num_pages: 505
description: The Gothic novel, that curious literary genre which flourished from about 1765 until 1825, revels in the horrible and the supernatural, in suspense and exotic settings. This volume, with its erudite introduction by Mario Praz, presents three of the most celebrated Gothic novels: The Castle of Otranto, published pseudonymously in 1765, is one of the first of the genre and the most truly Gothic of the three; in its blending of two kinds of romanticism, ancient and modern, it is a precursor of Romanticism. Vathek (1786), an oriental tale by an eccentric millionaire, exotically combines Gothic romanticism with the vivacity of The Arabian Nights, and is a narrative tour de force. The story of Frankenstein (1818) and the monster he created is as spine-chilling today as it ever was; as in all Gothic novels, horror is the keynote.The cover shows a detail from The Nightmare by J.H. Fuseli.
language: English
title: Three Gothic Novels : The Castle of Otranto ; Vathek ; Frankenstein
titlecomplete: Three Gothic Novels : The Castle of Otranto ; Vathek ; Frankenstein
characters: Caliph Vathek, The Monster (Frankenstein), Manfred of Otranto, Victor Frankenstein
genres: Science Fiction, 18th Century, Gothic, Literature, Horror, Fantasy, Classics, Fiction, 19th Century, Paranormal
ratings_count: 395
places: Persia, Otranto, Geneva
publisher: Penguin Books Limited