June '14 / Dark Romanticism Reading Poll

[Scheherazade]

~

Please nominate a Dark Romantic novel you would like to read by June 11.

Dark Romanticism

~ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_romanticism)

[Dark Muse]

This was a tough genre to come up with a nomination for because it is so narrow, but it also overlaps a lot with Gothic literature and it is hard to distinguish the line between the two.

But hopefully this qualifies (being that is a work of poetry and not prose) but I believe it fits the genre and I have been wanting to read it.

Don Juan by Lord Byron

[Scheherazade]

And I would like to nominate The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliff

[Scheherazade]

Am I gonna read Udolpho alone?

[Dark Muse]

I will try and see if I can, but it is a pretty long book and I have some other stuff I have to finish up before I can start anything else.

[mona amon]

Am I gonna read Udolpho alone?

I think I'll join you. It's been on my 'to read' list for ages, ever since I read Northanger Abbey.

[chevalierdelame]

Actually I read 'The Mysteries of Udolpho' last month. It was hard to begin and the descriptions were rather too long. But once I started I couldn't stop, and I skipped entire passages and the poetry to get the story. So I think I'll do a more thorough re-read now.

[mona amon]

I've just started and it seems quite interesting. Chevalier, I think I'll also be skipping long descriptive passages and poetry.

[chevalierdelame]

The second reading was worth it.
Well, Mona, I don't think you lost anything skipping the descriptions and the poetry. What is so good about Udolpho is the plot. I suppose there are some convenient coincidences, but on the whole it's a good story.
I'm planning to read 'The Italian' as soon as I get the time. Caroline Helstone says about it in 'Shirley' that 'it opens with such promise of a strange story to be told' (or something to the effect). Mrs. Radcliffe was a wonderful storyteller.