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 murders replaced the gentler horrors of earlier practitioners of the genre such as Horace Walpole and Ann Radcliffe. Unsurprisingly, amidst this furore, the book was immensely popular with the reading public. Published anonymously and favourably reviewed at first, the 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. 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. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. A brilliant examination of violent and erotic impulses, The Monk was greatly admired by the Marquis de Sade, as well as Byron, Poe, Flaubert, Hawthorne, and Emily Bronte. Savaged by critics for its blasphemy and obscenity, The Monk shows the diabolical decline of Ambrosio, a worthy Capuchin superior who is tempted by Matilda - a young girl who has entered his monastery disguised as a boy - and eventually succumbs to magic, murder, incest, and torture.
The novel is a prime example of 18th century Gothic, written partly in response to Walpole and Radcliffe and enjoyed a considerable contemporary vogue. Although extravagant in its mixture of the supernatural, the terrible, and the indecent, the book contains scenes of great effect. However, he is discovered, tortured by the Inquisition and sentenced to death. Ambrosio then falls in love with one of his penitents and finally kills her in order to escape detection. Ambrosio, the worthy superior of the Capuchins of Madrid, falls to the temptations of Matilda, a fiend-inspired wanton who, disguised as a boy, has entered his monastery as a novice.
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