The Mysteries of Udolpho

(1794)

This is the story of Emily St. Aubert, a young woman who finds herself at the mercy of her cruel guardians after the death of her parents. Forced from her native home in France, and eventually locked up in a remote castle in the apennines, Emily must rely on her sense of virtue, along with the lessons her father taught her, to keep herself strong in spite of the terror that follows her at every corner. There is more to this novel than your traditional Gothic tale. While it does have a lot of the characteristics of one - ruined castles, dark villains, and the hint of the supernatural - it is really a combination of several genres. There is a little bit of something for everyone, as Radcliffe guides the reader through pastoral landscapes, gloomy forests, bustling cities, and quaint mountain villages. Elements of adventure, action, physical and psychological horror, drama and romance all blend together in this literary classic that is not so easily forgotten.--Submitted by jdrenigan.

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