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The Monk (Oxford World's Classics)

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The Monk is perhaps the most significant and certainly the most controversial of the Gothic novels of the late 18th century. Amazingly, its author, nineteen-year-old Matthew Lewis, wrote the novel in a period of only six weeks. Although inspired by the work of Ann Radcliffe (among other Gothic writers), Lewis goes far beyond the sensibilities of his predecessors and does not choose to explain away the supernatural events fuelling this inflammatory novel. The Monk is a tale of human evil in its most vile form; the unspeakable acts described in these pages are committed by the supposedly most devout individuals in society. The Catholic Church was incensed with the novel's publication, and it is actually quite remarkable that The Monk was published at all and that its author faced nothing more dire than censorship and indignant protest as a consequence of it.

Ambrosio is the most celebrated, revered monk in Madrid (in the era of the infamous Spanish Inquisition) - his sermons attract crowds far too large to gain admittance to the sanctuary, and everyone holds him up as a veritable saint walking the earth. His fall from grace is precipitous indeed. Secretly, Ambrosio is vain and proud, blissfully assured of his own near-perfection. At the first temptation of lust, however, this holy man reveals himself to be the ultimate hypocrite, giving in rather easily to the type of desire he rails against each Sunday. After learning that his friend Rosario is in fact a lovely woman in disguise named Matilda, he revels in the love she declares for him and quickly becomes her secret lover. Quickly and ever more thoroughly consumed by his new-found passion and carnal lasciviousness, he grows tired of the ever-willing Matilda and turns his perverted eye toward the sweet and wholly innocent young Antonia. Through the witchcraft of Matilda, he comes to consort with demons in the sacred crypts underneath the abbey itself, giving up his morality and piety in the blind pursuit of actions worse than mere rape.

Ambrosio is not the only hypocritical, secretly sinful church official in Madrid, however. The prioress of the convent bordering the abbey is a sickeningly cruel and spiteful agent of perfidy herself. When she discovers that Agnes, one of her novitiates, is pregnant, she is so mortified at the impending shame this fact will bring down upon her and the convent that she resorts to the most barbaric of punishments for the poor and pitiable young lady. While her crimes do not quite exceed those of Ambrosio, the devastating consequences of her sinful acts result in long-lasting, deeply grievous repercussions.

The novel takes a while to really come together. After seeing Ambrosio in his publicly sanctimonious guise and watching his pitiful descent into the passions and lusts inspired by Matilda, we spend a great deal of time becoming acquainted with Antonia, Agnes, and the gentlemen who love them and will eventually fight bravely to try and save them both physically and morally from their sad fates. The story of the Bleeding Nun apparition is an important part of this section of the book and gives the reader his first real introduction to the supernatural aspects of the story. It is almost possible to forget about Ambrosio completely for a time; when he returns to the story, however, he commits unspeakable acts and profanes the very name of the God he supposedly serves in such excess that he earns a permanent spot in the annals of literature's most despicable villains.

It is in the crypts, among the moldering corpses of the dead, that the most blasphemous acts take place. Antonia's fate is quite horrible, but it is actually Agnes' tale of woe that takes the reader to the most horrific of extremes. Just when the worst seems to be over, we learn in graphic detail the almost unimaginable extent of the ordeal suffered by Agnes and her innocent child - the tale is quite gruesome even by today's standards, almost unimaginably so by those of Lewis' own time. The suffering of the innocent Agnes and Antonia is, in my opinion, unparalleled in the realm of Gothic horror.

Even some critics who are less than found of the Gothic horror genre have embraced this novel, partly because it does distinguish itself from the more Romantic writings of an author such as Ann Radcliffe. As such, it seems less pretentious and much more visceral than the typical Gothic tome. Lewis holds nothing back in presenting his portrayal of evil in the hearts of men and women. There is a love story aspect to the events surrounding Agnes and Antonia, but the author does not indulge in flowery descriptions of love, nor does he concern himself with rapturous expositions on the beauty of nature. There is very little of beauty to be found in these pages at all, and what innocence exists is ultimately lost at the hands of corrupted servants of God. With such complexity underlying the plot, The Monk is open to a number of interpretations, and its microscopic portrayal of evil's power to overcome the best of men and women continues to fascinate and leave a lasting impression on one generation of readers after another. Even in our own time, The Monk is more than capable of shocking the reader with its unbridled revelations.

