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3.06 AVERAGE
3.06 AVERAGE
A deliciously devilish read for Halloween. Written by a closeted queer person it does a fantastic job of swapping the trope by portraying a twisted version of heterosexuality
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“It is sinful, replied the friar, to christ those whom heaven has doomed to destruction. A tyrant’s race must be swept from the earth to the third or fourth generation”
Walpole’s ‘The Castle of Otranto’ is recognised as the first work of the Gothic genre, though despite being very atmospheric and vibey with a very fast paced opening, it does seem like a book that’ll be very much forgettable. It is very Shakespearian feeling in plot but also seems awfully convenient in parts, much of it relying on tropes of prophecy. I also think Manfred gets away with far too much given his violent and impulsive nature and with frankly how awful a protagonist he is. The man really needs to get some grief counselling…
Also Horace, what did speech marks do to hurt you?
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story was quite interesting. I didn't know what the story was about or what I was getting myself into when I decided to read the story because of school. The classic novel gives you a good view of how writers used to write, which at first I found confusing. I enjoyed it and just like any other story, there were some characters that I couldn't stand.
I really enjoyed the beginning of this novel---creepy setting, dastardly villain, damsels in distress! But about three quarters of the way through I totally lost track of who is related to whom and the story became more ordinary and lost some of the initial appeal. It's still worth a read since it's short, dramatic, and often credited with being the first gothic novel.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I'm choosing to leave a rating off since I was required to read this for a class. Overall, not a bad book. I did enjoy it more than a lot of ones I've had to read for various classes over the years. However, I wouldn't say it's a great one either. I think one of the main things this book showed me was how, in classes, men are just so dumb. Like...maybe taking a step back and looking at a situation from a rational standpoint might mean you don't do something dumb?
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated