Horace Walpole

The Castle of Otranto (1764) is the first supernatural & one of the most influential works of Gothic fiction, first published in 1764. On the day of his wedding, Conrad, heir to the house of Otranto, is killed in mysterious circumstances. His calculating father Manfred fears that his dynasty will now come to an end and determines to marry his son's bride himself - despite the fact he is already married. But a series of terrifying supernatural omens soon threaten this unlawful union, as the curse placed on Manfred's ancestor, who usurped the lawful Prince of Otranto, begins to unfold.

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.

Otranton linna on goottilaisen romaanin varhaisin kukinto ja modernin kauhukirjallisuuden lähtökohta. Sen tekijä oli taidehistorioitsija, poliitikko ja kirjailija Horace Walpole (1717-1797), joka julkaisi teoksen lahjaksi ystävilleen jouluna 1764. Keskiajan Italiaan sijoittava tarina kertoo Otranton ruhtinaasta Manfredista, jonka pelko muinaisen kirouksen toteutumisesta suistaa hävityksen tielle. Otranton linna luo kauhuromaanin ainekset. Se tihkuu aavemaisia näkyjä, pimeitä salakäytäviä, ennustuksia, ilmestyksiä ja yllätyksellistä väkivaltaa. Horace Walpolen Otranton linna ilmestyi alkukielellä 250 vuotta sitten. Nyt goottilaisen kauhun klassikko julkaistaan ensi kertaa suomeksi.

This volume contains five stories about plague - some short, some long. Each that builds upon the heritage of the other. This volume contains five stories - some short, some long. Each that builds upon the heritage of the other. It starts with The Castle of Ontarato (1764) by Horace Walpole which is considered the first, "Gothic Novel"; Vathek, An Arabian Tale (1782) by William Beckford, was influenced by Walpole and Arabian Nights; The Last Man (1826) by Mary Shelley carries on the theme of the previous works, but could be viewed as one of the first science fiction post-apocalyptic novels; The Masque of the Red Death (1842) by Edgar Allen Poe also focuses on apocalyptic forces and society's efforts (or lack thereof) to deal with it. Finally, The Scarlet Plague (1912) by Jack London describes a world-wide pandemic that humanity cannot control. Even the cover illustration, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, by Goya is influenced by the Gothic art and forms a sort of double-entendre of monsters made in our mind and by doing nothing.

Notion Press proudly brings to you timeless classics from ancient texts to popular modern classics. This carefully chosen collection of books is a celebration of literature, our tribute to the pioneers, the legends and the giants of the literary world. Apart from being the voice of indie writers, we also want to introduce every reader to read all kinds of literature. In this series, you will find a wide range of books--from popular classics like the works of Shakespeare and Charlotte Bront to rare gems by the likes of Edith Wharton and James Fenimore Cooper.

Notion Press proudly brings to you timeless classics from ancient texts to popular modern classics. This carefully chosen collection of books is a celebration of literature, our tribute to the pioneers, the legends and the giants of the literary world. Apart from being the voice of indie writers, we also want to introduce every reader to read all kinds of literature. In this series, you will find a wide range of books--from popular classics like the works of Shakespeare and Charlotte Bront to rare gems by the likes of Edith Wharton and James Fenimore Cooper.

This book has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature. This forms a part of the knowledge base for future generations. So that the book is never forgotten we have represented this book in a print format as the same form as it was originally first published. Hence any marks or annotations seen are left intentionally to preserve its true nature.

The Castle of OtrantoHorace WalpoleThe Castle Of Otranto tells the story of Manfred, lord of the castle, and his family. The book begins on the wedding-day of his sickly son Conrad and princess Isabella. Shortly before the wedding, however, Conrad is crushed to death by a gigantic helmet that falls on him from above. This inexplicable event is particularly ominous in light of an ancient prophecy, "that the castle and lordship of Otranto should pass from the present family, whenever the real owner should be grown too large to inhabit it". Manfred, terrified that Conrad's death signals the beginning of the end for his line, resolves to avert destruction by marrying Isabella himself while divorcing his current wife Hippolita, whom he feels has failed to bear him a proper heir. However, as Manfred attempts to marry Isabella,

Die Burg von Otranto, in der englische Originalfassung: The Castle of Otranto, ist ein Roman des britischen Politikers und Schriftstellers Horace Walpole aus dem Jahr 1764. Walpole begr ndete damit die Romangattung des Schauerromans, im Englischen 'Gothic Novel', und beeinflusst die Literatur damit bis in unsere Zeit.

The Castle of Otranto is regarded as the first Gothic novel. The son of Manfred, Prince of Otranto, is mysteriously killed on his wedding day by a huge helmet. The event leads to a fast-paced story of jealous passion, intrigue, murder, and supernatural phenomena unfolding in an atmosphere of thunderclaps, moonlight, and dark castle walls--mirroring the inner turmoils of the characters themselves. Horace Walpole's tale, an immediate success when it first appeared in 1764, is a classic of its genre.

Manfred, Prince of Otranto, had one son and one daughter: the latter, a most beautiful virgin, aged eighteen, was called Matilda. Conrad, the son, was three years younger, a homely youth, sickly, and of no promising disposition; yet he was the darling of his father, who never showed any symptoms of affection to Matilda. Manfred had contracted a marriage for his son with the Marquis of Vicenza's daughter, Isabella; and she had already been delivered by her guardians into the hands of Manfred, that he might celebrate the wedding as soon as Conrad's infirm state of health would permit.