The Mysteries of Udolpho

I absolutely fell in love with this book. The prose and use of the english language is breathtaking. It's a long novel (but those are my favourite kind) but it kept me up into the wee hours to see what would happen next. I have read it many many times, I can just choose a paragraph at radom and fall into her lyrical writing. The ultimate gothic. READ IT! I love the picture on the cover of this Dover edition!

On one level, this novel defies categorisation. Yes, the Gothic web of mystery and intrigue is obvious. And so too are the beautiful descriptions of nature, the struggle between good and evil, the noble acts of heroism and the ignoble acts of greed. Anne Radcliffe has taken all of these components and distilled an imaginative creation that still, some 213 years after publication, catches the imagination of the reader. If you do choose to read this glorious novel, make sure that you are prepared for a pace which relies more on descriptive prose and less on implied actions. Set aside the time to immerse yourself in the setting and enjoy the journey. This is not a novel to be rushed, it is a novel to be savoured. Ann Radcliffe was 30 years old the year this novel was published. What an accomplished and imaginative young woman she must have been. Highly recommended. Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This is a true late eighteenth century book in the sense that it has a leisurely (very leisurely) opening, a great deal of waxing eloquent on the beauties of nature--which are well written, but so frequent that one becomes inured to them--and enough pages to fill up the four volumes that the book originally was published as (over 600 of them). But there's more--castles, and dungeons and darkness, Oh my! In true Gothic fashion, the book does not disappoint in the gloom and suspense department, and is replete with all the trappings that make for some fun reading. There are plenty of scares and false alarms, and a couple of true horrors, and all is told with taste and style. There are certainly flaws, in the modern sense, of the drawn-out plot, and the fainting heroine routine gets a bit tired; but all in all, a fascinating study of an early novel, and a hero and heroine you root for. The high moral tone is refreshing though a little too strained; And surprisingly, the sense of being in the late sixteenth century is not as pronounced as one could wish for. (Aside from the castles and the absence of law and order in the land, that is.) More attention could have been given to costume, for instance, instead of just landscape, but the book earns five stars in my opinion for being an immense work that is very readable, even page-turning to a remarkable degree, and has a satisfying denouement. (There are a few elements that stretch plausability, but this is certainly nothing new in fiction; and, given what the author needed to explain at the end, she does a fine job.) Fans of the novel, of Austen and other nineteenth century authors, will find this book interesting in other ways, too. There are whispers of later works in many of the pages; one can hardly miss that Radcliffe influenced the later writers. In addition, any Regency reader worth her salt should read this book, if only because so many Regency heroines did. This Dover edition is unabridged from the original 1794, and my only niggle with it is that I waited in vain to come upon the scene on the cover of the book, but to no avail. (There are tapestries and curtains hiding fearful discoveries, for sure, but none that exactly correspond to the otherwise fitting and intriguing cover illustration.) Notwithstanding, my advice is to get the book, and read it. You won't be sorry.

This book was one of the most popular of the late 18th century when it was published, and has never ceased to be in print...and it's no wonder why! This piece of literature is SHEER BRILLIANCE; Ann Radcliffe's writing style is unsurpassed; she cleverly spins a yarn of terrifying proportions, while delighting readers with her majestic discourse on nature. If you're looking for a "page-turner," you've certainly found one. When you reach the five hundredth page or so, you'll be climbing the walls to know what the conclusion will be! This is largely a psychological thriller, and should be approached from that angle, as well as with a good degree of patience, as the story does slooooowly unravel. Join the elite ranks of readers who have experienced the GENIUS of The Mysteries of Udolpho.

I fear I don't have the words to fully explain just how important, enjoyable, and breath-taking this novel is to me; The Mysteries of Udolpho is simply one of the greatest written works ever produced. While this is a Gothic novel, arguably the greatest Gothic novel ever written, it is so much more than that. "Gothic" denotes dark castles, spectral haunts, dastardly deeds performed by cruel, mysterious men--certainly these elements are here. However, a large portion of this novel is simply beautiful--no one I know of has ever described the simple grandeur of life and nature or waxed more poetically on the noble merits of love and honor as does Ann Radcliffe.Emily is one of the most memorable characters in all of fiction. To be frank, I simply fell in love with her. Through her, I was able to not only see but to better appreciate life itself and the simple beauties it manifests. When she was hurt or pained, I shared her sorrow; many times, I felt compelled to jump up and somehow defend her against the monstrous injustices inflicted upon her. I admired her morality and deep commitment to honor, a commitment so deep that she sacrificed in deference to it her own deep love for Valancourt, a love so deep that it alone allowed her to withstand the horrors of Count Montoni and the castle of Udolpho. Certainly, Emily is very sensitive and overdramatic, and she does tend to faint a lot, but she is a pure angel to someone like myself who is a Victorian at heart. The Gothic horror is very well done, but it does not take up nearly as much of the novel as I had anticipated. Radcliffe can bring chills to readers even today. The description of someone's silent entry by night into Emily's room is spine-tingling, as are the descriptions of Emily's reluctant journeys down to the catacombs beneath the castle. The wide-eyed Annette's rambling descriptions of supernatural manifestations feed Emily's and the reader's own fears. Emily escapes from the nefarious castle about two-thirds of the way through the novel, but a number of strange events at Chateau-le-Blanc quickly serve to return the reader to the dark dimensions of fright. At that point, I wondered how so much story could be left to tell, but Radcliffe introduced new characters and new situations as compelling as those that had come before and succeeded in absorbing me even further into this world of her creation. Lady Blanche inspired in me many of the feelings I felt for Emily, and the resulting story not only added much to the experience of this novel but ultimately helped to tie many threads together. The experience of Emily and Annette in the late Countess' room, shut up for 20 years since the lady's mysterious death, was as frightening as any scene that took place inside the walls of Udolpho. I did worry as I neared the final pages that Radcliffe would not successfully explain everything that had taken place or would leave some loose ends dangling--the only thing I was left wondering, how