The Mysteries of Udolpho, by Ann Radcliffe, appeared in four volumes on 8 May 1794 from G. G. and J. Robinson of London. Her fourth and most popular novel, The Mysteries of Udolpho tells of Emily St. Aubert, who suffers misadventures that include the death of her mother and father, supernatural terrors in a gloomy castle, and machinations of an Italian brigand. Often cited as the archetypal Gothic novel, The Mysteries of Udolpho and Radcliffe's 1791 The Romance of the Forest appear prominently in Jane Austen's 1817 novel ...
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The Mysteries of Udolpho, by Ann Radcliffe, appeared in four volumes on 8 May 1794 from G. G. and J. Robinson of London. Her fourth and most popular novel, The Mysteries of Udolpho tells of Emily St. Aubert, who suffers misadventures that include the death of her mother and father, supernatural terrors in a gloomy castle, and machinations of an Italian brigand. Often cited as the archetypal Gothic novel, The Mysteries of Udolpho and Radcliffe's 1791 The Romance of the Forest appear prominently in Jane Austen's 1817 novel Northanger Abbey, where an impressionable young woman reader comes to see friends and acquaintances as Gothic villains and victims, with amusing results.
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Add this copy of The Mysteries of Udolpho to cart. $49.28, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Independently published.
As a fan of Jane Austen, I've enjoyed Northanger Abbey and had wondered about all the Udolpho references. I was unable to force myself to continue reading it after page 400 something. I found the prose lovely for the first three or four pages and after that very repetitious.
For my taste there was not enough action to balance the description. I also had a problem with not really caring about any of the characters, except perhaps the French maid. The heroine's propensity to faint when the going got tough was perhaps what was expected of genteel young women of the time, but I found it extremely irritating.
If one were on a desert island and it was the only book available, I'd say read this book. Otherwise, I could not honestly recommend it.