A review by theconorhilton
The Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe

4.0

I liked this one much better than Udolpho. The way the Gothic features here is interesting. Radcliffe seems more interested in like family dynamics and lost women than the male Gothic authors I’ve read. Also less interested in real and over-the-top supernatural elements, much more like the horrors of tyrannical fathers/father-figures. I read this fairly quickly so I’ll need to refresh on the cast of characters because I think I missed some of the connections/revelations. Fascinating as a pair with Udolpho for how quickly we get to the action here, where we are almost immediately in some dire straits and at a Gothic location. Potentially useful for conversations about time and family alongside The Monk. Interesting.