, and of the recompense which awaited it in the regions of everlasting glory, his auditors felt their scattered spirits insensibly return: they threw themselves with confidence upon the mercy of their judge; they hung with delight upon the consoling words of the preacher; and, while his full voice swelled into melody, they were transported to those happy regions which he painted to their imaginations in colours so brilliant and glowing.

The discourse was of considerable length; yet, when it concluded, the audience grieved that it had not lasted longer. Though the monk had ceased to speak, enthusiastic silence still prevailed through the church. At length, the charm gradually dissolving, the general admiration was expressed in audible terms. As Ambrosio descended from the pulpit, his auditors crowded round him, loaded him with blessings, threw themselves at his feet, and kissed the hem of his garment. He passed on slowly, with his hands crossed devoutly upon his bosom, to the door opening into the abbey chapel, at which his monks waited to receive him. He ascended the steps, and then, turning towards his followers, addressed to them a few words of gratitude and exhortation. While he spoke, his rosary, composed of large grains of amber, fell from his hand, and dropped among the surrounding multitude. It was seized eagerly, and immediately divided amidst the spectators. Whoever became possessor of a bead preserved it as a sacred relique; and, had it been the chaplet of thrice-blessed St. Francis himself, it could not have been disputed with greater vivacity. The abbot, smiling at their eagerness, pronounced his benediction and quitted the church, while humility dwelt upon every feature. Dwelt she, also, in his heart?

Antonia's eyes followed him with anxiety: as the door closed after

Reviews for The Monk (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading)

[colligan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"The Monk" certainly deserves its description as a Gothic classic. Hard to imagine a book written in the 18th century could be described as a "page-turner", yet it is. Not high literature or a stylistic masterpiece but without a doubt an amazing tale. Moreover as many people observe, the book was written in ten weeks by 19 year old. Simply amazing. The tale utilizes almost every conceivable plot twist and doesn't hesitate to borrow from earlier works of fiction. Despite its length the story doesn't drag. Still, the Gothic style and presentation may not appeal to every reader. But, if nothing else, "The Monk" deserves attention for its place in literary history. If the prospective reader accepts the genre and exercises a bit of patience, it is a very enjoyable and noteworthy read.

[yarb_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Once in a while it's very pleasant to read a story where the ghosts, witches, dissembling demons, Wandering Jew, evil nuns, cross-dressers, murderous brigands, Inquisitional tortures, violated maidens, mad monks, mouldering corpses (or "Corses" to use the quaint vernacular), secret passages, dank dungeons, all-pervading air of carnality and Satan himself are not just implied, metaphorical, or artifacts of a disordered psyche, but actually real.Here's Old Nick in all his pomp:He appeared in all that ugliness which since his fall from heaven had been his portion: His blasted limbs still bore marks of the Almighty’s thunder: A swarthy darkness spread itself over his gigantic form: His hands and feet were armed with long Talons: Fury glared in his eyes, which might have struck the bravest heart with terror: Over his huge shoulders waved two enormous sable wings; and his hair was supplied by living snakes, which twined themselves round his brows with frightful hissings. In one hand He held a roll of parchment, and in the other an iron pen. Still the lightning flashed around him, and the Thunder with repeated bursts, seemed to announce the dissolution of Nature.

[paulagalvan-323293 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

First published in 1796, The Monk, one of the first books written in the gothic horror genre, is an outrageously dark book, and was initially met with worldwide criticism. Of course, what we read today is much more graphic, however, this is still an intensely horrifying story of Ambrosio, an Abbott held in high esteem in Madrid who falls from grace by realizing his baser desires and ultimately committing rape and murder. Although the language is hard to get through and the plot sometimes wanders, the story is entertaining and does not lack lewd acts of lust and debauchery. I found it very entertaining and worth the time spent.

[ghr4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As shocking as Matthew Lewis’s The Monk Is to the modern reader, one can scarcely imagine the reception that greeted it when first published in 1796. A scandalous tale of a highly respected monk’s rapid descent, after succumbing to temptation, into debauchery and a series of heinous crimes. Throw in some strange supernatural elements and dealings with the Devil, and it adds up to one hell of a wild ride. An early Gothic classic, highly recommended.

