Finding myself a fan of gothic fiction, I finally read The Castle of Otranto, a work that many consider the origin of the genre. Written in 1764 by Horace Walpole, the story revolves around Manfred, current ruler of the area, who lives in said castle. Manfred's son, Conrad, is to be wed to the princess Isabella, who is the closest blood descendant of Alfonso, the last of the prior line of rulers (Manfred's grandfather or great-grandfather assumed control after Alfonso's death). Conrad is killed on his wedding day by a giant helmet falling from the sky. Manfred fears this means his house is at risk, and what follows is his increasingly bizarre and evil attempts to avoid the end of his bloodline. There are a number of important characters in the story, like Father Jerome, Theodore, and Manfred's wife Hippolita and daughter Matilda, whose stories I will not elaborate here, for fear of spoiling the novel; neither will I expound upon the ending. It's a short work, at around 120 pages; an easy afternoon read.
I enjoyed parts of this, but not as much as I hoped. I was expecting something more along the lines of Dracula, Frankenstein, or Jekyll & Hyde- what I got was partly true to these, but partly Shakespeare, which for some reason I found annoying (there were a few rants that went on a bit too long- it felt like I was reading a play at times. Man up and stop whining, people- or, if you must, keep your airing of grievances succinct). The story was okay, and the eloquence at times was great. Overall, not bad, but there are better in the genre.
Rating: B-
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