The Castle of Otranto is, unfortunately, one of those 18th-century classic novels that, in my opinion, doesn't pass the test of time.

Reading it now, it just fell flat for me, I'm sorry to say. The reason this is a two-star review and not a one-star is because I could appreciate its value in the history of literature.

If you're not interested in that and just want a novel that makes you say "wow, that was great", I'd suggest reading something else.

However, if you are interested, this novel by Horace Walpole is considered the first gothic novel. In fact, the next edition of this little book was called "The Castle of Otranto, A Gothic Story."

It had a major influence on the genre and, as such, has earned the right to be considered an interesting and important book in the history of literature and gothic fiction.

Despite its flaws, it still holds a significant place in the literary canon and is worth exploring for those interested in the evolution of the gothic genre.

It is very disappointing, unfortunately. The beginning was quite promising. It was atmospheric and spooky, which really captured my attention. I was excited to see where the story would lead. However, then the writers decided to finish it off as a romance book. What a letdown! This completely changed the tone and direction of the story. It went from being potentially thrilling and engaging to extremely dull. I must mention that the romance aspect was not developed well at all. It felt forced and uninteresting. The characters lacked depth and chemistry. Overall, it was a huge disappointment.

The first gothic novel, which at times seemed to be teetering on the brink of unreadability, yet still managed to seize and entrance me, a curious reader, into a world of excruciating dilemma. I was not willingly invested in what was happening; rather, it was more forceful, perhaps for the better.

“–a parade of blushes, tears, and swoons–strike modern audiences as at best embarrassingly archaic, at worse laughable.” (Intro., Nick Groom). While I did find it both archaic and laughable in certain parts, those two words do not fully capture the feeling I had upon finishing it. In fact, I'm not even sure I can accurately describe that feeling.

“...he was persuaded he could know no happiness but in the society of one with whom he could forever indulge the melancholy that had taken possession of his soul.” This line, among others, added to the overall atmosphere of the novel and left a lasting impression on me.

I have no clear understanding of what I just read. It seems rather confusing and difficult to comprehend.

Perhaps the text was too complex or the ideas were presented in a convoluted manner.

I found myself struggling to make sense of the various sentences and paragraphs.

There were times when I thought I had grasped a concept, only to have it slip away as I continued reading.

The lack of clarity made it challenging for me to form a coherent picture in my mind.

I am left with a sense of uncertainty and a desire to reread the piece in the hope of gaining a better understanding.

Maybe with a second attempt, I will be able to untangle the knots and make sense of what was written.

Until then, I will continue to wonder about the true meaning and significance of the text.

ALL THE STARS - I absolutely adore this book!

I was given this book to read along with the preface that said, "I was not a fan, but I have a feeling you'd like this." And suddenly, I found myself transported into an old world that seemed brand new to me.

The Castle of Otranto has a history as fascinating and peculiar as the tale within its pages. Known as the first Gothic Novel (a genre that combines horror, romance, and mystery, offset by elements of fantasy), the book was allegedly a translation based on a manuscript printed near Naples in 1529 and recently discovered in the library of an ancient Catholic family in the north of England. However, this turned out to be an elaborate lie fabricated by the book's true author, Horace Walpole, the 4th Earl of Orford. The story itself revolves around a curse on the house of Manfred, Prince of Otranto, who is attempting to solidify his rule by marrying his son to the beautiful Isabella, daughter of the Marquis of Vicenza. Manfred's plans, of course, go awry amidst speculation about an "ancient prophecy" that claims, "That the castle and lordship of Otranto should pass from the present family, whenever the real owner should be grown too large to inhabit it." These claims are accompanied by a series of supernatural events involving many over-sized limbs, ghosts, mysterious blood, and, of course, murder.

The book is a short, enjoyable read and highly entertaining. Although I should mention that it was written in 1764, and if you haven't read any period literature, you might not be able to breeze through it as quickly as some, since many of the writing rules we are accustomed to did not yet exist. However, if you have read period literature or think you can understand a book full of run-on sentences, missing paragraph breaks, and no quotation marks, then I highly recommend giving this book a try. At the very least, you'll get a fascinating glimpse into the 18th-century mind and their view of 16th-century life, as well as a captivating tale.

