The Italian; or, The Confessional of the Black Penitents (Valancourt Classics) [Paperback]

Ann Radcliffe (Author), Allen W. Grove (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Valancourt Classics | Publication Date: July 20, 2006

In The Italian (1797), Ann Radcliffe pits a scheming noblewoman and a ruthless monk against young lovers trying to bridge seemingly insurmountable class differences. The scenes of sublime nature, mysterious groans, corrupt ecclesiastics, isolated fortifications, and Inquisitorial torture reveal eighteenth-century Gothic fiction at its finest. The Italian stands as the final and darkest work of England's most successful Gothic novelist, and it presents Radcliffe at the peak of her literary skills.

The Valancourt Books edition includes a carefully annotated and edited first edition text with a substantial introductory essay on the literary, historical, and biographical contexts of the novel. The appendix features a map of locations in The Italian, three complete Gothic stories by Radcliffe's contemporaries, and essays on terror fiction by Nathan Drake and John and Anna Aikin.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

E. J. Clery is Research Fellow in English at Sheffield Hallam University and author of The Rise of Supernatural Fiction 1762-1800 (1995). She has edited Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto in Oxford World's Classics. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Valancourt Books (July 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977784142
• ISBN-13: 978-0977784141
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,636,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The "Queen of the Gothic Novel", October 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Italian: Or the Confessional of the Black Penitents; A Romance (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

This is one of Radcliffe's two best novels, the other being "The Mysteries of Udolpho". A little excursion into literary history will clear up the confusion of the reviewer who feels that Radcliffe copied Lewis' "The Monk". If any copying was done, it was the other way around. At the time Lewis began writing, Radcliffe was the top Gothic novelist, and one of the most popular authors of any genre. Lewis, himself, stated that he was inspired to write "The Monk" after reading "Udolpho". (In fact, Radcliffe's mastery of the gothic influenced such poets as Byron and Keats, who called her "mother Radcliffe" for her legacy, and many other writers of her day and far beyond.) Among her major influences were Shakespeare, Milton, and Walpole, who basically founded the gothic novel. But Radcliffe took it to a new and higher level than Walpole, and Lewis took off from Radcliffe's new elevation, and went in another, though not necessarily higher, direction. Having read both "The Italian" and "The Monk" (my copies rest amiably next to one another on the shelf), I would say they are BOTH very much worth reading (as is "Udolpho"). Reading "Udolpho" first, and then "The Monk", will demonstrate how much Lewis drew his inspiration from the master. Reading "The Italian" will show that master at once at the peak and, unfortunately, the close of her literary career.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Many Turns of Events!, August 6, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Italian: Or the Confessional of the Black Penitents; A Romance (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

The Italian was Radcliffe's last novel. It is about a nobleman who falls in love with a woman whose identity is unknown to herself and the reader throughout her sufferings. She is oppressed by many people in whose hands she falls as she is snatched away from the nobleman Vivaldi to prevent their marriage. Like all of Radcliffe's heroines, her character is marked by an amazing fortitude despite the horrifying things to which she is frequently subjected. Vivaldi faces the powers of the Inquisition and Radcliffe gives the reader some idea of their dealings with offenders and their ways of making prisoners "confess." There are many turns of events which are delightful until another perilous event disappoints and grieves the reader. This is certainly what most reviewers call a page-turner. The sentiments are by no means modern. For a reader who is looking for modern unrestrained "romance," none of Radcliffe's novels is a good choice. Her stories are for true romantics.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gothic Romance at its Best, July 13, 2000

By 

Roman Kazmin - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Italian: Or the Confessional of the Black Penitents; A Romance (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

Let it first be said that Lewis's "The Monk" is heavily influenced by Radcliffe. Reading "The Monk" first would throw the reader off the track. This novel is an excellent selection from the genre of Gothic novel, and is indeed a masterpiece. The Gothic novel had a great impact on Romanticism, and on the literature of the absurd. Overall, an enjoyable read!