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

is is a classic Gothic horror novel published in 1796 at the height of the Gothic novel golden age, an era usually deemed to be epitomised by Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho. This one is a full on embodiment of the Gothic genre, with corrupt monks and nuns, the Devil, satanic agents disguised as nuns, cross-dressing, moral and physical decay, dank, dark dungeons, burial alive, murder, torture, illicit sex, rape and incest. The latter are not described in a modern, explicit sense, but still in language that is explicit for the time and which earned the condemnation of Samuel Taylor Coleridge who wrote in a contemporary review "Not without reluctance then, but in full conviction that we are performing a duty, we declare it to be our opinion, that the Monk is a romance, which if a parent saw in the hands of a son or daughter, he might reasonably turn pale". At the same time Coleridge praises the quality of the writing and the author's precocious talent; indeed, Lewis was only twenty-years-old when he wrote and published this novel. It drags slightly in places, but overall is an entertaining fantasy read; in the words of the (anonymous) introduction to the Delphi edition, "Lewis has thrown everything into this novel and there is a resultant over-the-top almost camp appeal to the whole thing".

[locriian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ok this book is so great- it starts off kinda slow a you're like yeah yeah a monk, blah blah picking up girls at church, but then it escalates...and really escalates ... And suddenly HOLYSHIT THE ENDING.

Also I love Satan.

The best last chapter of a book of all time.

[streamsong_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“remember that a moment past in your arms in this world, o’er pays an age of punishment in the next”.In the forward written by Stephen King, King describes this novel, written in 1796 as one of the forerunners of a new genre – novels written for pleasure reading, not merely (moral) instruction. It was one of the first of the gothic novels using dark themes of sex and violence and so was exceptionally shocking to its 18th century readership.And although not written to instruct, it is a scree against the Roman Catholic church, with monasteries and convents given particular criticism.The young monk, Ambrosio, is the epitome of manhood and monkhood. Handsome, charismatic, well spoken, and pious; his sermons draw throngs. But he falls into sin – pride in his accomplishments, idolatry of a painting, and then lust for a beautiful young woman, Rosario, who had disguised herself as a fellow monk in order to be near him.Rosario literally sells her soul to the devil for Ambrosio to be furthered in his evil plans to ensnare a beautiful, chaste young girl. In the end, Ambrosio himself must decide whether to sell his own soul, too.Scattered within are delightful folktales – robbers and murderers in the forest, and an escape by dressing up as a famous ghost only to find … well I won’t say. Not to mention handsome young cavaliers deeply in love with the objects of their affections and humorous byplays to lighten the mood.It’s not shocking to my 21st century sensibilities. Two hundred years down the line, we’ve seen these plots and evil plot devices before. Overall, I enjoyed it: partially for the period piece it is and its place in literature, but also for its storytelling.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is not a fusty Victorian novel, not by any means. It is a riot of a plot, with any number of gothic adventures taking place, all centered around an adjoining monestry and convent. Written by an Englishman & set in Spain, it has all those stereotypes of the Catholic church to the fore, and all the strange goings on that the anti-papists would expect to see (and entirely disapprove of). Even Satan has a cameo role in the end, comming to claim his prize. It's a riot, it's completely unbelievable and great fun!

[whiskeyinthejar-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars

Dreams, magic terrors, spells of mighty power, Witches, and ghosts who rove at midnight hour.

