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    The Castle of Otranto
    The Castle of Otranto
    The Castle of Otranto
    Ebook137 pages2 hours

    The Castle of Otranto

    By Horace Walpole

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    The Gothic masterwork that revolutionized popular fiction

    When Prince Manfred of Otranto loses his son in a strange and terrifying accident, he fears that an ancient prophecy has come to pass and his family will be stripped of its castle and lands before he can produce a new heir. Desperate to hold on to their power, he decides to divorce his wife and marry Isabella, his son’s betrothed. But Isabella escapes into the gloomy passages beneath the castle, and with the help of a young peasant named Theodore, finds sanctuary in a nearby monastery. Manfred threatens to kill Theodore unless Friar Jerome turns the girl over to him. Only a shocking twist of fate can save Isabella and ensure that the Castle of Otranto falls to its rightful heir.
     
    An immediate sensation when it was published pseudonymously in 1764, The Castle of Otranto is widely considered to be the first Gothic novel. Rich with romance, spine-tingling suspense, and supernatural horror, the novel profoundly influenced the works of Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, and Mary Shelley.
     
    This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Media
    Release dateAug 26, 2014
    ISBN9781497659766
    Author

    Horace Walpole

    Horace Walpole (1717–1797) was an English politician and author. Born to the first British prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, he served as a member of Parliament from 1741 to 1768. He is best remembered today for The Castle of Otranto, widely considered to be the first Gothic novel.

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    Reviews for The Castle of Otranto

    3/5

    51 ratings50 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I read this as part of research for an essay on The Gothic Novel, so I went back to this as the original example of the genre. I wasn't disappointed: supernatural elements, love triangles, masterful villain, meek heroines and good-looking yet virtuous hero. Truly sensational for its time. Well done, Horace.
    • 5/5
      [Northanger Abbey]
      I think this is my favorite of Austen's works. It lacks any of the great romances that make her so popular amongst filmmakers and book clubs, but it shows off her greatest asset: her intelligence. Austen is, of course, famous for her wit and keen observations of social mores, and those are also put on display in Northanger Abbey. But this is one of the all-time great satires, demonstrating that she was capable of more than merely reproducing the world around her.

