Horace Walpole

Broschiertes Buch

The Castle of Otranto

Beschreibung

First published in 1764, Horace Walpole's "The Castle of Otranto" is generally regarded as the first gothic novel, a work which blended supernatural and fantastical elements with realistic characters and events. Heralding in a new and immensely popular literary style, the novel purports to be the true story of Manfred, lord of the Italian Castle Otranto during medieval times, who out of concern for carrying on his lineage attempts to marry off his son to the young and beautiful Princess Isabella. When a tragic and supernatural accident kills his son on his wedding day, a desperate Manfred will stop at nothing to wed Isabella himself and ensure the continuation of his line. The innocent Isabella flees Manfred's foul clutches and is aided by the poor and honorable Theodore, who is not what he seems to be. Many of the elements that would come to define the gothic genre are present here in exciting abundance: secret passages, ghostly interventions, hidden identities, frightening coincidences, and violent confrontations. "The Castle of Otranto" is a chilling gothic masterpiece that has inspired countless writers and thrilled readers for generations since its first appearance. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper with an introduction by Sir Walter Scott.

Autor

Horatio Walpole, also known as Horace Walpole, was an English writer, art historian, man of letters, antiquarian, and Whig politician who served as the 4th Earl of Orford from 24 September 1717 until 2 March 1797. The son of Sir Robert and Catherine Walpole, a former British prime minister, was Sir Robert Walpole. He attended King's College in Cambridge and Eton College for his education. While on a magnificent tour of France and Italy in 1739 with his Eton schoolmate, the poet Thomas Gray, they got into arguments and split up. They subsequently made amends, and Walpole remained a fervent supporter of Gray's poetry for the rest of his life. The Castle of Otranto, which Walpole published in 1764 under a pseudonym, was effective in bringing romanticism to contemporary literature. The almost 4,000 letters in Walpole's private correspondence provide a survey of the culture, etiquette, and tastes of his day. Horace was chosen to represent the corrupt borough of Callington in Cornwall as a member of parliament. On topics like abolitionism and the protests of the American colonists, he was a traditional liberal. At the Church of St. Martin at Tours on the grounds of Houghton Hall, Horace Walpole was interred alongside his father, Sir Robert Walpole.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Digireads.com
• Seitenzahl: 90
• Erscheinungstermin: 6. Februar 2019
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 216mm x 140mm x 6mm
• Gewicht: 126g
• ISBN-13: 9781420961249
• ISBN-10: 1420961241
• Artikelnr.: 55290793