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The Castle of Otranto : A Gothic Story
3.18 (30,589 ratings by Goodreads)
Paperback Oxford Worlds Classics English
By (author) Horace Walpole , Edited by Nick Groom


Look, my lord! See heaven itself declares against your impious intentions!

The Castle of Otranto (1764) is the first supernatural English novel and one of the most influential works of Gothic fiction. It inaugurated a literary genre that will be forever associated with the effects that Walpole pioneered. Professing to be a translation of a mysterious Italian tale from the darkest Middle Ages, the novel tells of Manfred, prince of Otranto, whose fear of an ancient prophecy sets him on a course of destruction. After the grotesque death of his only son, Conrad,
on his wedding day, Manfred determines to marry the bride-to-be. The virgin Isabella flees through a castle riddled with secret passages. Chilling coincidences, ghostly visitations, arcane revelations, and violent combat combine in a heady mix that terrified the novels first readers.

In this new edition Nick Groom examines the reasons for its extraordinary impact and the Gothic culture from which it sprang. The Castle of Otranto was a game-changer, and Walpole the writer who paved the way for modern horror exponents.


ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford Worlds Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxfords commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.


Product details

Format Paperback | 192 pages
Dimensions 129 x 196 x 11mm | 148g
Publication date 01 Dec 2014
Publisher Oxford University Press
Publication City/Country Oxford, United Kingdom
Language English
Edition Revised
Edition Statement 3rd Revised edition
ISBN10 0198704445
ISBN13 9780198704447
Bestsellers rank 14,465