The Mysteries of Udolpho
A young woman is orphaned, imprisoned in a remote castle and pursued by a man who wants her estate. Radcliffe's novel is famous for its atmosphere and infamous for its length, and both reputations are accurate.
Her technique is to suggest horror and then explain it, which is why her books feel different from the Gothic of Lewis or Maturin. The descriptions of the Pyrenees and the Italian Apennines are written with real pleasure. If you want the essential Radcliffe, read The Italian first; if you want the full experience, this is it.
Public-domain status
First published in 1794. In the United States, works published before 1930 are in the public domain. In the European Union the general term is the life of the author plus 70 years; Ann Radcliffe died in 1823, so this work has been free to republish there since 1894.
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