I read this for the Classic Horror Halloween Bingo square.
It's said this was written by a 19/20 yr old and within 10 weeks, which if true, is amazing. The format of having a main character, Ambrosio (the monk), and then having secondary characters branch off from him and tangentially going astray and telling their stories, only to have them all come together in the end, was extremely compelling. I was expecting more creepiness, it takes until the 50% mark for a ghost to appear:

At length the Clock struck two. The Apparition rose from her seat, and approached the side of the bed. She grasped with her icy fingers my hand which hung lifeless upon the Coverture, and pressing her cold lips to mine, again repeated, "Raymond! Raymond! Thou art mine! Raymond! Raymond! I am thine! &c.----" She then dropped my hand, quitted the chamber with slow steps, and the Door closed after her. Till that moment the faculties of my body had been all suspended; Those of my mind had alone been waking. The charm now ceased to operate: The blood which had been frozen in my veins rushed back to my heart with violence: I uttered a deep groan, and sank lifeless upon my pillow.

Until the last 30-20% the story is really about love, lust, and jealousy. As an atheist I don't hold religious individuals, rather they be in high ranking positions in the church, to a higher regard. I don't think it is any more crazy that a monk would give into his lust than an average non-religious male. (Not talking about Ambrosio's later desire to rape Antonia; he wants her and she doesn't want him. This is a different issue than him being turned on by Mathilda who willing wants to sleep with him) Religious individuals might find this story more, I don't know, worrisome because of the themes of non-infallibility regarding sin; no one is safe from the devil.

I did really enjoy how the author played around with the themes of religious doctrine and the hypocrisy/corruption of its supposed devout leaders, men putting the blame on women for their failings, jealousy, and power. If you read this looking for a Gothic, I think you'd hit the gold mine with it's verbiage and tone. Like I mentioned, the more creepy scenes didn't have a strong presence until the ending with the Devil making a strong appearance:

He appeared in all that ugliness which since his fall from heaven had been his portion: His blasted limbs still bore marks of the Almighty's thunder: A swarthy darkness spread itself over his gigantic form: His hands and feet were armed with long Talons: Fury glared in his eyes, which might have struck the bravest heart with terror: Over his huge shoulders waved two enormous sable wings; and his hair was supplied by living snakes, which twined themselves round his brows with frightful hissings. In one hand He held a roll of parchment, and in the other an iron pen. Still the lightning flashed around him, and the Thunder with repeated bursts, seemed to announce the dissolution of Nature.

This story had some twists and turns with characters having some pretty intriguing life stories. I didn't find it as outlandish as some reviews led me to believe it was going to be (a lot mention how Ambrosio lusts and rapes his sister. He didn't know it was his sister during his obsession, so calling him incestuous seems a bit unfair). I read a small amount of horror stories and watch a ton of horror movies so maybe my creep/crazy bar is set too high but I did notice two movies were made about this and Netflix has the 2011 on DVD so I'll be adding it to the queue.

Man was born for society. However little He may be attached to the World, He never can wholly forget it, or bear to be wholly forgotten by it.

[ellegato · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was amazingly ridiculous and I loved every minute of it