      This is the book that makes me wonder what Austen would be like if she was alive today. Time and critical reception have pigeon-holed her; she's recognized as a great talent, but I think she's often dismissed as well. She's about more than just female empowerment and laughing at the way people acted in the 1800s. Austen's books are all about how people communicate, and it's still relevant today.
    • 2/5
      What a silly book! My nose hurts from snorting. At first I was thinking "This would be great filmed by Ed Wood." but then I decided it would be more suited to a staging by the Monty Python troupe. It even features a giant foot at one point!
    • 3/5
      The Castle of Otranto is one of those must-read noteworthy books, but heck if I know why. It is listed as the first gothic novel and has those elements of romance and horror. But, I must say, gothic novels have come a looong way. This had many elements that we stereotype and mock - the fair maiden who above all else, must maintain her virtue and the evil villain whose goal in life is to make sure she fails. Ok reading for the historical sense, but not outstanding.
    • 4/5
      A rather short story and the only one published by Horace Walpole tell the story of Manfred, prince of Otranto and the death of his son and only heir Conrad. The castle with its vaults and secret passages make for the setting of a gothic novel. The setting is chivalric Middle Ages and deals with cruelty and tyranny as well as usurping of the castle and title of prince. It’s a very quick and easy read for those working on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.
    • 2/5
      Let me put it this way...it's decent if you consider the historical aspect of the book (first horror novel, ect.) Otherwise, it's hilariously bad.
    • 4/5
      The original gothic novel, this reads preposterously if you don't know its pedigree. Gigantic elements of armour appear in the story without warning (though they are warnings in themselves), crushing the hapless and frightening other characters who respond as anyone might when faced with such inexplicable events: horror, shock, dismay, fear. It's the meshing of these that brought this novel lasting acclaim, however ridiculous its events now appear to a modern reader. I'm afraid I laughed in a few places I wasn't supposed to, but with a better understanding came a greater appreciation. It's a comfortably short read, and at least an interesting curiosity.
    • 3/5
      Considered a gothic masterpiece, I found this to be a clever little novel of a crumbling monarchy in it's final days. You can certainly see how it influenced later works of both fantasy and more conventional literature. A number of convoluted machinations, some patent villainy, lots of life-changing revelations, and just a few hints of the supernatural. I honestly could have done with a little less of the domestic implosion of the household and a little more of the fantastical elements, but it is what it is. My one major complaint is the dialogue is not formatted in the modern style of quotation marks and individually indented paragraphs, separated only by commas, periods and dashes, somewhat inconsistently too, making it somewhat tricky to read, though I managed well enough once I found the conversational rhythm in each passage.
    • 2/5
      The evil prince Manfred plots to marry his deceased son's fiancé but is thwarted. This is the ancestor of all gothic novels. Poor prose, but it does move at a steady pace for the 18th Century. Best read for a course requirement. I have no idea of which edition I read in 1971, but the information relates to the current Oxford paperback edition.
    • 5/5
      Said by some (like W. S. Lewis) to be the first Gothic novel in English literature, this 1674 novel offers every element now considered to be characteristic of Gothic horror. Here, Walpole set the standard for supernatural armour, furtive friars, family curses, and things that go bump in the castle vaults!
    • 5/5
      I'm reading this book right now and it is so cool. Supposedly the first gothic novel ever written. Secret passages, haunted castle, strange happenings, and a damsel in distress. One of the least boring classics I've ever read.
    • 3/5
      The book that started the taste for gothic novels in England and later Germany and France, this is by no means the best of the genre but holds pride of place. Replete with ghosts, set in the heart of the dark ages and within the walls of a mood-setting castle, it's no surprise this tale sparked the imaginations of its readers and continues to cast its spell today.
    • 3/5
      This book must be read in the knowledge that it is more than 250 years old. It is the original Gothic fiction. The story is somewhat gripping, although the dialogue is not punctuated as we would now expect, making you think twice about who is saying what at times. The spectre of the giant knight seems to fade away at the end, almost like the let-down from bad B-grade special effects but in literary form. I felt like every character actually liked to ball their eyes out every few minutes, too. But, taken in context, it is an enjoyable read. Only don't read the introduction and avoid checking the notes at every instance. Like many classic, the introduction, prefaces and notes are now longer than the story itself. It had to be read, and now it is done. If you are a fan of Gothic, then this is like what Evil Dead is to modern horror, or what Sherlock Holmes is to the modern detective story.
    • 3/5
      Crazy story about a giant knights parts showing up in a cursed castle.
    • 5/5
      This is a gem of an early (1764) Gothic novel. There are some moments of genuine horror and a tense drive to the plot. Great stuff and the ending is very downbeat.
    • 1/5
      Halfway through the story, a young peasant says, "I am no impostor, my Lord, nor have I deserved opprobrious language. I answered to every question your Highness put to me last night with the same veracity that I shall speak now: and that will not be from fear of your tortures, but because my soul abhors a falsehood. Please to repeat your questions, my Lord; I am ready to give you all the satisfaction in my power."

      WTF? I can only assume that this melodrama is a joke, for it is so elaborately ridiculous that any other conclusion is impossible. As a joke, it is funny but rather too long. Near the end, the main "villain" stabs his daughter in the heart. She has a chapter-long death scene, during which there is a lot of fainting, shouting, long expostulations of heritage, and really awful "old-timey" language. The very last paragraph details how her lover and her foster sister end up marrying so they can share their "meloncholy" till the end of their days.
    • 5/5
      The last third of this novel just blew me away. In it, all of the main characters kept turning up in unexpected places doing and saying unexpected things with unexpected results until an ancient prophesy was fulfilled. That part of the book alone was jaw-dropping!
    • 3/5
      Interesting as part of English literary history, but not much else. Manfred is the usurper of Otranto. His son is killed by a huge helmet that falls on him--God definitely giving Manfred a hint. But Manfred isn't listening. He decides he needs a new wife to give him a new son, and thereby sets in action his own downfall. Surprisingly, he lives, though he does (along the way) murder his daughter. The rightful heir of Otranto takes possession. All ends . . . not quite happily . . . but things are set to right.
    • 5/5
      The Castle of Oranto describes a tyrant of a father that wants to have an heir to ensure that his property stays within the family. However, this tyrant actually was the recipient of the land through unlawful means. There is a supernatural curse upon the family that states whenever the true heir of the lands becomes too big then the tyrant would be overthrown. The first catastrophe that happens is the only son of the tyrant is slain on his wedding day. Along with this discovery is a gigantic helmet. The tyrant then decides that he is going to divorce his wife and marry the woman that he had secured for his son. When he divulges this plan to the bride to be (Isabella), she flees the castle for the church on the property. A peasant is charged with the murder of the tyrant’s son, but gets away and helps Isabella escape. A chase ensues. The tyrant looks for Isabella, but finds the peasant. At this time, his servants swear they see a giant foot. The story then has many more twists and turns until almost everyone dies, or is about to die. It was very entertaining. I think I have found a new/old genre to enjoy. As a gothic novel, it has a supernatural aspect (the giant), a lady in distress (actually all of them are at some point in time), and the whole story takes place in a castle that has endless mazes, a haunted forest with caves, and a few hidden passages. The book is very suspenseful and a little overdramatic, especially in dealings with love, jealousy, and possible death.
    • 2/5
      The original soap opera. It takes place in Italy, over the course of a few days. There is a young peasant of noble blood, Theodore, a princess who is more virtuous than reality allows (Matilda) a villan with a good heart who is paying for the crimes of his grandfather (Manfred) and a daughter and a father who are rightful heirs to the land of Otranto. It's pretty humourous, the outlandish dialogue and events. There are ghosts and saints that are interceding on behalf of Isabelle and Frederic, so that Manfred and his family are punished according to biblical justice. There is no happy ending - Manfred kills his daughter on mistake - he thought it was Isabelle who he wanted to marry in order to ensure sons and his claim to the throne. Theodore was in love with Matilda, after only a few hours of acquaintance, and he marries Isabelle so that they can spend the rest of their days missing her together. Bizzarre, but obviously the origin of many genres. Also nice and short!
    • 4/5
      Brilliantly original at the time of its publication in the eighteenth century, The Castle of Otranto is distinguished as being the first work of Gothic fiction. It has always been the recipient of mixed reviews. It’s worth bearing in mind the enormous fun Horace Walpole had in writing the novel; the humor in it seems sadly lost on many readers and critics. It is at once thrilling, funny and puzzling but remains a joy to read in the twenty first century. I recommend the Penguin Classics edition which contains sufficient notes and supplementary text necessary for a proper appreciation of the work.
    • 3/5
      An interesting, if short, introduction to the Gothic genre. Included are all the classic elements- mysterious characters, long lost children, giant's armour and legs, sudden death, cruel tyrants, caves, secret passageways, and peasants who are more than they seem. Oh yes, and portraits walk around too...
    • 2/5
      Granting that this book has an important place in popular literature; granting that it influenced 'Gothic' writing for decades, and that its echoes can be heard today, granting all this, unless this is assigned to you in some class, don't waste your time. I have read other early Gothic novels, The Monk, Melmoth the Wanderer, Frankenstein, etc., and crude as they were they were light years ahead of Otranto. Spare yourself. Two stars for its historical curiosity, nothing else.
    • 1/5
      This was one of those works I found on a poll called Great Books You Must Read Before You Die. It was number 34 of the world's greatest novels. They lied. Don't bother.
    • 2/5
      Oh Transport! Man, this book is a freaking lark. I can see how it's beautiful histrionics made for a smashing harliquenade. As Walpole said, "Everybody who takes this book seriously has been duped." Lovely.
    • 3/5
      I feel like there is a good sory buried inside here, but unfortunately, the way it is written makes it very difficult to enjoy. Not just the dialect of the prose, but the fact that the characters and narrator always take forever to get to the point.
    • 3/5
      We are all reptiles, miserable, sinful creatures. It is piety alone that can distinguish us from the dust whence we sprung, and whither we must return.

