Lying and Feelings and Ghosts OH MY! The Castle of Otranto

Hello readers! As we continue our dive into gothic literature, it is only appropriate that we look at the novel that started it all: The Castle of Otranto. Written in 1764 by Horace Walpole, this 118 page novel solidified many themes of this genre (we talked about those last week, check that article out if you haven't!) including dark and dreary atmosphere, a prophecy/curse, supernatural beings, and the past haunting the present. While preparing for this week’s post, I discovered some interesting things about the man behind the novel.

Horace Walpole was born in September 1717 and was the youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole, the first British Prime Minister. Horace lived a privileged life where leisure was held in high esteem. He studied at Eton and Cambridge but his education was not a top priority. His father managed to get him various administrative positions and he eventually sat in Parliament for 13 years. When he published the novel The Castle of Ontranto, he did so anonymously, claiming it was a translation of a random Italian manuscript; it wasn’t until the second edition he claimed it as his own work. Why? Well, at the time novels were seen as a waste of time both for reading and writing. Horace wrote very little fiction afterwards (the Castle of Otranto, he claims, came from a dream) but was known for his extensive letter correspondence, many which can still be read today. 

He was also obsessed with gothic architecture and had his home, Strawberry Hill, constructed in the manner of a gothic castle. This castle would be a catalyst for the gothic revival in architecture during the nineteenth century. One can still visit this landmark today! I will definitely be adding it to my travel list. Now onto the novel…

The Castle of Otranto Review

The novel is set in medieval Southern Italy and begins at the wedding of Conrad, only son of the Prince of Otranto, and Lady Isabella, the daughter of Marquis of Vicenza. Before the bride and groom could come together, Conrad is found dead crushed by a giant helmet. 

That is all I can say.

I have always disliked reviewers who spoil big plot moments and once this story starts, it doesn’t slow down! I was in shock with how much happens in 118 pages- it makes telenovelas seem tame. There is lots of plotting, particularly from our main villain Manfred, deceit, identity reveals, backstory, and supernatural occurrences. I would urge you to go into this novel as blind as possible. 

I found this a very fun, quick book to read. My notes are filled with ‘plot twist’ and ‘this is crazy!’. The characters are a bit over the top but that felt purposeful. Horace Walpole was a fan of Shakespeare and you can definitely feel its influence throughout the story. My one criticism is, oddly enough, the setting. While it is in a gothic castle, there wasn’t enough description to make me feel like I was in a unique setting. Part of this might be my reading of later gothic novels which have perfected atmospheric writing (looking at you Daphne du Maurier). For this being the first gothic novel, I expected the atmosphere to be more present. Besides that, I generally enjoyed this emotionally charged tale of woe.  4.25/5 stars

I hope you are enjoying this look at gothic literature. Next week we will look at the first gothic romance novel and how it’s connected…to Jane Austen? Tune in!

Happy Reading

Lady Bookish 

Sources: 

https://www.kent.ac.uk/ewto/projects/anthology/horace-walpole.html

https://www.janeaustenandco.org/post/six-interesting-facts-about-horace-walpole

*Also HUGE thank you to my local library system for having physical copies of these gothic novels. :)