The Castle of Otranto is widely regarded as the first true exemplar of Gothic fiction. Composed by Horace Walpole in the eighteenth century, it presents the typical elements of the genre. There is a haunted castle, clergy with hidden identities, faint-hearted damsels, knights and lords burdened by dark pasts. Additionally, there is a talking skeletal ghost and a giant. I read this as part of the Modern Mrs. Darcy's reading challenge for the year, which required reading a book written before I was born. I was also intrigued by the origins of the horror genre, as I mentioned on my blog.
Spoilers for a book over two centuries old are probably not a major concern, but just in case, here are some details. An evil lord, following the unexpected and supernatural death of his son, decides to marry the boy's bride instead. A peasant is wrongly accused and arrested, but manages to escape and assist the reluctant bride in doing the same. Mysterious events at the castle suggest that the lord is incurring the wrath of some supernatural force. He chases after the unwilling princess, only to have her father, thought to be dead for years, reappear to see his daughter again. The accused peasant is revealed to be the true heir of the castle, while the evil lord, through supernatural means, is shown to be the child of a usurper.
The actual telling of the story is more skillful than this brief summary, but it gives a general idea. Although the story may not be outstanding and the book is not often considered a classic, it holds a significant place in the history of Gothic and, later, horror fiction. There is little in it that would scare modern readers, and the lack of agency among the female characters does not align with current ideas of stories promoted for their social messages. Nevertheless, the short novel, which is less than 100 pages long, is important for its role in the broader context of tales set in dark and stormy nights in isolated castles long ago and far away.

I have finally delved into the very first gothic novel. Yes! I have immersed myself in a classic! Go me!

Since this novel is renowned for marking the inception of horror as a literary genre, I opted to purchase the Oxford World’s Classics edition. I specifically desired to read an edition that would elucidate and contextualize the novel. After all, it was penned in the middle of the 18th century, for goodness’ sake. This implies engaging with the work of an author whose mindset and perspective were from a completely different era, location, and culture. Consequently, I required someone knowledgeable and astute to educate me on what I needed to know in order to fully appreciate this classic.

Before opening the book, however, I posed a question to myself regarding what I anticipated from it. Based on all that I had read about it and gothic horror in general, my expectations were sky-high. Naturally, I expected a spine-chilling story, complete with eerie supernatural elements. Even some macabre and violent content. I eagerly anticipated ghosts haunting an eerie, moonlit, labyrinthine castle filled with hidden and subterranean passages. I yearned to become acquainted with a dysfunctional family, with characters tormented not only by vengeful spirits but also by their own madness, and tragic victims of their own cruel vices and dark secrets. All drama, all mystery. All exquisitely described in retro chic, poetic prose.

But alas, I received virtually none of that, none of what I had expected, and I am disheartened to admit that I did not relish reading it. I am aware that I should not have expected modern horror, and I knew I had to accept a few clichés. But this is bordering on the ridiculous.诚然, there are ghosts in here, albeit just a haunted helmet and a haunted painting. There are also some secret passages to be discovered and a tragedy or two. Fine. Beyond that, I am disappointed to state that it is simply a plethora of romantic bickering and squabbling, with messy dialogue, presented in a highly melodramatic and theatrical manner. Which does make sense, given the overabundance of Shakespearean references, but everyone is so childishly prone to crying and yelling, and they are overly preoccupied with marriage, God, and status that everything else simply fades into the background.

Should I have foreseen this? Some of it probably should not have come as a surprise. It’s just that there is so much of it. Constantly. Generally, I do not mind a bit of melodramatic shock and awe every now and then. Intense, direct, over-the-top expressions can seem genuine and appropriate as well, in the right moment, or they can be utilized to great comedic effect. So, I did not recoil when I read, for instance, “every suggestion that horror could inspire rushed into her mind” or “words cannot paint the horror of the princess’ situation. Alone in so dismal a place, her mind imprinted with all the terrible events of the day, hopeless of escaping”. I actually rather liked that. It made me invested. I can also appreciate the more atmospheric sentences such as “arriving there [a forest], he sought the gloomiest shades, as best suited to the pleasing melancholy that reigned in his mind. In this mood he roved insensibly to the caves which had formerly served as a retreat to hermits, and where now reported round the country to be haunted by evil spirits”. Oooh! Sweet!