      The Goodreads reviews of this pioneer work are a caravan of groans; how sophisticated we've since become with our forensics and our shape-shfting (very-meta) protagonists. I may shudder and say, whoa, and allow the blush to fade from our consternation. Otranto is ridiculous, sure, but it is damn charming. Anyone ever encountered a contrivance or laughable twist in the Bard or even Nabokov: the car which killed Charlotte Haze dented our credulity, didn't it? I say onward with the GIANT HELMET! What lurks beneath is but prophesy and paternity. Walpole's book offers little in terms of fear. The pacing and revelation are no more haunting than a production of Hamlet. The notion of it being a "found" medieval text gives it sufficient distance to unnerve our sense of legacy.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      It's dark, it's supernatural, it's emotional, and outrageous enough to see how it spawned a trail of works and a new literary genre. It's brief, if one considers events and not the length of the sentences in the heavily worded dialogue, so it's almost best to go in blind. It starts fast, so there isn't much place for soaking in plot.

      I read the first two chapters but found the flow of the narrative and sparse line breaks in my text to be a dizzying read so I switched to audio book and found it easier to follow and easier to feel and enjoy. If you prefer reading to audio, I recommended glancing at the state of the text to make sure it won't be a headache to follow. It wasn't so much difficult, I feel, as an effort of stamina so as not to lose my place from glancing away for a moment. Perhaps this actually assists with the gasping wonder with which the characters take in the events at Otranto.
    • 2/5
      From Badelynge
      Manfred is having a really bad day. No really, he's having a really, really bad day. It all starts with his son being crushed to death by a gigantic helmet that falls out of the sky. And his day is going to get much worse.
      The Castle of Otranto was written in 1764 by Horace Walpole. So many times I have heard the name of this book being dropped by literary historians citing its place as the forerunner to the gothic novel, works that would include author's such as Poe, Stoker and Du Maurier. In fact the book is little more than fluff that just happens to contain a castle and a penchant for the romantic, the unlikely and the plain ridiculous.
    • 3/5
      I found The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole to be an odd yet entertaining story about a tyrant knight called Manfred, Prince of Otranto, and his family. Considered to be the father of Gothic romance fiction this fantasy is set in the middle ages, and is peopled by characters experiencing strong emotional and psychological distress. The story develops around a supernatural event that occurs at the beginning of the story and causes the death of Manfred’s only son and heir. Unfolding in a castle that comes with underground passages, sealed vaults, and trap doors, my favorite part of the story was when the young Princess Isabella, fearful for her virtue, is running away from Manfred through the dark and haunted castle.

      In a melodramatic yet playful manner the story has the evil usurper, the noble yet humble rightful heir, two virtuous princesses and a host of other characters running around the Castle of Otranto confronting vanishing giants, pieces of enormous armour, moving artwork and each other.

      This deceptively simple story deals with issues of inheritance, power and morality and religion. It is important to remember that this novel is the first of its kind and the plot, which appears overworked and familiar today is, indeed, the first of it’s kind and did cause quite a sensation in it’s day.

    Book preview

    The Castle of Otranto - Horace Walpole

    CHAPTER I.

    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.

