The Castle of Otranto (Version 2)


Read by Thomas A. Copeland

(4.3 stars; 58 reviews)

The Castle of Otranto is regarded as the first Gothic novel, a genre appealing to a taste for terror and set in a remote past when prodigies and magic can be imagined to have existed, with violent contrasts between purity and ungoverned passions. The author represents the tale as having been translated from a black letter Italian volume of the 15th century but describing much earlier events. This fictional antiquity and the depiction of mysterious wonders, dark subterranean passages, fearsome apparitions, marvelous coincidences, and especially a savage threat to spotless innocence are all typical of this genre, which does not assure a reader of a happy ending. (Summary by Thomas Copeland)

Chapters

Introductory 13:47 Read by Thomas A. Copeland
Chapter 1 49:59 Read by Thomas A. Copeland
Chapter 2 50:02 Read by Thomas A. Copeland
Chapter 3 46:21 Read by Thomas A. Copeland
Chapter 4 43:58 Read by Thomas A. Copeland
Chapter 5 40:06 Read by Thomas A. Copeland

Reviews

Very good recording of the first gothic novel!


(5 stars)

I really enjoyed this narration, especially how each character was personified in conversation. This is the first novel in the gothic genre and gave rise to so many fantastic works decades later. Once you get on board with story, it’s great fun in its drama and atmosphere. The critic E.J. Clery states that ‘The Castle of Otranto’ is ‘an outright challenge’ to the novels at the time which focused on moral messages in texts and looked down upon any ‘appeal to the imagination beyond rational causes.’ Walpole claimed that, in the novels of his time, ‘the great resources of fancy have been damned up by a strict adherence to common life’ and wanted to blend aspects of the ‘modern’ novel with the ‘ancient’ to make something new: a story both real and fantastical. That Horace Walpole did something so different from the literature of his time makes this even more interesting to read. And when you’re finished I would recommend looking up the gothic mansion, Strawberry Hill, which he built and lived in before writing The Castle of Otranto.

Good for the first gothic novel but still weird


(4 stars)

It wasn’t a bad story but the pacing definitely felt off by more modern standards. I’m not usually a fan of stories when my favorite character is the one to die and this is no exception. The reader is wonderful, at least! I would’ve given it 3 stars but my husband really liked it and said 5 so I split the difference.

Is this a comedy or a tragedy?


(4 stars)

I really did laugh out loud so many times listening to this book. The narrator was excellent and seemed to find it amusing, too. As a Gothic tale it did have women appear to be almost slaves to their men. The apparitions were supposed to be scary but well, they were not. Overall I enjoyed it probably due to the excellent narration.

A fantastic classic, creator of the Gothic genre


(5 stars)

If you enjoyed classics like Dracula, Carmilla, Frankenstein, HP Lovecraft's stories or even Shakespeare, you'll be glad to be acquainted with the book that started the Gothic genre. The volume of the narration could be higher but overall it was a fantastic reading and the narrator did a wonderful job.


(4 stars)

This was very exciting and really crazy. I liked it


(5 stars)

Wonderfully weird 18th century gothic, beautifully narrated!