lapsedmarxist 's review for:

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

3.25

---

a huge and sprawling book. definitely one of the more challenging books i’ve ever read. the language used by radcliffe is complex but sublime. the novel lulls and is a bit of a slog at times. the story is full of complex dense frustrating prose yet it is still a fascinating story. radcliffes descriptive writing of natural scenery is beautiful. however by the final third of the novel the writing does begin to feel a bit meandering. i did appreciate the subtle style of radcliffe in regards to her gothic elements. everything is concealed/hidden and shrouded in mystery. very well done. overall i enjoyed reading this book. great descriptive writing. it was able to maintain fear and suspense consistently up until the final third of the novel. radcliffe didn’t rely on explicit gore, her complex and strong characters make the novel work. it’s well written and has a great plot. just take it easy on the commas. like, seriously, what was up with that? commas galore.