    Manfred’s impatience for this ceremonial was remarked by his family and neighbours. The former, indeed, apprehending the severity of their Prince’s disposition, did not dare to utter their surmises on this precipitation. Hippolita, his wife, an amiable lady, did sometimes venture to represent the danger of marrying their only son so early, considering his great youth, and greater infirmities; but she never received any other answer than reflections on her own sterility, who had given him but one heir. His tenants and subjects were less cautious in their discourses. They attributed this hasty wedding to the Prince’s dread of seeing accomplished an ancient prophecy, which was said to have pronounced 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. It was difficult to make any sense of this prophecy; and still less easy to conceive what it had to do with the marriage in question. Yet these mysteries, or contradictions, did not make the populace adhere the less to their opinion.

    Young Conrad’s birthday was fixed for his espousals. The company was assembled in the chapel of the Castle, and everything ready for beginning the divine office, when Conrad himself was missing. Manfred, impatient of the least delay, and who had not observed his son retire, despatched one of his attendants to summon the young Prince. The servant, who had not stayed long enough to have crossed the court to Conrad’s apartment, came running back breathless, in a frantic manner, his eyes staring, and foaming at the mouth. He said nothing, but pointed to the court.

    The company were struck with terror and amazement. The Princess Hippolita, without knowing what was the matter, but anxious for her son, swooned away. Manfred, less apprehensive than enraged at the procrastination of the nuptials, and at the folly of his domestic, asked imperiously what was the matter? The fellow made no answer, but continued pointing towards the courtyard; and at last, after repeated questions put to him, cried out, Oh! the helmet! the helmet!

    In the meantime, some of the company had run into the court, from whence was heard a confused noise of shrieks, horror, and surprise. Manfred, who began to be alarmed at not seeing his son, went himself to get information of what occasioned this strange confusion. Matilda remained endeavouring to assist her mother, and Isabella stayed for the same purpose, and to avoid showing any impatience for the bridegroom, for whom, in truth, she had conceived little affection.

    The first thing that struck Manfred’s eyes was a group of his servants endeavouring to raise something that appeared to him a mountain of sable plumes. He gazed without believing his sight.

    What are ye doing? cried Manfred, wrathfully; where is my son?

    A volley of voices replied, Oh! my Lord! the Prince! the Prince! the helmet! the helmet!

    Shocked with these lamentable sounds, and dreading he knew not what, he advanced hastily,—but what a sight for a father’s eyes!—he beheld his child dashed to pieces, and almost buried under an enormous helmet, an hundred times more large than any casque ever made for human being, and shaded with a proportionable quantity of black feathers.

    The horror of the spectacle, the ignorance of all around how this misfortune had happened, and above all, the tremendous phenomenon before him, took away the Prince’s speech. Yet his silence lasted longer than even grief could occasion. He fixed his eyes on what he wished in vain to believe a vision; and seemed less attentive to his loss, than buried in meditation on the stupendous object that had occasioned it. He touched, he examined the fatal casque; nor could even the bleeding mangled remains of the young Prince divert the eyes of Manfred from the portent before him.

    All who had known his partial fondness for young Conrad, were as much surprised at their Prince’s insensibility, as thunderstruck themselves at the miracle of the helmet. They conveyed the disfigured corpse into the hall, without receiving the least direction from Manfred. As little was he attentive to the ladies who remained in the chapel. On the contrary, without mentioning the unhappy princesses, his wife and daughter, the first sounds that dropped from Manfred’s lips were, Take care of the Lady Isabella.

    The domestics, without observing the singularity of this direction, were guided by their affection to their mistress, to consider it as peculiarly addressed to her situation, and flew to her assistance. They conveyed her to her chamber more dead than alive, and indifferent to all the strange circumstances she heard, except the death of her son.