But I do begin to cringe when I read “She told me, replied Theodore, that she was on the brink of destruction; and that, if she could not escape from the castle, she was in danger in a few moments of being made miserable for ever” or “he started and said hastily, Take away that light, and begone. Then shutting the door impetuously, he flung himself upon a bench against a wall, and bade Isabella sit by him. She obeyed trembling.” There is much more of that ilk, I can assure you. And when you encounter that same exaggerated tone of voice, it feels awkwardly forced, it loses its impact and becomes tiresome.

In the introduction (which I enjoyed more than the story itself!), Professor Nick Groom aptly points out that here “sensibility is taken to an extreme, and the combination of supernatural event and mental anguish is magnified to create a stunning melodrama”. Apart from the word stunning, I concur. He also explains that “the characters speak as if in translation (…) there are no similes – this is a world in which language is rooted in direct experiences, and furthermore that Walpole’s aim was to ‘place his characters in extreme conditions: ‘in short, to make them think, speak and act, as it might be supposed men and women would do in extraordinary positions’. And the result was ‘a new species of romance’”. Indeed, this is romance, ladies and gentlemen, not horror, not in the least. Nor is it entertaining, thrilling, or anything else that is worthy of your time.

But that is just my opinion. Let’s听听Lovecraft has to say. In “Supernatural Horror in Literature”, Lovecraft deems Castle of Otranto “thoroughly unconvincing and mediocre” and “tedious, artificial and melodramatic”. Intriguing. Even Nick Groom remarks that “The Castle of Otranto is a striking example of a book that by inaugurating a new style within a few years made itself obsolete”. Thank you for your perceptive comments.

But what should one expect from a classic then? What should one anticipate from something that is the first of its kind? What constitutes a fair judgment? How should I understand it? What lessons can I glean from it? I am not certain that I have all the answers to these questions, but Groom makes another valid, relevant point when he contends that “to judge Walpole’s novel by his successors is to do Otranto a serious critical injustice”. I understand that, I truly do, but I simply cannot rate it any higher than two stars, nonetheless.

Ah! Shock! Anguish! A two-starred death! Devil! Cruel world!

I will likely appreciate it more as I read more gothic fiction, though, as I trace the lineage and observe how it evolves over time. I can at least assert that Walpole inspired other writers with his Gothic castle, his ghosts, his cruel villain, his hero and heroine, and other literary techniques and themes. He truly inspired and initiated something magnificent, and I applaud him for that.

And now I have unlocked my classic reading achievement. The next destination in my gothic fiction literary adventure is The Mysteries of Udolpho, and I have the audacity to harbor even higher hopes for that one. I dare to believe, to plunge into the depths of high risk, high reward!

Swoon!

Rewriting and expanding the article:

Reading today "The Castle of Otranto", defined as the progenitor of Gothic literature, almost makes one smile because our sensibility to embrace the terrifying has been significantly domesticated. However, it should be read with the eyes and mind of a reader from the 1700s because it was written in the 1700s and at that time it was a revolutionary, novel narration. It is strange to think that in the century of the Enlightenment, which was aiming to illuminate superstitions and false beliefs, there was a need to turn to the past to write a story of incredulity, of prodigies, of ghosts, of ancestors who come to life detaching from the painting that had held them imprisoned for centuries, of helmets and giant swords.

It is a very little gloomy Gothic, very soft I would say. By the admission of the author himself, two registers are mixed, the scary and the comic, which alternate in a fast style that paces the events.

It is true that we are abysmally far from the dark hues of a "Master of Ballantrae" or from the sepulchral nature of the crypts of any Dracula's castle. With Manfred, the Prince of the Castle of Otranto, and his servitude, more clumsy and bungling than terrifying, one smiles rather than shudders.

The women say, "We either swoon, get ignored, pursued or worse." That One Gigantic Helmet proclaims, "My time to shine." Manfred laments, "Alas! WHOMST shall be my HEIR now?" The women add, "OR traded in for a newer model or stabbed. Man, this time period is great!"

It is the grandfather of gothic romance, the start of the genre that brings us the darkest of humanity: gloom and doom, frightening men and/or monsters, swooning maidens, and creepy castles!

However, reading this didn't go as well as I expected. I understand that this story was the first of its kind and probably disgustingly horrifying to audiences at the time. The unexpected mangling, the aggressive pursuit of a would-be bride, stabbing and swooning, all that jazz. But I spent most of my time reading this either confused about the actual meaning of That One Weird Prophecy and Manfred's nonsensical attempts at circumventing it, bored, or howling with laughter at scenes that were meant to be frightening but came off as hilariously melodramatic.