Matthew Lewis wrote "The Monk" in ten short weeks at the age of nineteen. Immediately the subject of controversy upon its publication in 1796, Lewis was prosecuted and subsequent editions of the book were heavily censored. Coleridge described it as blasphemous, "a romance, which if a parent saw it in the hands of a son or daughter, he might reasonably turn pale." Yet, "The Monk" was so popular that its author became a minor celebrity-coming to be known as "Monk" Lewis--and Sir Walter Scott prounounced that "it seemed to create an epoch in our literature." And whether "The Monk" truly created an epoch in English literature, or merely marked the early apogee of a genre, it stands as a stunning example of the Gothic novel.

"The Monk" tells the story of Ambrosio, the ostensibly pious and deeply revered Abbot of the Capuchin monastery in Madrid, and his dark fall from grace. It is a novel which unravels, at times, like the "Arabian Nights", stories within stories, a series of digressions, the plot driven by love and lust, temptations and spectres, and, ultimately, rape, murder and incest. It is sharply anti-Catholic, if not anti-clerical, in tone, Ambrosio and most of its other religious characters being profane, murderous, self-centered hypocrites cloaked in displays of public piety. And while it sometimes seems critical of superstition, "The Monk" is replete with Mephistophelian bargains, supernatural events, appartions, and spectres, as well as entombment and dark forebodings of mystery and evil. It is, in short, a stunningly entertaining, albeit typically heavy-handed, Gothic novel, perhaps the ultimate classic of the genre.

Another reviewer was right: DON'T READ THE STEPHEN KING INTRODUCTION BEFORE YOU READ THE BOOK! If you do, it will give the whole plot away.

Although not as famous as Dracula or Frankenstein, this is a must-read for any serious Gothic horror fan. One of the things that makes this book different is that (unlike Dracula) there is no proactive villain. We kind of admire Dracula because (pardon the expression) he makes no bones about what he is. Dracula is a villain and he's OK with that. The Monk is a re-active villain. His crime is that he's a hypocrite. He finds himself committing crimes because he is week, not strong. Therefore, one cannot admire the Monk the way we can admire Frankenstein's monster.

It is surprising how shocking the novel is, considering when it was written. It has a very cynical - some would say "modern" - assessment of people. The Monk's main motivation is sex. Actually, sex is everywhere in the book. It is obvious that it was written by a twenty-year-old who could not, even for a moment, imagine a vow of celibacy. As the first novel of a boy barely out of his teens, Lewis pulls out all the stops as only a novice can - even bringing in the Devil himself, at the end, to dispence justice.

The plot is convoluted beyond belief, sub-plots and backstories abound, as well as other outmoded conventions of Gothic literature. That having been said, this a briskly-written book. It never bores. Despite being over two-hundred years old, it is very accessible and sufficiently gruesome to interest any modern horror fan. As for being anti-Catholic, I think "Monk" Lewis ends up sounding surprisingly pious. By condeming the hypocrites, he affirms the values they are supposed to represent.

Even after two centuries, "The Monk" can still entertain readers while encouraging them to think about such weighty subjects as the coercisive power of religious hypocrisy.

Set in Madrid during the time of the Spanish Inquisition, the book's main story arc is the rise and fall of Ambrosio, a Capuchin friar who is initially regarded by everyone as a living saint. Lauded for his brilliant oratory skills and personal beauty, Ambrosio is courted by the richest women in the city to be their personal Confessor. As Ambrosio's fame increases, so does his vanity, and it is through this Deadly Sin that he enters into later acts of violence and depravity.

Lewis does a fine job of creating archetypal characters that are still used in genre fiction today. There is the Fallen Hero who becomes the Villian (Ambrosio), the Temptress (Rosario/Matilda), the Good Knights (Lorenzo and Don Raymond), and two Damsels in Distress (Agnes and Antonia). The author also provides a subordinate Villian (the Prioress of the Convent of St. Clare), who is in some ways more evil than Ambrosio.

For leavening in this very dark narrative, Lewis gives readers a trio of humorous characters: Leonella, Antonia's lusty aunt and chaperone; Flora, the very chatty chambermaid in Antonia's service; and Jacintha, the superstitious neighbor who swears that she sees ghosts everywhere.

The characterizations of Ambrosio and the Prioress are great examples of how power (whether it's spiritual or temporal) can corrupt. Neither character feels answerable to anyone. Even God isn't really present (although his Other Half puts in an appearance!) Lewis poses questions on personal accountability that are certainly relevant today, while deftly mixing in good character interaction and biting social commentary.

Highly recommended.

