The Monk by Matthew Lewis

The Monk by Matthew Lewis

'Few could sustain the glance of his eye, at once fiery and penetrating'

Savaged by critics for its supposed profanity and obscenity, and bought in large numbers by readers eager to see whether it lived up to its lurid reputation, The Monk became a succ s de scandale when it was published in 1796 - not least because its author was a member of parliament and only twenty years old. It recounts the diabolical decline of Ambrosio, a Capuchin superior, who succumbs first to temptations offered by a young girl who has entered his monastery disguised as a boy, and continues his descent with increasingly depraved acts of sorcery, murder, incest and torture. Combining sensationalism with acute psychological insight, this masterpiece of Gothic fiction is a powerful exploration of how violent and erotic impulses can break through the barriers of social and moral restraint.

This edition is based on the first edition of 1796, which appeared before Lewis's revisions to avoid charges of blasphemy. In his introduction, Christopher MacLachlan discusses the novel's place within the Gothic genre, and its themes of sexual desire and the abuse of power.

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Lewis, Matthew G.: - Matthew Gregory Lewis (1775 - 1818) was an English novelist and dramatist, often referred to as Monk Lewis, because of the success of his 1796 Gothic novel, The Monk. As a writer, Lewis is typically classified as writing in the Gothic horror genre, along with the authors Charles Robert Maturin and Mary Shelley. Lewis was most assuredly influenced by Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho and William Godwin's Caleb Williams. In fact, Lewis actually wrote a letter to his mother a few months before he began writing The Monk in which he stated that he saw resemblance between the villain Montoni from The Mysteries of Udolpho and himself. He took Radcliffe's obsession with the supernatural and Godwin's narrative drive and interest in crime and punishment, Lewis differed with his literary approach. Whereas Radcliffe would allude to the imagined horrors under the genre of terror-Gothic, Lewis defined himself by disclosing the details of the gruesome scenes, earning him the title of a Gothic horror novelist. By giving the reader actual details rather than the terrified feelings rampant in Radcliffe, Lewis provides a more novelistic experience.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780375759161
ISBN 10	0375759166
Title	The Monk
Author	Matthew Lewis
Series	Modern Library Classics
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Random House USA Inc
Year published	2002-04-09
Number of pages	400
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable