Il castello di Otranto

This granddaddy of all Gothics is still worth a read. It has its flaws, but Walpole's style is crisp and economical, and the book itself is mercifully brief. Manfred possesses all the important features of the classic gothic hero that Mrs. Radcliffe and others would later use to great advantage, and Leggi tutto

The Castle of Otranto was the Blair Witch Project of 1764. Both were game-changers which popularized a new genre. Blair Witch launched the “found footage” horror trope and Otranto inaugurated the “Gothic.” Interestingly enough, Otranto also employs a “found footage” gimmick with its first edition, pr Leggi tutto

Prince Manfred of Otranto in medieval Italy is looking forward to the wedding of his only son Conrad, because the family name must continue...In those violent times, petty men try for glory against others of the same class , (the era of the Crusades also) Italian politics dictates noblemen have sons Leggi tutto

By today’s standard’s The Castle of Otranto is a ridiculous piece of melodrama. However, when it was originally published it was absolute dynamite. It had the power to shock and dazzle its earliest of readers. They were innocent and unused to horror; thus, it was utterly compelling for them. Such a t Leggi tutto

This classic was sooo baaad. You know in these fancy introductions when these big shot professors are frothing about how brilliant this thing is that you are now about to read, well, in the introduction to this book the guy tells you right there he’s sorry but this is a baaaad book The dream origin o Leggi tutto

Quite frankly one of the oddest things I've ever read.