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With an Introduction by David Stuart Davies. The Gothic novel, featuring dark tales of tragedy, romance, revenge, torture and ancient villainies, tinged with horror and the supernatural, became the vogue in the late eighteen and early nineteenth centuries. This unique collection presents the best and the most diverse of this fascinating genre. In Horace Walpole s The Castle of Otranto, often regarded as the first true Gothic romance, we have a template for such works, which other writers adopted and adapted. With its dark cruelties and fiercely passionate dramas, the power of Walpole s prose remains magically potent today. In Vathek William Beckford developed the form further, introducing Orientalism to the Gothic mix of horror and mystery, creating the finest European imitation of the Arabian Nights. With his novel Nightmare Abbey, Thomas Love Peacock satirises the format to great comic effect while still retaining the essential chilling elements. This fantastic collection runs the gamut of Gothic fiction, presenting an entertaining and a thrilling overview of the genre.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Three Great Gothic Tales,
By M. Dowden (London, UK) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Castle of Otranto/Nightmare Abbey/Vathek (Wordsworth Mystery & Supernatural) (Tales of Mystery & the Supernatural) (Paperback)
Yes, three great gothic tales in one edition. If you are a fan of gothic romances the 'The Castle of Otranto' should already be on your bookcase, but do you own the other two?
The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole Arguably this is the tale that started it all, and less we forget the gothic genre split into other genres that we still all read today. Where Walpole caught the public imagination was in writing something completely different to what was then available. First published anonymously this was purported to be a translation of a medieval manuscript and was praised by the critics. When it emerged that it was just a novel it was denigrated by critics, but too late it had opened new doors to the reading public. By today's standards it is crazy, camp and completely mad but that is possibly why it has always had a large readership. This book also supplied the ground frame for following novels by other authors. I must admit that I have read it many a time and I still enjoy it. Vathek by William Beckford William Beckford took the gothic novel to a new place with this tale, by adding the then popular craze for anything Oriental and/or coming from the East. This is the nearest anyone has come in the West to writing a story that can compare with 'The Arabian Nights'. Indeed you could imagine Scheherazade telling this wonderful tale to the Caliph. Once again it is OTT, camp and crazy, but that is the fun of it. Nightmare Abbey by Thomas Love Peacock This tale gently pokes fun at the whole gothic genre and romanticism, and is a pleasure to read. Peacock satirises the genre to magnificent effect and his host of characters with unforgettable names and eccentricities will have you laughing out loud. See if you can guess who the characters are based on, some are quite easy but others are quite hard. All in all this is a great collection that will be loved by those who like a great gothic romance read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fast, faster than anything today,
By
This review is from: Castle of Otranto/Nightmare Abbey/Vathek (Wordsworth Mystery & Supernatural) (Tales of Mystery & the Supernatural) (Paperback)
Castle of Otranto is so fast paced I had to read every page twice to keep up. All cliched gothic horror derives from this book but rarely reaches the heights of the original. This book is worth reading. Beautiful language and vivid description of a spectacular story.
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