[amaliagavea · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

‘’I must have your soul; must have it mine, and mine forever.’’ This is one of the pioneers of Gothic Fiction, a work that defined one of the most fascinating, demanding and controversial genres. A novel written in the end of the 18th century that shocked the reading audience of its time with its last, darkness and violence. But what about the contemporary readers? Well, a few hundred years later and ‘’The Monk’’ still continues to attract us. My first experience with Lewis’ novel took place during my studies, in an exciting course called ‘’The Bible in English Literature’’. Since then, I’ve overlooked reading it and I don’t know why. This Christmas, an amazing colleague gave me a collector’s edition as a Christmas present. I think she knows me well.In Madrid, Ambrosio is a charismatic monk who dazzles the congregation with fiery sermons. A younger monk, Rosario, is his faithful shadow and confidante. However, Rosario is actually a young lady who has no other way to be close to him except disguising herself as a boy. Ambrosio discovers the truth and succumbs, because he is weak in spirit and in flesh. When his attentions turn to a young lady from a noble family, all Hell breaks loose. Literally, I assure you…‘’The Monk’’ echoes Shakespeare and the Jacobite playwrights quite clearly. The cross-dressing, the scandalous love affairs, the ambivalent outcome, the extreme depiction of violence and punishment. The action is set in Spain, faithful to the stereotype which imagine the people of the Southern part of Europe as more vulnerable and governed by their passions, within a context that breaks apart the two institutions which are supposed to provide comfort and security. The Family and the Church. Dishonesty is common. ‘’Holy’’ men break their vows, noble sons try to trick virgins into their path, parents bargain their children away. It is a world far more terrifying than any satanic involvement could ever create and it is too real. Obsession leads to crimes and Lewis paints a dark portrait of a society that is corrupted to the core. Men and women blame God for their ‘’weak souls’’ while choosing a path that leads nowhere. The atmosphere is tangible with dark sensuality and violent lust and madness, as Lewis depicts a country and an era in all their attractive paranoia.We live in the time when violence and sex are always around, often used to shock but ending up being nothing. We aren’t easily shocked now, exposed to them from an outrageously young age through TV and video games. ‘’The Monk’’ may seem to us anything but shocking. Some may say that it stereotypically places the women in the archetypal roles of the Seductress or the Virgin. Yes, well, obviously! Take the story within its historical context and you’ll have the explanation. But wouldn’t this be too simplistic to consider?We love ‘’A Song of Ice and Fire’’ (most of us, at least….), we love Stephen King and Gothic Fiction has never been better both in Literature as well as in exceptional TV series like BBC’s ‘’Taboo’’. Violence, darkness and sexual implications don’t shock us, but dark stories of quality continue to fascinate us and will always do so. And by ‘’quality’’, I mean Literature, not mass-produced porn garbage...Darkness continues to rule many a life, forming a kind of obsession that may lead to horror and despair. This is why ‘’The Monk’’ still remains an iconic creation in the vastness of Literature. I would also wholeheartedly suggest the 2011 film version of the novel, starring Vincent Cassel at his best.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book is considered one of the first Gothic novels and one that is "male Gothic" specializing in horror (according to Wikipedia) and was published in 1796 by Matthew Gregory Lewis (English Author). This story of scandalous behavior may have been even shocking at the time but not new. In the end, it reminded me of events found in the Bible and Greek literature. There really is a lot of characters and their intertwining lives was sometimes hard to keep track of but in the end it did all come together and centered on the main character of the Monk known as Ambrosio. He is about 30 years of age and has been raised in the Abbey his entire life and a favorite of all. It is the story of his demise because of the sin of pride. Matilda is known as Rosario, a boy, who gains access to Ambrosio through her disguise as a boy. She is the character of wickedness in the book and of supernatural forces and magical powers. Matilda has too much power and Ambrosio is weak. The book has a great deal of romance element with Matilda's love for Ambrosio, Agnes's love of Don Raymond, Don Lorenzo's love for Antonia. The novel is full of evil characters; the Prioress who misuses her power in ways that do not fit her station, the Monk with his sin of pride, lust and murder and others. The book is set during the inquisition and includes references to the tortures and auto-da-fé. The cripts, mouldering corpses and relics play parts to make the book truly a Gothic work.

[philsyphe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“The Monk” is like nothing else I’ve ever read. Although it’s poorly constructed in terms of paragraphing and certain structural elements – this was written in the 1790s, after all – the unusual yet original plot, its diverse themes, plus a rare cast of characters make up for any defects.Every so often the author injects a line – usually in dialogue – that is such a surprise it made me pause with raised eyebrows; a “Did I read that right?” type of moment. Or, if you prefer, a “Bloody hell!” type of moment. I mean this in a positive way. Matthew Lewis could write the most unexpected twists in a tale.The tone for the most part is a sinister one, yet every so often humour pops up to lighten the tone. We have sexual encounters and pure horror. “The Monk” is a blend of many themes that complement each other well.

[altheaann · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I somehow managed to get through this much of my life, including a college class in gothic literature; without ever reading this book. How? It was great!
Published in 1796 and written by a 19-year-old, it was a massive, bestselling success in its day - and it really still holds up as a fun, entertaining read.