This book has everything: deception, murder, incest, rape, sorcery, ghosts, old castles, and the summoning of the devil. Although it is a lengthy book that bounces back and forth between past and present, this character and that character, current events and stories retold, it never gets so confusing that one can't remember what is going on.

Lewis apparently had a great deal of fun writing it. I say that because the events, caracters, and even the dialogue is way over the top, and one can sense that Lewis didn't take himself too seriously while writing it. By today's standards the plot would seem cliche, but in Lewis' time, a time when novels where still somewhat frowned upon as being nothing but a bunch of lies (and therefore the work of the devil), his approach was probably somewhat innovative.

I find the dialogue to be similar to that found in Stoker's Dracula. Full of profuse declamationions expounding the joys of virtue, love, purity and good will towards men. Such grandiose speeches can be somewhat ridiculous, but also romantic and idealistic at the same time, and are often indicative of those who think and feel with a passion-such as, well, basically all of the characters in The Monk.

I especially liked the ending! (Though I can't say why without giving it away!) A must read-and great mental escape-for anyone who likes dark, atmospheric, morbid, romantic gothic novels. A devilshly good time.

Lewis' The Monk is a winding Gothic tale of love, revenge, secrets, blood, the Inquisition, and pain. It discusses the fall of virgins, the wisdom of fools, and the death of good nuns, all centered around the evil of one man, Ambrosius or the Monk. Ambrosius is obsessed with his own supposed goodness and too proud of his reputation for virtue and glory in the eyes of Madrid. The clergyman has never before been tempted, and therfore never been tried, until he falls into a dark love for an unmolested virgin, Antonia. There are enough side plots and characters to complicate the story nicely without overburdening the plot.

Preserving typical Gothic elements, such as ghosts, murder, bleeding nuns, corrupt churchmen, and illegitimate children, the plot stays interesting even when a bit predictable, and it is understandable why Matthew Lewis came to be called "Monk" Lewis when this book was published c.1800. Like Shakespeare's Lear, when you think it can't get any more depressing, it does, and then it does again. A reflection of the human soul in all its glory and debasement, The Monk also manages to be entertaining and fun.

Often when one thinks of "old" books the ideas of sex, violent murder, evoking the powers of hell, incest, unbridled lust, rape, and transvestites are not what come to mind. However, all of these are in The Monk. This is a book that was viewed as incredibly scandalous, and even today this view still holds up.
There are two main plots in this book; first there is the story of the monk who is known for never having given in to temptation or sin. His protégé revels that he is a women and she is in love with him, the monk. The monk withstands her advances, but we see that in his thoughts she is present. Finally he gives in and they...repeatedly. She, Matilda, opens to him a world of passion, and lust, which he enters with great gusto. After a while the monk grows tired of this women and when he sees the young girl, Antonia, a girl of extreme innocence who is said to have been created by god in the image of an angel, he is completely overwhelmed with feelings and decides he must have her. He tries at first by simply seducing her, but her mother enters and teaches her daughter, hitherto ignorant of such acts, that this is wrong. Back to our monk who is now very put out, Matilda says she will help him, as she actually does love him to the point where she will do anything to help him. As it turns out Matilda has power over the evil spirits, and she has pledged her soul to the devil. She gets the devil to help the monk by giving him a spell that will open any door and make everyone sleep. This will allow him to enter Antonia's room, do what he wants, and the next morning she will know she was raped, but not by whom. This plan fails and then the monk must try other, more horrid ways of getting at this young woman.
The second story is that of Don Raymond and Agnes. These two are in love, but by a series of mishaps have been separated and Agnes is in a convent of St. Clair. One night these two `give into their passions' and the result is Agnes is pregnant. Our monk finds this out and tells the head of the convent, who severely punishes Agnes by locking her up with the intention of killing her. To make matters more complicated Agnes' brother, who is in love with Antonia, knows that Agnes is in the convent and has an order from the church to release her from her vows. The head of the convent tells him that his sister is dead, which he does not believe. Thus the brother and Don Raymond will have to save Agnes quickly.
If ever you wanted to know what happens when you throw a bleeding nun, a wandering Jew, the devil, a monk with a huge sex drive, a cross-dressing protégé, a girl of extreme innocents, an evil prioress, and a gipsy who see the future into one book this is defiantly the book for you.

Matthew Lewis's 'The Monk' deserves every scrap of reputation it has ever received; good, bad, or indifferent. Sadly it is the only novel by a brilliant, daring author.

Ambrosio, bearer of the title moniker, has lived a life of seclusion and service among a monastic order, which he never ventures from. His 'uncorrupted' status makes him highly sought after for his counsel, wisdom, and spiritual guidance. He is loved by all.

