The Castle of Otranto
- Auteur: Horace Walpole (Engeland)
- Soort boek: gothic novel
- Taal: Engels
- Verschenen: 1764
- Uitgave: paperback / ebook
- Boek bestellen bij: Amazon / Boekhandel / Bol
Horace Walpole The Castle of Otranto recensie
- “Although undeniably melodramatic, it is saved from absurdity by its playful tone. It established both the stock characters of the genre (evil tyrant, virtuous maiden, noble peasant) and its motifs (the supernatural, incest, mistaken identity). By turns lurid, sensational and amusing, it remains an imaginative tour de force.” (The Guardian)
Flaptekst van de eerste gothic novel van Horace Walpole
On the day of his wedding, Conrad, heir to the house of Otranto, is killed in mysterious circumstances. His calculating father Manfred fears that his dynasty will now come to an end and determines to marry his son’s bride himself – despite the fact he is already married. But a series of terrifying supernatural omens soon threaten this unlawful union, as the curse placed on Manfred’s ancestor, who usurped the lawful Prince of Otranto, begins to unfold. First published pseudonymously in 1764, purporting to be an ancient Italian text from the time of the crusades, The Castle of Otranto is a founding work of Gothic fiction. With its compelling blend of sinister portents, tempestuous passions and ghostly visitations, it spawned an entire literary tradition and influenced such writers as Ann Radcliffe and Bram Stoker.
Horace Walpole (24 September 1717, London – 2 March 1797, London), 4th Earl of Orford, was the son of the Whig Prime Minister, Robert Walpole. In 1747 he moved to Strawberry Hill in Twickenham, which he transformed into his “little Gothic castle”. He was at the centre of literary and political society and an arbiter of taste. He is remembered for his witty letters to a wide circle of friends.