The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

Mrs. Radcliffe has here produced a work of uncommon merit, in which the powers of imagination are displayed to great advantage. The scene is laid in the gloomy recesses of the Apennines, and the author has contrived to surround her heroine with circumstances of terror and mystery which keep the reader in a state of pleasing suspense. The Castle of Udolpho is drawn with a skill that makes it almost a living presence in the story. The delineation of character is, upon the whole, just and natural; and the style, though sometimes a little inflated, is generally correct and even elegant. The work is, however, too long, and the explanation of some of the mysteries is rather too artificially postponed.

This celebrated romance has now reached a third edition, a proof of its popularity which we cannot regard as altogether creditable to the public taste. The book is, indeed, a work of no common power; but its power is directed to the production of terror and suspense by means which are often mechanical and artificial. The author's favourite device of suggesting a horrible mystery and then explaining it away by natural causes becomes, after a time, wearisome. Nevertheless, the book has considerable merits: the descriptions are often beautiful, the story is ingeniously constructed, and the interest, though sometimes flagging, is on the whole well sustained.

Mrs. Radcliffe has established herself as the first writer of the romantic school now in vogue. "The Mysteries of Udolpho" displays all her characteristic powers: a fertile invention, a vivid description of natural scenery, and a remarkable talent for exciting terror without descending to the gross and the disgusting. The character of Montoni is drawn with a masterly hand; he is a villain of a high order, dark, resolute, and commanding. Emily St. Aubert is a heroine of considerable interest, though perhaps too passively suffering for the modern taste. The landscapes of the Apennines and the Pyrenees are painted with a poetical feeling that is truly delightful.

After reading Northanger Abbey I wanted to see what Austen was parodying and... yeah I get it. This book is ridiculous. The heroine faints every 5 pages, the villain twirls his mustache, and theres a "mysterious" black veil that turns out to be just a wax figure. Its entertaining in a "so bad its good" way but I wouldnt call it good literature. Fun if you want to see where Gothic tropes come from.

You can really see why this book was so popular in its day. The atmosphere is incredible — the castle, the mountains, the mysterious sounds at night. Emily is a good heroine (if a bit prone to fainting). The main problem is the poems. SO MANY POEMS. I skipped most of them tbh. Also the "supernatural" elements all get explained away which is kind of dissapointing. Still a must read for gothic fans.