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wanillaberry 's review for:
The Castle of Otranto
by Horace Walpole
dark
funny
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
To a modern reader such as myself, it's impossible not to view The Castle of Otranto as silly and campy, and while a lot of the humour is purposeful, it's easy to forget what seem like formulaic Scooby Doo-esque cliches were invented in this very novel. And clearly it has its merits as society continues to delight in stories of secret passageways and hidden identities.
Despite being so brief and having a fairly simple plot, The Castle of Otranto does at times feel dense and repetitive, and though it is the first of its kind it has been done better since. I don't feel bad positively comparing imitations either because you can clearly see the Shakespearean influences on Walpole. Bianca is funny enough, but lacks half the charm of Juliet's nurse. This is probably 60% of the reason I feel this book would have been more effective as a play.
There are some interesting happening with themes of gender, filial duty, religion and improper passion and desire (specifically incest), but the stock characters fail to round them out to their full potential.
I did, however, quite enjoy the atmosphere built by Walpole's gloomy descriptions, and the humour throughout, such as the Loony Tunes death of by being crushed by a helmet, Manfred calling people "blockheads," and Frederic's knights wondering when Manfred would shut up as he lies to them about a marriage they do not give a shit about.
Despite being so brief and having a fairly simple plot, The Castle of Otranto does at times feel dense and repetitive, and though it is the first of its kind it has been done better since. I don't feel bad positively comparing imitations either because you can clearly see the Shakespearean influences on Walpole. Bianca is funny enough, but lacks half the charm of Juliet's nurse. This is probably 60% of the reason I feel this book would have been more effective as a play.
There are some interesting happening with themes of gender, filial duty, religion and improper passion and desire (specifically incest), but the stock characters fail to round them out to their full potential.
I did, however, quite enjoy the atmosphere built by Walpole's gloomy descriptions, and the humour throughout, such as the Loony Tunes death of by being crushed by a helmet, Manfred calling people "blockheads," and Frederic's knights wondering when Manfred would shut up as he lies to them about a marriage they do not give a shit about.