This particular edition had the most *awful* introduction EVER, though. (I will not dignify the author of said intro by even mentioning his name, which I had never heard before anyway.) It was snide, condescending, and totally missed the point, by criticizing gothic literature as a genre, Lewis as a writer and the Monk in general - and damning it with faint praise, for the WRONG things. (the intro was written in the '50's, before the new attention the gothic genre has gotten in academia).
Anyway, the intro-writer was trying to judge the book as a Work of Literature, and an Exploration of the Fall of a Virtuous Man, and all that kind of crap.

It's NOT.

It's an intentionally blasphemous, often hilarious, tragically dramatic tale, full of sorcery, devil-worship, ill-fated (and not-so-ill-fated) love, scandal, murder, ghosts, the Inquisition, cruel nuns, spooky castles, exotic locales, torture, dungeons, beautiful maidens... and of course, the particularly evil titular Monk.
Yes, there's some pointed commentary of the hypocrisy of many religious types, as well as some quite funny social commentary (which often seems AMAZINGLY apropos for today, considering the age of the book) - but this was a book written to entertain - and titillate. It's definitely not as shocking today as it probably was then - and the plot is not quite as tightly sewn together as modern editors demand - but it's still a rousing good read.

[sweetzombieducky · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic story of murder and lust. Nice twist at the end. The sub-plot with the imprisoned nun was fantastic and her discovery was quite stomach-turning.

[leslie398 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The biggest flaw of this Gothic horror story for me was the somewhat dated style of writing (similar to that of Defoe). I think the creepiest part may have been the very end, in which the Spanish Inquisition is investigating Ambrosio (the monk) - partly because I suspect some of the tortures described may have been really used during this period of history!I could quickly see why this book fell into disrepute during the early Victorian times, as it includes somewhat graphic (if flowery) descriptions of carnal sins and horrifying tortures. I did have to chuckle a few times at the very English repugnance of Catholics that showed in some of the descriptions! And I could see why authors such as Jane Austen parodied this type of melodrama. However, I was surprised by the fact that Ambrosio wasn't painted as entirely evil & his struggles with his conscience were sometimes quite moving.

[gbill_7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ah, there’s nothing like a good irreverent read over the holidays. The Monk has a plot that is “convenient” and soap operatic at times, but it’s great fun to read, containing stories within the story, and I was impressed with the fact that it was written by a 19-year-old in 1796. It can be read as an indictment of Catholicism, as commentary on the nature of men and women, a morality story, or as Gothic drama. It’s Romanticism influenced by Lewis’s exposure to Germany’s Sturm und Drang movement, and yet also infused with brutal realism and fantasy. Something for everybody! :P

[william345 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This novel is all about Christian, specifically Catholic, sexual hysteria. Sex seems to determine everyone's motivation in the first volume. This makes sense when you consider that it was written by a nineteen year old for whom these obsessions were no doubt a daily occurence. Fortunately for us, he has managed to sublimate them into the form of a novel. (Which puts me in mind of E.M. Forster, who, when touched on the ass by an admirer at a tender age, promptly went home and wrote Maurice.)

A duenna and her charge arrive in Madrid from provincial Mucia some time in the very late eighteenth century. For some reason no doubt to be made clear later, they arrive at a church where the much talked about Father Ambrosio is to speak. The father is a paragon of virtue. He has spent his thirty years entirely immersed in studies and prayer at the local Capuchin monastery. While waiting for the good father to arrive the duenna, Leonella, who is fifty-one, and her charge, Antonia, who is fifteen, are questioned by two young men and their tale of woe is gradually revealed. This is essentially a tale of Antonia's mother, seduced by a libertine, who runs away with her to the West Indies where thirteen years later he dies leaving her penniless so she must return to Spain with baby Antonia in tow to throw herself on the mercy of her outraged father.

The wholly pure Ambrosio then spends the next sixty pages undergoing two events: the first is his heartless condemnation of a nun who has allowed herself to be seduced. She is with child but Ambrosio gives her into the hands of the prioress of her order for purposes of punishment; the second event is Ambrosio's seduction by a woman disguised as a young man, one Rosario, who has shamelessly broken the sanctity of the monastery. That at least is how Ambrosio sees it before he eventually gives way to godless and all too enjoyable rutting with the woman. These pages are tumescent with hot-blooded satanic sex. It is hard to believe they first saw the light of day in 1796. What an earth-shattering fireball this novel must have been then.

