Author Description
'he Was Deaf To The Murmurs Of Conscience, And Resolved To Satisfy His Desires At Any Price.' The Monk (1796) Is A Sensational Story Of Temptation And Depravity, A Masterpiece Of Gothic Fiction And The First Horror Novel In English Literature. The Respected Monk Ambrosio, The Abbot Of A Capuchin Monastery In Madrid, Is Overwhelmed With Desire For A Young Girl; Once Having Abandoned His Monastic Vows He Begins A Terrible Descent Into Immorality And Violence. His Appalling Fall From Grace Embraces Blasphemy, Black Magic, Torture, Rape, And Murder, And Places His Very Soul In Jeopardy. Lewis's Extraordinary Tale Drew On Folklore, Legendary Ghost Stories, And Contemporary Dread Inspired By The Terrors Of The French Revolution. Its Excesses Shocked The Reading Public And It Was Condemned As Obscene. The Novel Continues To Beguile And Shock Readers Today With Its Gruesome Catalogue Of Iniquities, While At The Same Time Giving A Profound Insight Into The Deep Anxieties Experienced By British Citizens During One Of The Most Turbulent Periods In The Nation's History. About The Series: For Over 100 Years Oxford World's Classics Has Made Available The Widest Range Of Literature From Around The Globe. Each Affordable Volume Reflects Oxford's Commitment To Scholarship, Providing The Most Accurate Text Plus A Wealth Of Other Valuable Features, Including Expert Introductions By Leading Authorities, Helpful Notes To Clarify The Text, Up-to-date Bibliographies For Further Study, And Much More.
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
The respected monk Ambrosio faces a catastrophic moral collapse after succumbing to illicit desires, triggering a sequence of events that leads him toward damnation. Ambrosio, the esteemed abbot of a Capuchin monastery in Madrid, finds his rigid piety eroded by the influence of a demonic entity disguised as a novice. As he abandons his monastic vows, he descends into a cycle of depravity, violence, and occult practices. The narrative employs a complex structure, incorporating multiple subplots and shifting perspectives to illustrate the consequences of his transgressions within a rigid, superstitious society.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- Exploration of religious hypocrisy and the corruption of power
- Integration of supernatural elements and black magic
- Use of the epistolary format and embedded narratives
- Graphic depictions of violence and moral transgression
- Setting within the claustrophobic atmosphere of a Spanish monastery
- Influence of folklore and contemporary revolutionary anxieties
- Focus on the psychological disintegration of the protagonist
- Examination of the tension between asceticism and human desire
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
Readers and critics frequently analyze the work as a foundational text of the Gothic genre, noting its aggressive departure from the moralistic conventions of its time. Discussion often centers on the novel's extreme content, which includes blasphemy and supernatural horror that challenged the sensibilities of the eighteenth-century public. Scholars highlight the text as a reflection of the political and social anxieties prevalent during the French Revolution. The pacing is often described as relentless, moving quickly through a series of increasingly dark and transgressive events. Many readers find the atmospheric intensity and the stark portrayal of the protagonist's descent to be the primary drivers of the narrative's enduring impact.
Page Count:
432
Publication Date:
2016-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0191009636
ISBN-13:
9780191009631
Horror
Dark Fantasy
Spain fiction
Gothic
Fiction - Horror
classic
Historical
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