But one loves him in a very different way. Rosario, a novice of the order, reveals 'his' undying affection for Ambrosio, and begs him to love in return, by revealing himself as not Rosario, but Matilda, who disguises her sex as she has long disguised her heart, just to be near him. Ambrosio abandons his vows and embraces Matilda's affections, which marks his entrance into a life of corruption to come.

In a nearby convent lies the sickly Agnes, who finds herself seeking solitude after being impregnated and 'abandoned' by her lover, Don Raymond. Agnes' brother, Lorenzo, seeks to liberate her from the convent, when it seems that her stay there is anything but voluntary.

These two stories colide in the convent of the Capuchins. Toss in an evil Prioress, a ghostly 'Bleeding Nun', a 'Wandering Jew' and Lucifer, and you get one heck of a page turner.

Matthew Lewis abandons eighteenth century convention and propriety, and takes readers down a dark passageway of evil spirits, daemonic bartering, betrayal, deception, and lust.

But why stop there?

The last 30 pages of this novel will keep you riveted. In lieu of unveiling the many, many revelations offered in these pages, I challenge those interested to discover them for themselves, and read them WITHOUT dropping their jaws in astonishment.

Matthew Lewis was a truly imaginative author with a flair for the dramatic, who focused primarily on writing plays. He wrote The Monk at the age of 19, bored with his work at the time, in just 10 weeks. Astonishing, considering the manual process that an author labored through in those days.

A WONDERFUL read, from start to finished, interspersed with lyrical and narrative poetry to propel an already compelling story along. The Monk is a triumph in gothic literature, and a highly satisfactory entry point into the genre.

Bravo, Matthew Lewis, I only wish you had been bored more often.

I recently came across the phrase "gothic horror" while reading the reviews of the somewhat mediocre novel, The Keep, by Jennifer Egan, and after doing a little digging around, determined that if one were interested in such a thing--or even what such a thing was--The Monk would be the place to go. Well, I recently went there, and was quite delighted.

One would surmise that the word gothic, when applied to literature, would have to do with castles and dungeons and such things, and the Monk certainly has those in droves. But beyond that there is a religious element also. In Christian nations throughout the ages--at least until very recently--boys and girls were regaled with tales of the terrors that await them in hell should they misbehave, that evil lurks in the hearts of all men, and that the devil, literally, walks among us. What makes the Monk so great is that it incorporates these elements into its story in a completely straightforward and unironic manner. This has the effect of elevating the horror that occurs within it to an even higher degree, in that in the recesses of our minds we continue to harbor the uneasy suspicion that these things are true.

The story mostly has to do with a Spanish monk, who is at the beginning of the novel looked upon as a paragon of virtue and godliness and people from miles around flock to hear him speak. But he is proud and arrogant to such an extent that eventually he believes he can do no wrong. His first slip becomes another and then another until he eventually abandons his faith and succumbs to unbridled lust. He loses everything he had worked for--both here and in the afterlife, see above--a fact that is demonstrated in the last couple of pages of this novel in about as powerful a way as any horror fiction you could ever read.

But there are a number of other threads as well, intermingling to some degree with that of the monk's, all of which are equally compelling. There is the journey of Raymond and the story of Antonia, there is the terrible castle ghost that appears but once a year, the cave in which its body was left, the noble who it torments, the innocent nun unjustly imprisoned in the dank catacombs, the bandits in the German forest, rotting corpses, base sexual behavior . . . and pacts with demons signed in blood.

It must be said that it starts off a little slow. The reader is immediately introduced to several characters--one of whom is an old lady--in the setting of a church, no less. But once Don Raymond's narrative begins about fifty pages in this thing moves along like a freight train, and despite the fact that it was written more than two hundred years ago, it is nevertheless quite descriptive, if not quite as explicit as these sorts of things are nowadays. It's quite enjoyable if you enjoy quality fiction and creepy, gruesome horror.

By the way, you may safely skip the Stephen King introduction. It adds absolutely no insight whatsoever, and in fact manages to get the name of one of the major characters wrong! Why must the world continue to suffer the ramblings of this ubiquitous mediocrity?

When I first picked up this book, I had no idea what to expect. I thought it would be long and stuffy like some of the books of its genere or mildly entertaining.

To my surprise, the writing was crisp, engaging and imaginative. I was amazed that the book was written in the late seventeen hundreds. Many images and situations created in the book are haunting and vividly imprint themselves onto ones imagination.