{"product_id":"the-castle-of-otranto","title":"The Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Story","description":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Look, my lord! See heaven itself declares against your impious intentions!\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Castle of Otranto\u003c\/em\u003e (1764) is the first supernatural English novel and one of the most influential works of Gothic fiction. It inaugurated a literary genre that will be forever associated with the effects that Walpole pioneered. Professing to be a translation of a mysterious Italian tale from the darkest Middle Ages, the novel tells of Manfred, prince of Otranto, whose fear of an ancient prophecy sets him on a course of destruction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter the grotesque death of his only son, Conrad, on his wedding day, Manfred determines to marry the bride-to-be. The virgin Isabella flees through a castle riddled with secret passages. Chilling coincidences, ghostly visitations, arcane revelations, and violent combat combine in a heady mix that terrified the novel's first readers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn this new edition Nick Groom examines the reasons for its extraordinary impact and the Gothic culture from which it sprang. \u003cem\u003eThe Castle of Otranto\u003c\/em\u003e was a game-changer, and Walpole the writer who paved the way for modern horror exponents. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Horace Walpole","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54510566146387,"sku":"9780198704447","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1071\/6997\/2563\/files\/9780198704447.jpg?v=1786384458","url":"https:\/\/www.vanitaspress.co.uk\/products\/the-castle-of-otranto","provider":"Vanitas Press","version":"1.0","type":"link"}