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The Mysterious Warning: A German Tale (Northanger Abbey Horrid Novels) (Gothic Classics)

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That's just one of the warnings that Frederick hears from the mysterious voice of his dead father. His half-brother Rhodophil hears the voice, too, much to his horror.

Our hero is Frederick, an upright young man with a melancholy air. He's been banished from his father's castle and disinherited because of marrying against his father's wishes. His half-brother promises to supply all Frederick's wants, but there's something fishy about his protestations of friendship. Rhodophil is strangely anxious to enlist Frederick in the army and get some alone time with Frederick's wife.

Frederick is a charming combination of masculine and feminine qualities. Calamities reduce him to tears and fainting, but he's fearless in dangerous situations and quite adept at rescuing people from terrible plights.

The novel purports to caution young people not to marry against their parents' wishes, and parents not to coerce children into repulsive marriages. This gives the author the opportunity to portray the dire consequences of several unfortunate unions.

The Mysterious Warning (1796) is one of the seven "horrid novels" satirized by Jane Austen in Northanger Abbey. It is indeed satisfyingly "horrid," filled with hideous misdeeds by profligate nobles, abductions, murders and banditry. Multiple subplots keep the action hot, and Frederick escapes death with remarkable frequency. The smartest character in the book is an admirable servant who foils evil plots and watches over Frederick's interests.

Eliza Parsons took up writing at age fifty to support her eight children after the death of her husband. Another of her novels, The Castle of Wolfenbach, is also on the "horrid" list. Both are great fun to read and good examples of the Gothic novel. The introduction, which is best read after the novel, is excellent.