The first modern reprinting of Shakespeare forger and novelist William-Henry Ireland's 1805 Gothic classic Gondez the Monk tells the tale of King Robert Bruce, who following his defeat on the field of Methven, together with a small band of loyal followers, seeks refuge in Monastery of Saint Columba on the isle of Oronza. Slowly, they realize that his refuge, under power of the malicious Abbot Gondez, is a prison of unspeakable Gothic horrors: subterreaneous torture chambers, demon consorts, sexual slavery and necromancy. Hope resides in the incorruptable Huberto Avinzo, an orphan longing to know more about his parents. Aided by the Weird Sisters, Huberto will uncover the shocking story of his own past, and fall in love with Ronilda the Fair. But can he save her from Gondez's base sexual desires?
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About the Author
William-Henry Ireland's footnote in history is secure: he is the boy who forged Shakespeare. In late 1794, Ireland, then only 17 years old, claimed he had discovered a trunk of Shakespearean documents, which included legal papers, love letters, lost poems, portraits, correspondences between Shakespeare and Leicester, Shakespeare and Southampton, Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth, Shakespeare adn his printer, signed and annotated books from Shakespeare's library, the original manuscript of King Lear adn a fragment of Hamlet, both with significant variants--even a lock of Shakespeare's hair. The greatest prize of all, however, was the discovery of a lost Shakespeare play Vortigern. The play was stage at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 2 April 1796; it failed, in large measure due to the plans of Edmond Malone, who, fearing that his pre-eminence among Shakespeare scholars might be undermined by the "lost" play, had his friends boo and jeer the work off stage. Malone was aided in this schemes by John Phillip Kemble, who played the lead with purposeful imcompetence. Support for the play was substantial: Boswell thought the play genuine, as did Samuel Parr and Joseph Warton. As audience factions alternatively booed adn cheered Kemble, a riot broke out and further performances were cancelled. Soon after, Ireland stepped forward, admitting that he had authored the play and the aforesaid documents.
About the Editor:Jeffrey Kahan completed his Ph.D. on W.H. Ireland's "Shakespeare Papers" at the Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, in 1993.He is the author of Ireland study, Reforging Shakespeare (1998), and has edited Ireland's Vortigern and HenryII as part of his multivolume set Shakespeare Imitations, Parodies and Forgeries, 1710-1820 (2004). He is the editor of The Poetry of William-Henry Ireland (2004)and Rimualdo; or, The Castle of Badajos (2005). He is an Assistant Professor at the University of La Verne in California.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Now raged on every side the direful battle's carnage; the reeking car of Mars scour'd swiftly o'er the blood-stained field, while on his nodding crest enthroned, sat hungry death, who seemed triumphantly to animate the furious combatants on either side.
But fortune smiled upon the English host, and all the valour of the Scottish clans was humbled by the fury of the British Lion.
The brave Sir Edward Bruce, borne on his foaming war-steed, strove on every side with unbridled valour; when suddenly the young Lord Walter, accompanied by Randolph Earl of Murray, rode furiously towards him, and exclaimed aloud:-
"Spur, spur your courser, good Sir Edward, or your bold brother Robert, who enacts prodigies of valour, must fall into the hands of the victorious enemy."
Rous'd at the call, Sir Edward instantly joined his friends, and spurring his horse over the dead and dying, forced his way through the English ranks, and soon arrived to be a witness of his brother's imminent danger.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Essential Gothic,
By Charlotte Bennett (dreaming of England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Gondez The Monk (Paperback)
If you are looking for a quick read, skip this one! Gondez the Monk is a hefty tome but well worth the effort. This book is a story about Robert the Bruce and his loyal band of followers who after his defeat at Methven escape to the Isle of Oronza and seek sanctuary in a Monastery there. Unfortunately this monastery is no safe haven for it is ruled by the EVIL Abbot Gondez. Here they will encounter uspeakable horrors. The story's main character is Huberto Avinzo an orphan who is trying to unlock the mystery of his own past, while scheming to save the beautiful Ronilda from Gondez's base sexual desires. Gondez The Monk has a complex plot but is full of action and is fast moving. William Henry Ireland is a poetical writer, you will definitley see the influence of Shakespeare in his prose. Don't miss the Legend of the Little Red Woman! It will make your skin crawl! Remember, this book was written to be read aloud, to a circle of friends in a cosy candle-lit parlor on a dark and stormy night... hence the profusion of punctuation!
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