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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Cavern of Death, September 8, 2005
This review is from: The Cavern of Death (Gothic Classics) (Paperback)
I work for the publisher of this book, Valancourt Books, and wanted to share information about the book, since Amazon has not posted it. This is from the back cover:
"After a three year absence and a terrifying journey through the Black Forest, young Sir Albert has returned to Dornheim, eager to see again his friend Lord Frederic and his true love, the lady Constance. But his joy on his homecoming is short-lived when he learns he has rivals for Constance's love.
The Baron of Dornheim is set to marry her in three days, and anxious to prevent the marriage and wed her himself, Frederic solicits the horrified Albert to assassinate the Baron.
Determined to spare Constance a future with either the aged Dornheim or the murderous Frederic, Albert plots to rescue her from her father's castle. But when their plans are discovered and a band of assassins is sent to murder Albert, he flees to the haunted Cavern of Death, where a phantom, a skeleton, and a bloody sword will reveal an unspeakable murder and the long-concealed secret of his own birth.
Phenomenally popular in both England and the United States upon its publication in 1794, The Cavern of Death was among the most influential and widely-read of early Gothic novels. This new edition includes a new introduction and notes for modern readers.
About the Editor: Allen Grove is Associate Professor of English at Alfred University, where he teaches courses such as Tales of Terror, Gothic Fiction, and The Romantic Movement. His research and teaching often explore the interplay between sexuality, science, and genre in Gothic fiction. He is the editor of teaching editions of Ann Radcliffe's The Italian and Matthew Lewis's The Monk for College Publishing, and he is currently working on H. G. Wells's The Invisible Man for Broadview Press."
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
a Gothic classic, July 30, 2005
This review is from: The Cavern of Death (Gothic Classics) (Paperback)
The Cavern of Death isn't a terribly impressive piece of literature, but it's a quick, easy read that's excellent for fans of horror or Gothic novels. Adventure fans may want to give it a shot, too, but I'm not promising much of anything on that front. The plot is straightforward and interesting, and if you don't analyze the book to death, there are some real twists accompanying the obvious plot contrivances.
An adorable introduction prefaces the text, and, in my opinion, it's what an introduction should be: short, well-written, and informative without drowning you in insanely esoteric facts or conjecture. The notes are minimal and mostly useful, but I think a few of them are pampering the reader ("seneschal" can be found in any good dictionary, for instance). One thing I liked very much about the notes was that they were not indicated in the text. If you're like me and have to obsessively check every note indicated whether you need it or not, this is a god-send.
This is a rather small book for the price, but you're not likely to find it easily in a library, so if it sounds like your cup of tea, I definitely recommend it.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A nightmarish Gothic, November 25, 2007
This review is from: The Cavern of Death (Gothic Classics) (Paperback)
A knight, Albert, and his esquire return home from a long Crusade in Poland, to find that the Lady Constance is in Peril, being affianced to the Baron of Dornheim, who was the knight's patron. Frederic, the Baron's son, requests the knight assasinate the Baron, because he wants the Lady Constance as well; a horrible revelation in a cavern in the black forest, a spectral nightmare, will guide the knight to his proper course of action!
This is one of the most gloomy, phantasmagorical gothic novels I have ever read, and it was knocked off in chapbook form repeatedly (I think under the names "Albert and Emma" and "The Black Forest"). It was written in the same vein as THE CASTLE OF OTRANTO and THE OLD ENGLISH BARON (which will soon be reprinted by Valancourt), however, is more over-the-top, and the voilence, supernaturalism, and German setting catagorize it as a "masculine" Gothic piece. No dobut it influenced Matthew Lewis, as the publisher notes, "It was phenomenally popular in both England and the United States upon its publication in 1794." To give the reader a sample of the writing style, which is so melancholy and dramatic, I'll reprint the first line," 'How awful is the approach of night amid these dreary shades!' cried the brave Sir Albert," (THE CAVERN OF DEATH, pg. 15).
It's a very slim, quick and nightmarish read. Anyone who enjoys a dreary and exciting romance will be unable to put it down. If you like this book, I highly recommend The Animated Skeleton and The Witch of Ravensworth (Gothic Classics) both published by Valancourt Press.
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