One of the gentlemen entertaining the two new arrivals at the church is a nobleman, Lorenzo. It is his sister, Agnes, who has just been sacrificed by Father Ambrosio to the prioress. Now we enter into a long divagation narrated by the sister's nobleman lover, the Marquis de las Cisternas. First there is the interlude in the forest outside Strasborg in which the Marquis walks into a nest of banditti who wish him only ill. This is a vividly described section with lots of action and blood. At extraordinary length, the Marquis survives, as he must if we are to get the story of how Agnes becomes trapped into entering a convent by a guardian jealous of her relationship with the Marquis. This section involves some decisions on the part of the Marquis that no adult man with any romantic experience would make. In other words, the crudeness here really smacks of a nineteen year old writing his first novel. Yet the vivacity of the writing somehow continues to hold the reader despite these howlers.

Later, we move on to Ambrosio's repeated sexcapades with Matilda (Rosario). The prioress's lie to brother Lorenzo that his sister Agnes has died in childbirth. Father Ambrosio as he overhears the prioress's evil plans for punishing Agnes on his way to an assignation with Matilda. Father Ambrosio's attempted seduction of a the young Antonia, innocent of carnal knowledge, and his deal with the devil to gain access to her lily-white body. The satisfying denouement I will not describe. Suffice it to say that Lewis's writing becomes more assured as he proceeds. By chapter 7, more than half way through, his writing becomes, as John Berryman discusses in his introduction, "passionate and astonishing."

[.monkey.-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a good book. It has its faults (the poems are a little obnoxious, some of the asides can go on for rather long, the main character has zero redeeming qualities), but it's quite a story. These days the content wouldn't be at all "shocking" but back when it was written would have been very different, Lewis was making a rather large statement with this novel. In any case, I enjoyed trying to keep ahead of the twists, attempting to guess the truth of various things. Usually I managed to guess correctly, but it wasn't the annoying sort of predictable, it was that Lewis gave bits of foreshadowing that hinted at things to come. It made it so you'd guess about the hints, and then have the anticipation of waiting for the events to progress and seeing if they'd go that way or not, and how exactly it would happen. Some of it was a little silly, and there's one character you just want to throttle, but overall a fun enjoyable read.

[sambadoll · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. It took me awhile, not because it wasn't interesting, but bc I'm a slow reader.I've never read Gothic novels before, but this was a great start. The language was easy to understand, and I found it surprisingly modern for 1796. The plot and twists reminded me a bit of Count of Monte Cristo, but much more abridge of course. A little soap opera-y, as it tried to shock you and some parts so melodramatic it was cheesy, but fun and engaging nonetheless. At this point in history, it's a bit campy, but I can imagine that back then disdain of religion wouldv'e been read very differently. The characters ranged from boringly clean to most interestingly horrible. I knew most of the plot before I started and I was still shocked at the end. It wrapped up nicely, and I give kudos for a 19 year old writing this.Having the beautiful marbled paper cover and creamy pages of my Folio Society edition was icing on the cake.

[thewalkinggirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm not really sure what I think of this. I can see how some people would call it Gothic and some people would just call it weird. "Feel this heart, father! It is yet the seat of honour, truth, and chastity; if it beats tomorrow, it must fall a prey to the blackest crimes. Oh, let me then die to-day! ... Folded in your arms, I shall sink to sleep; your hand shall close my eyes for ever, and your lips receive my dying breath. And will you not sometimes think of me? Will you not sometimes shed a tear upon my tomb?"It does have Gothic elements, like ghosts and spooky castles/houses/abbeys/crypts/forests and innocent damsels in distress from fiendish villains. The Bleeding Nun in particular was delightfully spooky:"The spectre again pressed her lips to mine, again touched me with her rotting fingers and, as on her first appearance, quitted the chamber as the clock told 'two'."But it also has some real Horror elements, like violent murders and crypts filled with rotting corpses. And there were some things that reminded me of Sade, like the religious cynicism and rapes. (Edit to add: after looking at a few commentaries, it looks like the extra violence was inspired by the German school of Gothic stories, and that Sade did use this as an inspiration. So...)"Redouble your outward austerity, and thunder out menaces against the errors of others, the better to conceal your own. ... she is unworthy to enjoy love's pleasures, who has not wit enough to conceal them.""The prudent mother, while she admired the beauties of the sacred writings [of the Bible], was convinced that, unrestricted, no reading more improper could be permitted a young woman."I don't know. It was interesting, but I think I would have related to it more if I'd read it when I was 20 (about the age of the author when he wrote it). At this point in my life, I like my Gothic stuff to be a bit more self-aware or goofy, and my social commentary to be a bit more hopeful.

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow - this book was a pleasant surprise. Written in the late 1700's, I was anticipating long detailed descriptions and sentences that are hard to parse. Instead, this was gothic horror at its scariest. The story is really about Ambrosio, a well-respected monk and his fall from grace. Lots of action, good romance and quite an incredible cast of characters, including the Bleeding Nun and Lucifer himself. Very fun.

[amerynth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gothic novels aren't typically my genre, but maybe I should start reading them more often... I thoroughly enjoyed Matthew Lewis' "The Monk."Sure, it's book filled with depravity-- apparently the first book ever written with a priest as its villain. The book is heaped with every horror imaginable-- yet still manages to provide an entertaining story with plenty of twists and turns.(For anyone reading this edition, do not read the book jacket... it inexplicably gives away the final horrors that Lewis spent so much time building up to. Odd decision... this was the 2002 edition by Oxford University Press.)

[beabatllori · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I can't decide if this is mock-goth or just really over-the-top-goth. I know Gothic is extreme by definition, but this one includes every cliché of the genre you can think of, plus a few elements that read really modern and self-aware. Kind of like late noir films, except with nuns, ghosts and dungeons (so, way better than late noir films).

The thesis, inasmuch as there is one, is rather revolutionary for its time: ignorance isn't virtue, it's just ignorance. So basically, integrists who go around judging others are just scared, repressed people who should get over themselves and join the rest of us in, you know, life. And I thought I had patented that idea.

[alcracka · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Finally, some fun in the Enlightenment. The Monk is a blast, a page-turner, chock full of insane plot twists and sinning.

It can't be accused of being terribly well-written, so you know that old debate between eloquence and plot? If you tip heavily toward eloquence, you might not like this as much.

But for me, clawing my way out of a pit of Oh-So-Literary books starved for plot...it's just what I needed. The only 18th-century book that I had more fun with was Voltaire's Candide.

This is also the only 18th-century book I've read that includes magic. All the others have been resolutely set in the real world; it was surprising to me to realize that we were actually going to be horsing around with ghosts and demons here. Weird, huh? It could certainly be that I've just missed all the magic - I'm sure this can't be the only book to include it - but in general the 1700s seemed to completely eschew the supernatural. And it's not like they had no example: Shakespeare used magic in several of his plays, and The Monk is an exploration of the Faust legend that he probably heard about from Marlowe. (Some specific similarities in a couple of key scenes point to Marlowe.) I'm not a huge fan of magic-y stuff anyway, so I doubt this is what made me dislike Enlightenment literature so much; just thought it was interesting.

ETA: Oh, it's Gothic. Stemming from Horace Walpole's 1767 "Castle of Otrando." Okay.

[hopingforchange · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is marvelously ludicrous. There is so much going on, and most of it is sordid. Nuns having babies? Check. Nuns locked in cellars by other nuns? Check. Priests having affairs? Check. Demons? Check. As if you needed more convincing, the novel also features a description of the afterlife, so if you were wondering what happens, just pick this one up.

