Review: The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

I apologize in advance for the long review but I feel it is the only way to do justice to this book.  The first part will be a bare bones plot summary, from Wikipedia.  It has some spoilers, so skip or skim if you like.  The second part will be thoughts and impressions I had while reading this remarkable literary work.


Summary via Wkipedia:

Emily St. Aubert is the only child of a landed rural family whose fortunes are now in decline. Emily and her father share an especially close bond, due to their shared appreciation for nature. After her mother's death from a serious illness, Emily and her father grow even closer. She accompanies him on a journey from their native Gascony, through the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean coast of Roussillon, over many mountainous landscapes. During the journey, they encounter Valancourt, a handsome man who also feels an almost mystical kinship with the natural world. Emily and Valancourt quickly fall in love.

Emily's father succumbs to a long illness. Emily, now orphaned, is forced by his wishes to live with her aunt, Madame Cheron, who shares none of Emily's interests and shows little affection to her. Her aunt marries Montoni, a dubious nobleman from Italy. He wants his friend Count Morano to become Emily′s husband, and tries to force her to marry him. After discovering that Morano is nearly ruined he brings Emily and his wife to his remote castle of Udolpho. Emily fears to have lost Valancourt forever. Morano searches for Emily and tries to carry off her secretly from Udolpho. Emily refuses to join him because her heart still belongs to Valancourt. Morano′s attempt to escape is discovered by Montoni, who wounds the Count and chases him away.

In the following months Montoni threatens his wife with violence to force her to sign over her properties in Toulouse, which upon her death would otherwise go to Emily. Without resigning her estate Madame Cheron dies of a severe illness caused by her husband′s harshness. Many frightening but coincidental events happen within the castle, but Emily is able to flee from it with the help of her secret admirer Du Pont, who was a prisoner at Udolpho, and the servants Annette and Ludovico. Returning to the estate of her aunt, Emily learns that Valancourt went to Paris and lost his wealth. In the end she takes control of the property and is reunited with Valancourt.

(link to summary)  [Sorry, but my summary was way too long and I tried several times to be concise, but couldn't do it.]

My Thoughts and Impressions:

 “…of beauty sleeping in the lap of horror” (pg. 55)

Radcliffe uses this line to describe the mountainous landscape that  Emily and St. Aubert are traveling.  However, this phrase could be used to describe the whole story contained in Udolpho.  Emily, our beauty, often finds herself in the lap of horror: becoming a young orphan, having uncaring and unfeeling family, the treacherous and mean behavior of aunt Madame Cheron, being subjected to the machinations of Montoni, the castle Udolpho and its mysterious occurrences, and the alleged misbehavior of her one true love Valencourt. 

When reflected upon as a whole, even though all of these terrible circumstances keep happening, it becomes comical because poor Emily just can’t catch a break!  Most novels have one or two disagreeable instances, but not for Emily.  The entire novel is one bad situation after another; like a soap opera, think General Hospital.  I think it’s this overall arc that led Jane Austen to satirize Udolpho in Northanger Abbey (NA).  Although I haven’t read NA in quite some time, the similarities between NA and Udolpho  are striking and a re-read of NA is definitely in order.  Austen uses situations from Udolpho, such as the mysterious death of a spouse, a rundown castle in search of a good dowry for repairs, for her antics in NA.  It’s all in good natured fun.  By the end of Udolpho, all of the mysterious occurrences are explained, and everything comes together nicely.  One key difference between NA and Udolpho is the heroine.

Emily begins our story being quite weak, crying and fainting at the least little disruption to her person.  Emily is also quite the blusher.  As events unfold however, Emily grows stronger, due in part to what she must endure.  She still tears up and faints from time to time, but at least it is less frequent and the causes of these episodes are legitimate threats to her life and liberty.  I believe Radcliffe was trying to reflect either women’s behavior at her time (1794) or the time of her story, 1584.  Either way, Emily becomes her own person by the end, and it was delightful to see her develop and progress to adulthood.   

Throughout Udolpho, there are both little and big mysteries in the story, with most of the action occurring when the story shifts to the castle Udolpho.  I won’t go into detail, but there were many scenes in which I was riveted to the page.  This was probably my favorite part of the book.  Udolpho became quite the page turner and I was not expecting that.  Some may say there is too much going on, however with the novel being so lengthy, the mysteries kept it interesting.

Besides the mystical/horror element, Radcliffe’s descriptions of the various landscapes set the mood for the reader.  This combined with her description of castle Udolpho conjured up feelings of dread within me just like Emily, knowing those thick stone walls held nothing but sadness and despair.  In addition, Radcliffe crafts all of her secondary characters so well, that they assist in pulling the story together, and drawing the reader further into the action of the novel.  All of the characters are quite unforgettable.  The reader will fear and despise Montoni as much as Emily.  As for Madame Cheron, as vile and mean as she can be, Radcliffe was able to bend and sway my feelings into a sympathetic light for Cheron, and that is the work of a skilled writer.  Radcliffe made it easy to escape into this literary feat.

Now you may think I have nothing negative to say, but there were a few things.  First, the time frame of the novel.  This story is supposed to be set in 1584, but it never felt that way to me, possibly because I always assumed Radcliffe wrote in her present time, that being the 1790s.  Another nagging aspect, were the interspersed poems throughout Udolpho.  Some interesting and related to the story, others, not so much.  The poems sometimes enhanced the story, but slowed me down after a while.  Broke my rhythm. Lastly the length of this novel.  When it was originally published, it was done so in several volumes, which help to explain why there are so many mysteries that need solving, and I guess the length as well.  Many have said the beginning is a bit slow, but I was fine with that.  It was the end for me that could not come fast enough.  I felt as though the story meandered a bit, and I was not that interested in the aristocratic characters that entered into the back end of the story.  These characters served a purpose but I felt they were forced or extended their stay too long.


