"A masterpiece of the Gothic genre, The Monk tells the story of the Capuchin friar Ambrosio and his fall from grace through desire, greed and lust. Favourably reviewed at first, the novel was later so widely and raucously denounced for its perceived licentiousness, blasphemy and corrupting influence that Lewis had to remove controversial passages from future editions. Unsurprisingly, amidst this furore, the book was immensely popular with the reading public. Suffused with eroticism, and focusing on the corrupting influence of power, The Monk pioneered a shocking new form of Gothic novel, where elements such as mob violence, incest and brutal murder replaced the gentler horrors of earlier practitioners of the genre."

Suffused with eroticism and focusing on the corrupting influence of power, The Monk pioneered a shocking new form of Gothic novel.

About the Author
Matthew Gregory Lewis (1775-1818) is best known for his Gothic novel The Monk, which caused a sensation and led to its author being known as "Monk" Lewis for the remainder of his life.

Reviews
The Monk was so highly popular that it seemed to create an epoch in our literature. -- Sir Walter Scott



Book Information
ISBN 9781847498168
Author Matthew Gregory Lewis
Format Paperback
Page Count 448
Imprint Alma Classics
Publisher Alma Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 362g