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bookiepanda's review against another edition
2.0
This book was so weird. The plot is so tangled, combined with writing I couldn't understand. I know it's written long long ago but this doesn't excuse the character's motives and the ridiculous twists.
It was somehow nice but not enough to enjoy it or want to look at it ever again.
I expected more from a classic gothic book.
It was somehow nice but not enough to enjoy it or want to look at it ever again.
I expected more from a classic gothic book.
vathek's review against another edition
4.0
Not the easiest read in places, but the age of the pieces means it's to be expected, Otranto is arguably the hardest as despite being penned in 1764 it was intentionally written in terms to make it look even older, far from impenetrable.
You can see why Castle of Otranto got it's reputation as the first gothic romance. All the elements are there. Ghosts, star crossed lovers, love triangles, tyrincal patriarch, characters of secret stock.
Plus it proves a good primer for other book in the genre. If you hear a writer describe a character as a "Manfred" this is what they're talking about!
Vathek really does run with the Arabian Nights comparison very successfully, however the ending is a bit lacking for my taste. Happy ending for a character of little concern. The titular character comes to a chronically unsurprising end...
For me though Vathek isn't the star of the show... look to his mother. As they say Macbeth would really be called "Lady Macbeth", Vathek should be called "Carathis"!
Nightmare Abby is the lighter fair but fun and quotable, it IS laid out as a play script though with characters named preceding near every spoken phrase. Easier to read for some harder for others, odd bits of Latin, French and Greek at points may need to be either looked up or glossed over, slowing the pace.
You can definitely see the references to the real people the work satairised and if you hang out in certain circles you'll probably recognise a few characters! For all his faults I found Scythrop an immensely sympathetic character.
"Let us all be miserable together."
You can see why Castle of Otranto got it's reputation as the first gothic romance. All the elements are there. Ghosts, star crossed lovers, love triangles, tyrincal patriarch, characters of secret stock.
Plus it proves a good primer for other book in the genre. If you hear a writer describe a character as a "Manfred" this is what they're talking about!
Vathek really does run with the Arabian Nights comparison very successfully, however the ending is a bit lacking for my taste. Happy ending for a character of little concern. The titular character comes to a chronically unsurprising end...
For me though Vathek isn't the star of the show... look to his mother. As they say Macbeth would really be called "Lady Macbeth", Vathek should be called "Carathis"!
Nightmare Abby is the lighter fair but fun and quotable, it IS laid out as a play script though with characters named preceding near every spoken phrase. Easier to read for some harder for others, odd bits of Latin, French and Greek at points may need to be either looked up or glossed over, slowing the pace.
You can definitely see the references to the real people the work satairised and if you hang out in certain circles you'll probably recognise a few characters! For all his faults I found Scythrop an immensely sympathetic character.
"Let us all be miserable together."
lileuw's review against another edition
3.0
Ok, so this is my best friend's favourite book. Well, Nightmare Abbey is. Unfortunately, I couldn't get an edition without Castle of Otranto and Vathek so here we are! Nightmare Abbey is definitely the saving grace of this book, as the other ones are horrible and I want to gauge my eyes out because I wasted my time on them. Yes, they are that bad. Believe me.
Review on Nightmare Abbey:
This was utterly, incredibly ridiculous, and I loved it!! If you want a short story that has brooding main characters, mermaids, ghosts, love and despair, this is the book for you! Do take it with a grain of salt and you will giggle the entire time. I can see why he loved it so much!! :)
If you want my review on Castle of Otranto you can read it hear (spoiler alert IT"S BAD): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21977636-the-castle-of-otranto
Review on Vathek: Boring.
Review on Nightmare Abbey:
This was utterly, incredibly ridiculous, and I loved it!! If you want a short story that has brooding main characters, mermaids, ghosts, love and despair, this is the book for you! Do take it with a grain of salt and you will giggle the entire time. I can see why he loved it so much!! :)
If you want my review on Castle of Otranto you can read it hear (spoiler alert IT"S BAD): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21977636-the-castle-of-otranto
Review on Vathek: Boring.
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