The Castle of Otranto is regarded as the first gothic novel as it merges medievalism and terror in a style that has endured ever since. The aesthetics of the book shaped modern-day gothic books, films, art, music and the goth subculture. The book begins on the wedding-day of his sickly son Conrad and princess Isabella. Shortly before the wedding, however, Conrad is crushed to death by a gigantic helmet that falls on him from above. This inexplicable event is particularly ominous in light o...

The Castle of Otranto - Horace Walpole The History of Caliph Vathek - William Beckford The Mysteries of Udolpho - Ann Radcliffe Caleb Williams - William Godwin Wieland: or, The Transformation - Charles Brockden Brown Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen Frankenstein - Mary Shelley Melmoth the Wanderer (Lock and Key Version) - Charles Robert Maturin The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Washington Irving The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner - James Hogg St. John's Eve - Nikolai Gogol...

HORACE WALPOLE was the youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole, the great statesman, who died Earl of Orford. He was born in 1717, the year in which his father resigned office, remaining in opposition for almost three years before his return to a long tenure of power. Horace Walpole was educated at Eton, where he formed a school friendship with Thomas Gray, who was but a few months older. In 1739 Gray was travelling-companion with Walpole in France and Italy until they differed and parted; but ...

During the Depression, Gloria and Robert enter a dance marathon in return for three square meals a day and a chance at winning the big-money prize. Under the intense scrutiny of the media, corporate sponsors and obsessive fans, the competing couples are put through a series of gruelling and humiliating feats of endurance, until they begin to fight among themselves and betray each other. As days and weeks go by, the tension reaches boiling point, and this pitch-black tale of desire and desp...

A young law professor is hired to clean up a city strangled by corruptionNemo Crespi's organization has a hand in everything from gambling rackets to hotels to newspapers. To combat him, the governor needs a special prosecutor he can trust, someone free of political ambitions . . . someone like John Conroy, a twenty-nine-year-old law professor as unlikely for the prosecutor job as anyone. Cynical, hardscrabble Conroy is reluctant to accept, until he realizes that th...

According to Wikipedia: "Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (24 September 1717 2 March 1797), was an English art historian, man of letters, antiquarian and politician. He is now largely remembered for Strawberry Hill, the home he built in Twickenham, south-west London where he revived the Gothic style some decades before his Victorian successors, and for his Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto. Along with the book, his literary reputation rests on his Letters, which are of significant soc...

"The Castle of Otranto", by Horace Walpole, published in 1764, is generally viewed as the first Gothic novel and it is often said to have founded the horror story as a legitimate literary form.It tells the story of Manfred, the prince of Otranto, who is keen to secure the castle for his descendants in the face of a mysterious curse. The novel begins with the death of Manfred’s son, Conrad, who is crushed to death by an enormous helmet on the morning of his wedding to the beautiful ...

"Our Southern Highlanders" by Horace Kephart is a captivating exploration of the life and culture of the Appalachian people in the Southern Highlands. Kephart, an outdoor enthusiast and writer, immerses himself in the rugged beauty of the region, capturing the essence of its landscapes and the resilience of its inhabitants. Through vivid descriptions and personal anecdotes, he paints a picture of a world that is both enchanting and challenging, revealing the deep connection between the peo...

The anthology '60 Gothic Classics' offers an expansive exploration into the depths of Gothic literature, capturing the essence of eerie atmospheres and complex narratives that characterize the genre. The collection encompasses a wide array of literary styles, from the haunting stories of psychological terror to the romantic and mysterious tales of suspense. Each work contributes to the rich tapestry of Gothic tradition, inviting readers into shadowy labyrinths of the macabre and the sublim...

DEEP, DARK & UNSETTLING gathers more than a century of Gothic experimentation into a capacious archive of terror, wonder, and psychological disturbance. Its contents range from foundational castle romances, spectral ballads, and Faustian tales to detective mysteries, decadent fantasies, imperial nightmares, and proto-science-fictional horrors. Recurring images—ruined houses, forbidden manuscripts, doubles, revenants, persecuted heroines, and corrupted inheritances—demonstrate how Gothic wr...

"The Castle of Otranto" tells the story of Manfred, the lord of the Castle of Otranto, who seeks to maintain his family's lineage and power. When his son Conrad dies mysteriously on his wedding day, Manfred becomes obsessed with producing a male heir to secure his dynasty. He is willing to go to extreme lengths, including defying societal and moral conventions, to achieve his goal.The novel is characterized by its eerie atmosphere, supernatural occurrences, and elements of suspense and hor...

The Castle of Otranto is a 1764 novel by Horace Walpole. It is generally regarded as the first gothic novel, initiating a literary genre which would become extremely popular in the later 18th century and early 19th century. Thus, Walpole, by extension, is arguably the forerunner to such authors as Charles Maturin, Ann Radcliffe, Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe and Daphne du Maurier.