Bandits, castles, ghosts, evil nuns, murder, demons, riots, tombs, stories-within-stories, and more! This shocking, absurdly dramatic, gothic tale of a debauched monk was published in 1796 when the author was only twenty. The book was considered obscene by some critics, while others praised its genius. I first read it for a gothic literature course and I re-read it in 2017. I then replaced my old copy with a nice new one from Oxford World’s Classics and have finally got around to reading it.
The story is set in Spain and revolves around a 30-something celebrity monk, Ambrosio. Two significant actions – giving into temptation when a novice reveals herself to be a woman in love with him, and foiling the escape plan of a pregnant nun – set him on a course to crime, black magic and damnation. There are long stretches of the book in which he does not appear, but all are connected to him. The attitude of the book is somewhat anti-Catholic and is certainly anti-clerical, which aligns it with other books in the genre from the era. It also criticises the Spanish Inquisition and demonstrates fear of the French Revolution, which was ongoing at the time of publication. What may surprise first-time readers is how easy the book is to understand. If you’re looking for an early classic which is full of suspense, superstition and horror, this may be one for you. I still think it’s quite a shocking read today, but despite that I enjoy reading it, although I could do without the ballads.
This edition has an introduction by Nick Groom which discusses the context of the book and the author’s influences.
Hmm! I sounds like an unusual read!
It is! Not to everyone’s taste but is very over the top and that’s why I like it!
Thank you! I might add it to the list!