The Monk: A Romance
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Product Description
Product Description
Ambrosio, the worthy superior of the Capuchins of Madrid, falls to the temptations of Matilda, a fiend-inspired wanton who, disguised as a boy, has entered his monastery as a novice. Ambrosio then falls in love with one of his penitents and finally kills her in order to escape detection. However, he is discovered, tortured by the Inquisition and sentenced to death. Although extravagant in its mixture of the supernatural, the terrible, and the indecent, the book contains scenes of great effect. The novel is a prime example of 18th century Gothic, written partly in response to Walpole and Radcliffe and enjoyed a considerable contemporary vogue.
About the Author
Matthew Gregory Lewis (1775-1818) was educated at Oxford after which he held a position in the British Embassy at The Hague. It was there in 1794, that he wrote the racy novel THE MONK, under the influence of the early German romantics. Its controversial publication in 1796, due to Lewis' new status as MP, earned him fame and the book a great deal of popularity.
Christopher MacLachlan is a Lecturer at the University of St Andrews. He has published books and articles on Pope, Hume and Burns.
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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
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
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book was the choice of one of the participants in a reading group I belong to. We did not know a lot about it, only what she told us she had heard on a radio book review program. I was hooked from the moment I started reading the book until I read the last page. The tragedy was so inevitable and it lay rumbling in the background throughout the book. The characters were so real and you could sympathise with every one of them, because Lewis portrays them so well. The language was beautiful and moving. The story was exciting and raunchy as well as touching and solemn. I recommend this book to all romantics and horror fans.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is flawless.The dialogue is vivid and absorbing, the story gripping and addictive and the ending apocalyptic. Beacause the dialogue is written in an 18th Century style, it can take a while to get used to, but sticking with it brings enormous rewards as the characters descend into murder, perversion and madness in a totally believable and realistic manner.The plot includes many clever twists and thought-provoking moments. It is impossible not to live the lives of the characters as the genius plot unfolds.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A fantastic novel! 'The Monk' is a classic that captures the attention of the reader from the outset. Set in Spain in follows the torment of a Capuchin monk as he falls into a spiral of deceit and despair. It also follows the struggles of Lorenzo as he tries to save his sisters life from the vengence of her convent.
This is a riveting tale of intrigue, incest, murder and blasphey told in a wonderfully flowing style that is so easy to read that you can't put it down. The two separate story lines come together beautifully-it's the best book i've ever read!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Gothic is back!
Or actually the title should be: Gothic has never left. I mean, The Monk, is probably the foundation stone in English Gothic literature that later would influence Byron, Shelley... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Javier
Enjoyable nonsense
Mad and bad. Completely bonkers plot about very evil monk is put to bed nicely by tenacious story line and constant action.This is the line between literature and the ludicrous. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Brownbear101
Outrageous
I always think Gothic Horror has something outrageously camp about it and this epitomises the genre for me. Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2001 by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley
The paradigm of a gothic novel
This is an enormously enjoyable book, exploring the corruption of a prioress in parallel with the temptation of an abbott, within the context of several gripping romantic plots and... Read more
Published on 9 Feb 2000
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