    Matilda, who doted on her mother, smothered her own grief and amazement, and thought of nothing but assisting and comforting her afflicted parent. Isabella, who had been treated by Hippolita like a daughter, and who returned that tenderness with equal duty and affection, was scarce less assiduous about the Princess; at the same time endeavouring to partake and lessen the weight of sorrow which she saw Matilda strove to suppress, for whom she had conceived the warmest sympathy of friendship. Yet her own situation could not help finding its place in her thoughts. She felt no concern for the death of young Conrad, except commiseration; and she was not sorry to be delivered from a marriage which had promised her little felicity, either from her destined bridegroom, or from the severe temper of Manfred, who, though he had distinguished her by great indulgence, had imprinted her mind with terror, from his causeless rigour to such amiable princesses as Hippolita and Matilda.

    While the ladies were conveying the wretched mother to her bed, Manfred remained in the court, gazing on the ominous casque, and regardless of the crowd which the strangeness of the event had now assembled around him. The few words he articulated, tended solely to inquiries, whether any man knew from whence it could have come? Nobody could give him the least information. However, as it seemed to be the sole object of his curiosity, it soon became so to the rest of the spectators, whose conjectures were as absurd and improbable, as the catastrophe itself was unprecedented. In the midst of their senseless guesses, a young peasant, whom rumour had drawn thither from a neighbouring village, observed that the miraculous helmet was exactly like that on the figure in black marble of Alfonso the Good, one of their former princes, in the church of St. Nicholas.

    Villain! What sayest thou? cried Manfred, starting from his trance in a tempest of rage, and seizing the young man by the collar; how darest thou utter such treason? Thy life shall pay for it.

    The spectators, who as little comprehended the cause of the Prince’s fury as all the rest they had seen, were at a loss to unravel this new circumstance. The young peasant himself was still more astonished, not conceiving how he had offended the Prince. Yet recollecting himself, with a mixture of grace and humility, he disengaged himself from Manfred’s grip, and then with an obeisance, which discovered more jealousy of innocence than dismay, he asked, with respect, of what he was guilty? Manfred, more enraged at the vigour, however decently exerted, with which the young man had shaken off his hold, than appeased by his submission, ordered his attendants to seize him, and, if he had not been withheld by his friends whom he had invited to the nuptials, would have poignarded the peasant in their arms.

    During this altercation, some of the vulgar spectators had run to the great church, which stood near the castle, and came back open-mouthed, declaring that the helmet was missing from Alfonso’s statue. Manfred, at this news, grew perfectly frantic; and, as if he sought a subject on which to vent the tempest within him, he rushed again on the young peasant, crying—

    Villain! Monster! Sorcerer! ’tis thou hast done this! ’tis thou hast slain my son!

    The mob, who wanted some object within the scope of their capacities, on whom they might discharge their bewildered reasoning, caught the words from the mouth of their lord, and re-echoed—

    Ay, ay; ’tis he, ’tis he: he has stolen the helmet from good Alfonso’s tomb, and dashed out the brains of our young Prince with it, never reflecting how enormous the disproportion was between the marble helmet that had been in the church, and that of steel before their eyes; nor how impossible it was for a youth seemingly not twenty, to wield a piece of armour of so prodigious a weight.

    The folly of these ejaculations brought Manfred to himself: yet whether provoked at the peasant having observed the resemblance between the two helmets, and thereby led to the farther discovery of the absence of that in the church, or wishing to bury any such rumour under so impertinent a supposition, he gravely pronounced that the young man was certainly a necromancer, and that till the Church could take cognisance of the affair, he would have the Magician, whom they had thus detected, kept prisoner under the helmet itself, which he ordered his attendants to raise, and place the young man under it; declaring he should be kept there without food, with which his own infernal art might furnish him.

    It was in vain for the youth to represent against this preposterous sentence: in vain did Manfred’s friends endeavour to divert him from this savage and ill-grounded resolution. The generality were charmed with their lord’s decision, which, to their apprehensions, carried great appearance of justice, as the Magician was to be punished by the very instrument with which he had offended: nor were they struck with the least compunction at the probability of the youth being starved, for they firmly believed that, by his diabolic skill, he could easily supply himself

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