Speaking seriously, this work is a lovely example of how the earlier novel looked when it was aimed at a certain segment of society, which would have been educated but not necessarily highly affluent people (not that the highly affluent didn't indulge, I am sure they did). It's also important to remember that books like these found their way into early circulating libraries, where they would have been presented in three installments (hence the length!). This book is 18th century smut. It's the Janet Evanovich of their time (no offense intended, smut has its place!). It's interesting that, in the 18th c., even smut had to have a moral lesson, as The Monk does. Fascinating.

As a final note, I do think that the biggest hold up in the reading process is the lack of what we as modern readers would consider a standard plot. The plot as we now know it is a relatively modern invention, so this novel offers good perspective.

For a novel of approximately the same time period with a different audience and purpose in mind, try Burney's Evelina.

[datrappert · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Despite its antiquity (1796), Lewis's sordid tale still holds up after all these years. And its tale of religious debauchery is still pretty timely, and probably always will be. Turn down your threshold for melodrama and enjoy.

[souloftherose · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Published two years after Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho, The Monk is still very much a gothic novel but it's also a very different style of gothic novel compared to Radcliffe's Udolpho.Whilst Radcliffe's novel focuses on creating a sense of terror in its readers (defined by Radcliffe as something that 'expands the soul, and awakens the facilities to a high degree of life'), The Monk seems intent on creating a sense of horror instead (something which 'contracts, freezes, and nearly annihilates them' according to Radcliffe). Where Radcliffe inspires terror by leaving things up to the reader's imagination, Lewis inspires horror by describing things in all their gory detail.This, amongst other things, makes Lewis' book a much more graphic and shocking read and it wasn't really a surprise to find in the introduction that Lewis had to remove all mentions of sexual activity, seductions, murder attempts and descriptions of unclothed female bodies as well as provocative words like 'lust' in later editions of the book.Perhaps because Lewis spells things out more for his readers, this felt like a less demanding read than The Mysteries of Udolpho; it was much easier to get into and moved a lot faster. Having said that, I think my personal preference is for Radcliffe's style of gothic writing rather than Lewis'.Radcliffe wrote The Italian in 1797 as a reply to Lewis' The Monk and The Italian is going to be my next gothic read.

[randystafford · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's no coincidence that the opening epigraph of Lewis' one and only novel is from Shakespeare's _Measure for Measure_. Both works have pillars of public moral rectitude collapsing after encountering their first major temptation of carnality. Monk Ambrosio figures in for a penny, in for a pound, and starts the slide from mere sex to murder, incest, despair, and damnation. Lewis' streamlined prose abandons the detailed descriptions of Gothic architecture and Alpine vistas favored by his model Ann Radcliffe. And, in a plot of not two but four frustrated lovers, he crams many a gruesome incident and image. No Radcliffean rationalism for Lewis. Despite frequent criticms of the superstition of Spain during the Inquistion, this plot revels in the supernatural with curses, ghosts, Bleeding Nuns, Wandering Jews, and the Prince of Demons himself. Yet, despite the melodrama, there is an air of psychological realism in how Monk Ambrosio rationalizes his escalation of evil. Perhaps more disturbing is the mind of Matilda, his first lover, and her willingness to advise and aid his evil even after he has sexually spurned her. Stephen King's introduction is, like many such introductions to classic works, an unfortunate spoiler of much of the plot. However, most of his observations are valid and interesting though I'm dubious that all English novels before Horace Walpole's _The Castle of Otranto_ had moral purposes. (Lewis novel seems to have no serious moral statement except, perhaps, that the chaste life of the convent and monastery is unnatural.) Oxford University Press seems to have taken the typesetting of this edition from an earlier one. A lot of asterisks show up in the text without accompanying footnotes. A minor annoyance to a novel that holds up well after more than 200 years.

[briandarvell_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Quite different than most other "classics" that I've read. This story, while very slightly still showing it's age, could easily have been written for modern times. Except for the large side-story midway through, I enjoyed reading about the downfall of the Abbot Ambrosio. Quite a gothic read for sure!