Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #93251 in Books
• Published on: 2000-05-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 544 pages

Book jacket
"His cowl ... as it threw a shade over the livid paleness of his face, increased its severe character, and gave an effect to his large melancholy eye, which approached to horror"

Thus Ann Radcliffe introduces Schedoni, the villainous scheming monk, whose brooding presence dominates her novel, and who has become archetypal in Romantic literature. The Italian tells of the romance between the young Neapolitan nobleman Vincentio di Vivaldi and Ellena di Rosalba, a match opposed by the Marchesa, Vivaldi's haughty, manipulative mother. It is she who enlists the help of Schedoni. What ensues is fear, abduction and the terror of the Inquisition. When she wrote "The Italian", Ann Radcliffe was seen as the unrivalled exponent of the Gothic novel. With its sublime landscapes, pacey narrative, supernatural fears and nightmarish horrors, it is one of the finest Gothic romances ever written.

Synopsis
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.

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.

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.