Amy B. (BaileysBooks) reviewed Four Gothic Novels: The Castle of Otranto / Vathek / The Monk / Frankenstein (World's Classics) on + 491 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
The Castle of Otranto:
I found this book somwehat difficult to read, mostly due to editing. There are no quotation marks when someone is speaking. New paragraphs delineating changes in conversation or thought are hard to come by. Essentially, it is a wall of unending text. If you can overlook those initial hurdles, the story itself is good although I found parts of it hard to follow. I was interested enough in it to see how it ended, but I cannot honestly say that I really understood all of the subtelties of the plot where the mystical/supernatural elements were concerned.
Vathek:
This book had elements that reminded me of Voltaire, Candide, or the Inferno. It was a story with a lesson, something on the level of 'reap what you sow'. It left me with a certain creepiness...The main character is not someone that you root for. The ending is not something that any of us like to think about.
Frankenstein:
I read this book in high school and thought it was ok. I read this book again just recently and thought it was phenomenal. This book is an incredible look into the hearts of both man and monster, of moral responsibility, of the question "Just because we can do something, should we?" If you were only to read one gothic novel, this one would be it.
The Monk:
What an interesting book! This story follows the rise of a very prominent and highly respected Monk, as well as his steady descent by small degrees into the depths of total depravity. While Frankenstein is a shoe-in for best gothic novel, I found this one to be equally entertaining, but for different reasons. I thought the plot was well paced, the characters interesting, and the ending stays with you even after the story has ended. This was easily my second favorite within this collection, falling just shy of Frankenstein.
I found this book somwehat difficult to read, mostly due to editing. There are no quotation marks when someone is speaking. New paragraphs delineating changes in conversation or thought are hard to come by. Essentially, it is a wall of unending text. If you can overlook those initial hurdles, the story itself is good although I found parts of it hard to follow. I was interested enough in it to see how it ended, but I cannot honestly say that I really understood all of the subtelties of the plot where the mystical/supernatural elements were concerned.
Vathek:
This book had elements that reminded me of Voltaire, Candide, or the Inferno. It was a story with a lesson, something on the level of 'reap what you sow'. It left me with a certain creepiness...The main character is not someone that you root for. The ending is not something that any of us like to think about.
Frankenstein:
I read this book in high school and thought it was ok. I read this book again just recently and thought it was phenomenal. This book is an incredible look into the hearts of both man and monster, of moral responsibility, of the question "Just because we can do something, should we?" If you were only to read one gothic novel, this one would be it.
The Monk:
What an interesting book! This story follows the rise of a very prominent and highly respected Monk, as well as his steady descent by small degrees into the depths of total depravity. While Frankenstein is a shoe-in for best gothic novel, I found this one to be equally entertaining, but for different reasons. I thought the plot was well paced, the characters interesting, and the ending stays with you even after the story has ended. This was easily my second favorite within this collection, falling just shy of Frankenstein.
