When tragedy strikes on his son's wedding day, Lord Manfred believes
it is a foreboding omen, and will do whatever it takes to stop it--no
matter how immoral.
Set in the 18th century, The Castle of Otranto begins on the day
Manfred's son, Conrad, was meant to be married. Known for his sickly
nature, Conrad is the eldest child of two, and is set to marry Princess
Isabella, a union that would reap strong benefits for the noble family.
However, when tragedy strikes right before the ceremony, Manfred is
terrified that it is a premonition of a bad luck curse. Paranoid that
the curse would threaten his bloodline, he leaps into action. Determined
to strengthen his legacy before it's too late, Manfred decides to
divorce his wife so that he can marry Isabella in his son's place.
However, when Isabella adamantly refuses, Manfred slips into a manic
state of immorality, as he becomes desperate to do whatever it takes to
marry Isabella. After Theodore, a brave peasant man with mysterious
origins, becomes dedicated to protecting Isabella from Manfred, the lord
must outsmart and overpower the couple to get his way. Through coercion,
capture, and even murder, Manfred will do anything to avoid the threat
of a curse.
First published under a pseudonym in 1764, The Castle of Otranto by
Horace Walpole is regarded as the first gothic horror novel, a literary
genre that later flourished in the 18th and 19th century. Walpole's work
has shaped the modern-day gothic aesthetic in literature, film, art, and
music. The Castle of Otranto and the genre it inspired also encouraged
many major writers, such as Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and Edgar Allan
Poe. Featuring a dark narrative, twists, tragedy, and elements of
surrealism, The Castle of Otranto is dramatic and shocking, enthralling
from start to finish.
This edition of The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole features an
eye-catching new cover design and is printed in a font that is both
modern and readable. With these accommodations, The Castle of Otranto
caters to a contemporary audience while preserving the original
innovation of Horace Walpole's work.
