![]() ![]() With its compelling blend of sinister portents, tempestuous passions and ghostly visitations, it spawned an entire literary tradition and influenced such writers as Ann Radcliffe and Bram Stoker. First published pseudonymously in 1764, purporting to be an ancient Italian text from the time of the crusades, The Castle of Otranto is a founding work of Gothic fiction. But a series of terrifying supernatural omens soon threaten this unlawful union, as the curse placed on Manfred's ancestor, who usurped the lawful Prince of Otranto, begins to unfold. His calculating father Manfred fears that his dynasty will now come to an end and determines to marry his son's bride himself - despite the fact he is already married. The Castle of Otranto, which Walpole published in 1764 under a pseudonym, was effective in bringing romanticism to contemporary literature. ![]() The initial edition was titled in full The Castle of Otranto, A Story. ![]() ![]() Walpole was fascinated with medieval history, building in 1749 a fake gothic castle, Strawberry Hill House. First published in 1764, the book tells the tale. The Castle of Otranto was written in 1764 during Horace Walpole's tenure as MP for King's Lynn. On the day of his wedding, Conrad, heir to the house of Otranto, is killed in mysterious circumstances. Hailed as the first gothic novel, and credited with inspiring an entire genre of literary works, the Castle of Otranto is a venerable classic. ![]()
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