All in all, I really enjoyed The Mysteries of Udolpho, and am so glad I read it and finished it.  Maybe it was Radcliffe's writing prowess, but I believe it has changed my opinion of Gothic Literature as being hard to read and get into.  I would certainly consider reading more of Radcliffe's work.


My Rating: 95/100


This novel was read and reviewed as part of the Gothic Lit Tour hosted by Rebecca at the Classics Circuit.  Please stop by there and check out some other fabulous Gothic novels.

Publisher: Penguin Classics
Paperback, 632 pages


Challenges Met: Chunkster Challange

Review: The Epic of Gilgamesh

Genre: Epic poem, fiction, classic
Printed out from website below, 50 pages
Source: Academy for Ancient Texts

This is an epic poem about Gilgamesh, a man who is 2/3 god and 1/3 human. It was written in Mesopotamia around 2500 BC on a series of 12 clay tablets. It is one of the earliest known works of literature. The story tells us about Gilgamesh, his deeds, and his friendship with Enkidu, who is also part god. Both of these great warriors lives are intertwined with the many gods in control of the universe at that time. The gods pretty much controlled everything, including the activities in the story. While Gilgamesh and Enkidu are on a quest to rid the land of a terrible beast, also created by a god, Enkidu dies. Gilgamesh is stricken with grief and I think, travels to the underworld to either seek out Enkidu or test his own mortality. It was hard for me to tell, and I didn't want to read Cliff Notes. At this point the story ends, and the reader is left wondering what happened to Gilgi.

This was an interesting story. It was a little choppy and I was confused from time to time since parts of the story are missing. That's what happens when the source documents are clay tablets that are over 4500 years old. This epic could be an accounting of one man's life and deeds or it could be strictly for entertainment. I think it was a little of both, especially since some parts of it read like refrains from a song. I could imagine ancient dancing and chanting in the retelling especially at the underworld parts. I think the poem was also meant to teach about love, friendship, trust, because that's what the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu embodied. Stand by your family and friends and defend them to the end. Overall it was a quick read and it certainly piqued my interest in ancient texts or stories. I think I will read up on some interpretations of the poem at a later date.

Here are some links which contain more information about this poem and it's background:

Wikipedia entry

This looks like a computer generated movie of the poem

Sparks Notes


Photo from the British Museum

My Rating: How can I rate one of the first known pieces of literature ever? Not Applicable!

2010 Challenges Met: 100+, Really Old Classics Challenge



I read this for the Really Old Classics Challenge run by Heather J and Rebecca Reid. The deadline was February 28, 2010, but I don't think one day is a huge difference. I originally read this in January but procrastinated with the review. Terrible, I know. Click here to check out more reviews and blogs.

Review: The Awakening and Other Short Stories by Kate Chopin

Author: Kate Chopin
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: Fiction, classics
Paperback 205 pages
Book Source: library

From Amazon.com:Kate Chopin was one of the most individual and adventurous of nineteenth-century American writers, whose fiction explored new and often starting territory. When her most famous story, "The Awakening", was first published in 1899, it stunned readers with its frank portrayal of the inner world of Edna Pontellier, and its daring criticisms of the limits of marriage and motherhood. From her first stories, Chopin was interested in independent characters who challenged convention.

The Awakening shocked turn-of-the-century readers and reviewers with its treatment of sex and suicide. In a departure from literary convention, Kate Chopin failed to condemn her heroine's desire for an affair with the son of a Louisiana resort owner, whom she meets on vacation. The power of sensuality, the delusion of ecstatic love, and the solitude that accompanies the trappings of middle- and upper-class convention are themes of this now-classic novel.

The book was influenced by French writers ranging from Flaubert to Maupassant, and can be seen as a precursor of the impressionistic, mood-driven novels of Virginia Woolf and Djuna Barnes. Variously called "vulgar," "unhealthily introspective," and "morbid," the book was neglected for several decades, not least because it was written by a "regional" woman writer.

My Thoughts:

Edna married Mr.Pontellier to escape her father, family, and home. Unfortunately several years and two children later, Edna realizes there is no passion or romance in her marriage or her life. There is only convenience and maybe some fondness for her husband and children. She is bored and dissatisfied with her life.

Edna spends her summer vacation falling in passionate love with a young man named Robert. She doesn't realize it immediately, but this affair is everything she has been missing. Her soul, her inner self and feelings are awakened by this love affair. An affair that's not necessarily spoken about, but doesn't need to be, because Edna and Robert know it's there. They also know the complications of this affair could be catastrophic.

Once Edna is back home, she becomes increasingly dissatisfied with her life and her home. When her two boys go off and visit their Grandmother for several weeks, Edna feels at peace. The children's absence is a relief to her. Edna loves her children, but her children do not define her, especially in an era where children and a happy home were supposedly all that a woman needed in her life. And as for Mr. Pontellier, he thinks this is just a phase that Edna is experiencing, and that by leaving her alone it will pass. That could not be further from the truth.

This was a great story. Chopin was a brilliant writer. Her ability to make you sympathize and feel what her characters are going through is remarkable. Chopin also represents her era quite well with respect to the social conventions and mannerisms of the time.

There was one quote in the story which I think represents what the Awakening is about:

"The bird that would soar to see if the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, and fluttering back to earth." pg. 112.

Edna tries to fly in the face of social convention, but unfortunately she is not strong enough. Edna could have dealt with her situation differently, but since she was awakened to her true self, compromise probably would not have worked for her.

My Rating: 95/100 Totally enjoyed it and the other short stories that were also in the collection.

Challenges Met: TBR Challenge 2009, Library Challenge 2009, Romance Challenge 2009