There are also passages that use language fitting for that time. For example, on page 2, after a random, inexplicably HUGE helmet falls on top of Manfred's sickly son and instantly kills him, Manfred stands there, puzzled, and then exclaims at an innocent onlooker: "Villain! what sayest thou?" And I just lost it.

Solid, atmospheric descriptions surface some of the time, mostly about traversing the titular castle. Those scenes made me feel some of the tension people at the time must've felt. Truly, if anything shines in this weird little tale, it's the environments.

But most of the time, in-between bouts of barking laughter and profound confusion, I was bored. Hoping that Manfred's freaky chase for a new wife would end sooner rather than later. Eventually, it did, in an abrupt ending that left only the barest of paragraphs to describe Manfred's fate.

What a ride. One star for this being a SMASH HIT (geddit?) back in the 1700s, and one star for the helmet. ✎ 2.0 stars.

Another read for my research into early horror as I work on my own supernatural Victorian tale.

However, in the end, I have to concur with Lovecraft's assessment in his Supernatural Horror in Literature. Walpole's style, it seems, is rather insipid and replete with silly melodrama.

It's not difficult to fathom why it was so influential. After all, it introduced a plethora of interesting ideas and symbols.

But, much like so many books that inspired a genre, it's the fact that the original author did so little with those ideas that left ample room for more talented writers to enhance and improve upon it.

This realization makes me reflect on the importance of not just having great ideas, but also having the skill and creativity to bring them to life in a truly engaging and impactful way.

As I continue my own writing journey, I hope to learn from both the successes and failures of those who came before me and create a supernatural Victorian tale that will stand the test of time.

This granddaddy of all Gothics is truly still worth a read.

Although it has its flaws, Walpole's style is remarkably crisp and economical, and thankfully, the book itself is relatively brief.

Manfred embodies all the crucial features of the classic gothic hero that Mrs. Radcliffe and others would later exploit to great advantage. The initial scenes, especially the surrealistic tableau of Manfred's heir being flattened by a gigantic helmet and the thrilling sequence of Isabella's flight through the castle's subterranean darkness, retain their power even today.

However, things do bog down in the middle, hampered by sentimental dialogue and overly complicated plot points. But then, the owner of the helmet himself makes an appearance at the end (is it a deus ex maximus?), in a climax worthy of Dali and Bunuel. Manfred's dynasty crumbles, and so do the walls of Otranto, in an ending that would have a profound influence on Poe's "Usher" some seventy years later.

Overall, despite its imperfections, this Gothic classic remains a captivating and influential work that continues to engage readers.

Tu semblante, tus acciones, toda tu adorable persona parece una emanación divina, pero tus palabras son oscuras y misteriosas.

The Castle of Otranto tells the destiny of this region during the 12th century regarding the kings and nobles who live there. Manfred is the prince of Otranto who inherited it through his grandfather, although he is known by some as a usurper since the lineage of the true king Alfonso was lost. In the castle, he lives with his son Conrad who hopes to marry the young princess, the daughter of King Federico, as well as with his wife, the princess Hippolita, and his daughter Matilda.

When Conrad's wish is about to come true, he is struck down by an enormous helmet from which no one knows how such a portent has emerged and everything seems to be a divine punishment. And that is what will be told during this story which is really very captivating. Although the style is a bit simple (not that much either), the thread of the action is very well constructed and I enjoyed not only the main plot but also that at each step of the story it seemed that a difficulty or a new "knot" was added. The relationship of the characters is one of the things I liked the most. At the beginning, everything seems to be fine but little by little they themselves doubt themselves and above all the others. Intrigue, mistrust, jealousy, and a long etcetera begin, which is flavored by the introduction of a new character, a peasant who seems to be unjustly sacrificed. The characters in the story all seem good at first but little by little some Dantean and even malevolent details emerge. However, I must say that their final role seemed very sugary to me and as if it simplified the story and its consequences.

The work is above all theatrical and would be an excellent dramatic piece. It has phrases of despair, the intervention of allegorical and inexplicable phenomena, and the whole people live in constant anxiety, which makes the reading quite attractive.