Book description
Ambrosio, the worthy superior of the Capuchins of Madrid, falls to the
temptations of Matilda, a fiend-inspired wanton who, disguised as a boy,
has entered his monastery as a novice. Ambrosio then falls in love with
one of his penitents and finally kills her in order to escape detection.
However, he is discovered, tortured by the Inquisition and sentenced to
death. Although extravagant in its mixture of the supernatural, the
terrible, and the indecent, the book contains scenes of great effect.
The novel is a prime example of 18th century Gothic, written partly in
response to Walpole and Radcliffe and enjoyed a considerable
contemporary vogue.
Matthew Gregory Lewis (1775-1818) was educated at Oxford after which
he held a position in the British Embassy at The Hague. It was there
in 1794, that he wrote the racy novel THE MONK, under the influence of
the early German romantics. Its controversial publication in 1796, due
to Lewis' new status as MP, earned him fame and the book a great deal
of popularity.
Christopher MacLachlan is a Lecturer at the University of St
Andrews. He has published books and articles on Pope, Hume and Burns.
