About this title: First published pseudonymously in 1764, The Castle of Otranto purported to be a translation of an Italian story of the time of the crusades. In it Walpole attempted, as he declared in the Preface to the second edition, 'to blend the two kinds of romance: the ancient and the modern'. He gives us a series of catastrophes, ghostly interventions, revelations of identity, and exciting contests. Crammed with invention, entertainment, terror, and pathos, the novel was an immediate success and Walpole's own favourite among his numerous works. His friend, the poet Thomas Gray, wrote that he and his ...
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Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN-13:9780192834409ISBN:0192834401
Description: Very good. Book has appearance of light use with no easily noticeable wear. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Very Good. 1998-Paperback----Used-Very Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Binding: S Trade Paperback
Publisher: Oxford Univ Pr, Cary, North Carolina, U.S.A.
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9780199537211ISBN:0199537216
Description: Very Good. This book appears nearly as good as new and likely unread past the first four pages which have a few marginalia in pencil; barely a trace of toning to the edges of the text block, lovely cover, light shelf wear, perfect spine, a really sweet copy! ! ! You'll cartwheel with joy when this book gets to you! ! ! Note--earlier edition. read more
Description: Fine; Collectible. Excellent condition. Appears unread. No marks/underlines/highlights. Pages are clean and nice. Minor shelfwear. Free deliver confirmation! Satisfaction guaranteed! read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Oxford Univ Pr
Date Published: 2009-01-15
ISBN-13:9780199537211ISBN:0199537216
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780199537211. read more
"Somewhere in the latter part of the second chapter, my attention began to drift. I pushed through, however, as I have a particular interest in Romantic & Victorian literature. I wanted to know the resolution, but I wasn't necessarily eager to see the in-between parts. I do like the over-the-top nature of this -- if you're gonna go supernatural, go all the way, right? Apparently so. Giant limbs appearing (with no explanation), giant helmets crushing characters, skeletal and ghostly haunts...when taking it for the ridiculous it is, what's not to love about such a crazy adventure? Still, while I appreciate its role in beginning the Gothic trend, I felt that the story dragged and then left some bits unresolved (REALLY, the giant appendages?). Still...I can't help but feel that soap operas owe a lot to Walpole's roots for dramatic flair."
This book was written in 1764, and started the whole Gothic craze that was so popular in the 19th century. But honestly, for a modern reader, scenes that were designed to cause fear and shock now wind up sounding really funny! I mean, take the opening. A father is planning the wedding on his only son. But before the ceremony can take place, a giant helmet falls out of the sky and squishes the groom to death. Who can take that seriously? And that's only the beginning, although really, it's the most ridiculous part.
If you want some entertainment, this is pretty fun. But I'm sure it's not entertaining the way the author meant it to be. It's just so dated. But it's still good for a laugh."
Evidently this is, like, THE Gothic Novel. The One. The Gothic Novel against which all other Gothic Novels are compared. And it's... well, it's short. That's about the best I can say for it. And it's somewhat creepy, and while I understand the role it plays in literature, and I appreciate having read it because every single piece of research I found for my paper later in the semester kept referring to it... it's only okay."
"I tried to love this book. Indeed, I came into Otranto wanting only to love it. It's atmosphere - the gloom, the ghosts, the melodrama - was perfectly poised to delight me. But in the end, I could not stomach it: the atmosphere proved too heavy for my palate, the events too ludicrous. I laughed through most of the novel, when I was not fighting the temptation to fling it from me, and learned just why Gothic literature was so often parodied, for if Otranto is the genre's grandfather, the genre begs to be parodied. I love it regardless."
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