This book really drew me in and wouldn't let go. I was wary at first and thought about giving up after the first few chapters; I'm glad I didn't.
The first phase of the book reminded me of The Lord of the Rings and was very heavy on setting and ambiance. It featured lengthy sections on nature and included lots of poetry, a la Rings.
The central part of the story's development, which takes place in the dark Castle of Udolpho itself reminded me most of Dracula. Later sections, where the "mysteries" eventually solved themselves actually reminded me of The Hardy Boys, books from my childhood that I had forgotten about altogether.
The story revolves around Emily St. Aubert, her up and down love story with the hero Valancourt, and the dramatic mysteries that follow and torment poor Emily to no end. She's a virtual candle in the wind, surrounded by scheming men and women who will stop at nothing to bend her to their will.
Mysteries was the first of the English novels I've read recently that didn't seem to meander in plot. Although the book was longer than it really needed to be, there weren't many lengthy detours that didn't ultimately play a real role in the story's development. Every scene mattered. And my guess is that these books were intended for young women of the English aristocracy, girls that likely had a lot of time on their hands. Longer books made sense for the time and the audience.
Following my recent reading of Pamela, Tom Jones and Evelina it's much more obvious to me now that all of these novels were written as didactic novels for young women. We learn very clear lessons in morals, the good guys always win out in the end and the bad guys die or suffer dire consequences.
Poor Emily endures some truly traumatic turn of events, including the death of both of her parents, the loss of her fortune, imprisonment in a horrific castle in a foreign country, a castle which is actually attacked and sieged, putting her life in genuine jeopardy. She's mentally abused by the evil Montoni, and much much more, all within the span of months.
But as with the heroines in the novels mentioned above, her refusal to give in to these powers, her wit and her fortitude bear out all of the gauntlets thrown her way. She's the good-girl that survives and literally thrives, ultimately inheriting great fortunes and re-uniting with her beloved Valancourt.
It's interesting that this English novel takes place in France and Italy, without a single scene taking place on English soil and with scant English references. The English Radcliffe apparently never visited most of the places that she wrote about in Italy, where at least half of the story takes place.
The book was strong on ambiance and setting. It created a variety of moods, from the verdant fields of rural France, to the horrific heights of Italy's Apennines. The party life of rich Venice was beautifully told and contrasted virtually every other scene of the book.
The characters were enjoyable, but nowhere near the richness of my beloved Dickens. The story itself, however, surpassed many of Dickens' early novels. I loved the way the mysteries were resolved (The Hardy Boys reference is apt). The disparate story lines came together in the end like a perfect Seinfeld episode.
So I'm digging the category of gothic novels. I see the continuity with the English novel format, but I'm also intrigued by its divergence and the use of horror and the supernatural to create something totally different. Dracula was one of my favorites from the recent past.
But as much as I've enjoyed all of the English novels, I need to get back on track with U.S. history. One chapter left to go with Mysteries, and then it's on to Volume V of George Washington.
Update: Having just finished the book I thought it appropriate to quote the following passage from the final sentences of the book. It only underscores my point about the didactic nature of these early English novels:
"O! useful may it be to have shewn, that, though the vicious can sometimes pour affliction upon the good, their power is transient and their punishment certain; and that innocence, though oppressed by injustice, shall, supported by patience, finally triumph over misfortune!"
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