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A review by dobbsthedog
The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
I’ve decided not to give this a book a star rating because, really, how do you? How do you impose a modern rating system on a classic gothic novel, the first gothic novel, published 250+ years ago?
Did I love the story? Not really. Did I find it entertaining? Definitely! And I absolutely appreciate the uniqueness of it and how it must have been received in 1764 when it was published.
So, we start the story with a murder, of Conrad, who is about to be married to Isabel, and is the prince’s only male heir. He appears to have been crushed to death by a giant helmet. What happens from here is very gothic, with lots of religion and surprise declarations of fatherhood (yes, multiples), scheming, murder, and a giant ghost.
I don’t want to go into too many details, because it is a short book, and I don’t want to spoil it.
Not as bonkers as The Monk, which is definitely the most bonkers thing I’ve ever read, but still there on the bonkers spectrum. Definitely looking forward to exploring more classic gothic novels in the future.
Did I love the story? Not really. Did I find it entertaining? Definitely! And I absolutely appreciate the uniqueness of it and how it must have been received in 1764 when it was published.
So, we start the story with a murder, of Conrad, who is about to be married to Isabel, and is the prince’s only male heir. He appears to have been crushed to death by a giant helmet. What happens from here is very gothic, with lots of religion and surprise declarations of fatherhood (yes, multiples), scheming, murder, and a giant ghost.
I don’t want to go into too many details, because it is a short book, and I don’t want to spoil it.
Not as bonkers as The Monk, which is definitely the most bonkers thing I’ve ever read, but still there on the bonkers spectrum. Definitely looking forward to exploring more classic gothic novels in the future.