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alicechannington 's review for:
The Mysteries of Udolpho
by Ann Radcliffe
This tome was so long that I nearly lost interest in it many times, but because I had decided to make 2020 my year for reading British literature and find out why certain books influenced which books. In the case of The Mysteries of Udolpho, I had planned to read all of Jane Austen, (again - she’s one of my favorite authors!), and I had heard that Northanger Abbey was influenced by Ann Radcliffe.
I just plain didn’t care much for Emily. Reasons for my immediate dislike of her was the first time I read about her fainting. My goodness, was it that fashionable to faint all the time back then?! Sounds like it was just lazy writing on author’s part to make her faint all the time at critical points in the story.
It’s supposed to be gothic right? But no one actually abuses anyone or tortured anyone to death. Her aunt was made to stay in different area of the castle, but she wasn’t physically abused or tortured. Even though Emily saw the torture room but it was never used. Not by her “evil” step uncle nor by anyone. All it mentioned was her uncle may have been a murderer, yet later we found out the lady he was supposedly to have murdered was simply hiding out in a convent for a murder she did commit. Which ends up being Emily’s aunt/mother. I’m not sure who Emily is by the end of the novel because I just didn’t care so I skimmed ahead to see what the ending was. Of course she marries the guy she first fell for who happens to have a gambling past which he apparently have recovered from. What about his debts now that he’s married???? He would certainly have to pressured her for money from the sales of her aunt’s estates, but no he is described as being sweet husband of hers who had no problems now that he’s married to her. What?
Life is not that easily done away in neat happy endings like this. I have decided I have quite enough of Ann Radcliffe. Especially her writings of landscapes that has no effect on the actual story it self. I’m so glad I only got the ebook which was free to read because I would be kicking my ass for shelling out money for this thick book that would just make me want to stab a fork through my eyes to just stop the boring rambling of a heroine who does not know how to appealing heroine AT ALL.
P.S. (I had to add this when I remembered after I posted my original review!)
Plus, gothic means supernatural, right? So, the book dates to explain what was supernatural was not supernatural at all. If anyone dared to explain away what makes supernatural not supernatural in one of TV shows I enjoy to watch, that person would find out how much I would no longer enjoy that TV show. A bit of supernatural unexplained is more mysterious and fun, yet Ann Radcliffe thinks her readers should appreciate that what appears as supernatural was not really supernatural. Why spoil our fun when we want to read a spooky novel?!?!?
I just plain didn’t care much for Emily. Reasons for my immediate dislike of her was the first time I read about her fainting. My goodness, was it that fashionable to faint all the time back then?! Sounds like it was just lazy writing on author’s part to make her faint all the time at critical points in the story.
It’s supposed to be gothic right? But no one actually abuses anyone or tortured anyone to death. Her aunt was made to stay in different area of the castle, but she wasn’t physically abused or tortured. Even though Emily saw the torture room but it was never used. Not by her “evil” step uncle nor by anyone. All it mentioned was her uncle may have been a murderer, yet later we found out the lady he was supposedly to have murdered was simply hiding out in a convent for a murder she did commit. Which ends up being Emily’s aunt/mother. I’m not sure who Emily is by the end of the novel because I just didn’t care so I skimmed ahead to see what the ending was. Of course she marries the guy she first fell for who happens to have a gambling past which he apparently have recovered from. What about his debts now that he’s married???? He would certainly have to pressured her for money from the sales of her aunt’s estates, but no he is described as being sweet husband of hers who had no problems now that he’s married to her. What?
Life is not that easily done away in neat happy endings like this. I have decided I have quite enough of Ann Radcliffe. Especially her writings of landscapes that has no effect on the actual story it self. I’m so glad I only got the ebook which was free to read because I would be kicking my ass for shelling out money for this thick book that would just make me want to stab a fork through my eyes to just stop the boring rambling of a heroine who does not know how to appealing heroine AT ALL.
P.S. (I had to add this when I remembered after I posted my original review!)
Plus, gothic means supernatural, right? So, the book dates to explain what was supernatural was not supernatural at all. If anyone dared to explain away what makes supernatural not supernatural in one of TV shows I enjoy to watch, that person would find out how much I would no longer enjoy that TV show. A bit of supernatural unexplained is more mysterious and fun, yet Ann Radcliffe thinks her readers should appreciate that what appears as supernatural was not really supernatural. Why spoil our fun when we want to read a spooky novel?!?!?