'The Monk was so highly popular that it seemed to create an epoch in our literature', wrote Sir Walter Scott. Set in the sinister monastery of the Capuchins in Madrid, The Monk is a violent tale of ambition, murder, and incest. The great struggle between maintaining monastic vows and fulfilling personal ambitions leads its main character, the monk Ambrosio, to temptation and the breaking of his vows, then to sexual obsession and rape, and finally to murder in order to conceal his guilt. Inspired by German horror romanticism and the work of Ann Radcliffe, Lewis produced his masterpiece at the age of nineteen. It contains many typical Gothic elements - seduction in a monastery, lustful monks, evil Abbesses, bandits and beautiful heroines. But, as the Introduction to this new edition shows, Lewis also played with convention, ranging from gruesome realism to social comedy, and even parodied the genre in which he was writing. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
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'The Monk was so highly popular that it seemed to create an epoch in our literature.' Sir Walter Scott.
About the Author
Emma McEvoy is a Lecturer at Goldsmith's College.
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First Sentence
SCARCELY HAD THE Abbey-Bell tolled for five minutes, and already was the Church of the Capuchins* thronged with Auditors. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
SCARCELY HAD THE Abbey-Bell tolled for five minutes, and already was the Church of the Capuchins* thronged with Auditors. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Tom
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I stumbled across this book via Amazon's financially lethal `recommendations'. As a 27 year old bloke I was slightly seduced by the sordid plot description, but also by the fact that I like to read things that are slightly off beat but known of (if that makes sense); the Walter Scott "epoch in our literature" quote did a lot to secure my purchase.
The book is pitched as a gothic horror by some but it comes nowhere near the likes of Dracula and Frankenstein in terms of its requirements for the reader to dispel a grasp on reality. Whilst there are elements of the `supernatural' they do not dominate the book and prove more allegorical to the characters motivations and feelings than anything else.
The atmosphere of the book I found very `close', almost claustrophobic at times; it is primarily set in Madrid and unsurprisingly is predominantly focused around a monastery. There is a broad cast of characters but I did feel they were, at times, distant from the reader; Lewis does not foster the character development of many classic authors and this did lead me to feel slightly detached from their respective endings and the conclusion to the various plots. In this vain it does take a while for the book to get going (I started to get really involved after 260 pages), but in this time the characters (barring what I said above) do develop and do become enticingly intertwined, leading you through to an exciting conclusion. I think my main gripe was that I wasn't quite sure where the 260 pages went, I've felt more attached to characters in other books after a couple of pages: this could however be as a result of the age of the book and perhaps a feeling that the characterisations are now a little dated.
This book is an education if nothing else and does present a good read: there's no denying you want to see how it all turns out at the end. It is easy to read given its age but the reader must, at times, adopt a `getting through it' attitude. It does build to a crescendo though which makes it all worthwhile.
The book is pitched as a gothic horror by some but it comes nowhere near the likes of Dracula and Frankenstein in terms of its requirements for the reader to dispel a grasp on reality. Whilst there are elements of the `supernatural' they do not dominate the book and prove more allegorical to the characters motivations and feelings than anything else.
The atmosphere of the book I found very `close', almost claustrophobic at times; it is primarily set in Madrid and unsurprisingly is predominantly focused around a monastery. There is a broad cast of characters but I did feel they were, at times, distant from the reader; Lewis does not foster the character development of many classic authors and this did lead me to feel slightly detached from their respective endings and the conclusion to the various plots. In this vain it does take a while for the book to get going (I started to get really involved after 260 pages), but in this time the characters (barring what I said above) do develop and do become enticingly intertwined, leading you through to an exciting conclusion. I think my main gripe was that I wasn't quite sure where the 260 pages went, I've felt more attached to characters in other books after a couple of pages: this could however be as a result of the age of the book and perhaps a feeling that the characterisations are now a little dated.
This book is an education if nothing else and does present a good read: there's no denying you want to see how it all turns out at the end. It is easy to read given its age but the reader must, at times, adopt a `getting through it' attitude. It does build to a crescendo though which makes it all worthwhile.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have just finished reading this book and it truly arrested my attention. This is not your typical love story. This is gothic at its greatest. One thing I loved about the book is that there are about 4 (if not more) different romantic plots within the book which at the end of the book is beautifully interwoven.There is Raymond and Agnes, Lorenzo and Antonia (Later with Virginia), The Monk and Matilda, then The Monk and Antonia. If you understand how to read and understand classics then this is definately a must read. The first chapter might be a little confusing and the poems were a little unnecessary but stick with it and I promise that you will not be disappointed. The monk proved how pride can just as well be a sin. This novel touches all areas like pride, lust, sexual obsession, murder, rape, incest, magic, sorcery, demons, adventures with dangers (i.e armed robbers) etc,. I love this novel and if you enjoy classics, then this should not be missing from your collection
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book really transports the reader into the heart of darkness. The scenes of Agnes sufferings in the tomb are truly horrific and unforgettable. Were they to be portrayed accurately in a film version of the book, I think some people might be forced to leave the cinema. Great stuff.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Vice is ever most dangerous when lurking behind the mask of virtue...
One critic of this book in the Cambridge History of English and American Literature gives a verdict I can't resist: "as a whole, a mere mess and blotch of murder, outrage,... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Eileen Shaw
2.0 out of 5 stars
Weak-kneed
Descriptions and reviews tend to emphasize the gaudier elements of this gothic melodrama. Regretably the composition of this ponderous tale is limp, beyond mere limpid. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Zaroff
5.0 out of 5 stars
Plain awesome
Written by Matthew Lewis during a short period of ten short weeks when he was just nineteen, "The Monk" proved to be a controversial novel at the time that it was written. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Pius
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favourites...
I bought this book when I had nothing else to read as it was controversial at the time it was first published and it involves murder, incest, religion, deception and morals - a... Read more
Published on 21 July 2009 by Ginger_Ninja
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent.
a book often mocked but not read.
This book is surprisingly entertaining. It has so much going on. Read more
This book is surprisingly entertaining. It has so much going on. Read more
Published on 14 July 2009 by Mrs. D. L. Cox
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic Gem of Horror
I have read horror books, but there are too few that I consider outstanding. What is even worse is that modern horror tends to depict too much blood and gore with poor story... Read more
Published on 4 Feb 2009 by Dr. Genjuro
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