Product Description

From the first moment Vincentio di Vivaldi, a young nobleman, sets eyes on the veiled figure of Ellena, he is captivated by her enigmatic beauty and grace. But his haughty and manipulative mother is against the match and enlists the help of her confessor to come between them. Schedoni, previously a leading figure of the Inquisition, is a demonic, scheming monk with no qualms about the task, whether it entails abduction, torture - or even murder. The Italian secured Ann Radcliffe’s position as the leading writer of Gothic romance of the age, for its atmosphere of supernatural and nightmarish horrors, combined with her evocation of sublime landscapes and chilling narrative.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #150538 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 544 pages

From the Publisher
Contains an 8-page plate section with long-unavailable pictures and drawings relating to Anne Radcliffe
and The Italian.

Thoroughly edited and extensively annotated.

Includes a 10,000-word section on Anne Radcliffe's life and works, with a longer chapter on The Italian,
anecdotes, critical perspectives, adaptations and spin-offs.

Lavishly produced on natural, high-quality paper, and affordably priced.

About the Author
Ann Radcliffe (1764-1823) was the leading exponent of Gothic fiction and, during her lifetime, she published five novels including A Sicilian Romance (1790) and The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) as well as a collection of European travel writings. Her novels were immensely popular and much imitated. Robert Miles teaches English at Sheffield Hallam University. He is the author of Gothic Writing (Routledge) and Ann Radcliffe: The Great Enchantress (Manchester UP).

Customer Reviews

Far from trashy!
Despite being criticised for being sensationalist and formulaic, Radcliffe's novel is in fact very much grounded in reality. The Italian deals with some heated issues - gender relations, religion (Catholicism in particular) and class conflict - to name but a few. Although this is a fairly lengthy text, I really enjoyed it. The introduction by Robert Miles is excellent, and really helps the reader to contextualise the novel. I'd recommend this to anyone who's interested in literature from the Romantic Period - or simply wishes to broaden their general knowledge.