A Sicilian Romance
Encyclopedia
A Sicilian Romance is a gothic novel by Ann Radcliffe
. It was her second published work, and was first published anonymously in 1790.
The plot concerns the turbulent history of the fallen aristocrats of the house of Mazzini, on the northern shore of Sicily
, as related by a tourist who becomes intrigued by the stories of a monk he meets in the ruins of their doomed castle.
The introduction to the Oxford World's Classics
edition notes that in this novel "Ann Radcliffe began to forge the unique mixture of the psychology of terror and poetic description that would make her the great exemplar of the Gothic novel, and the idol of the Romantics". The novel explores the "cavernous landscapes and labyrinthine passages of Sicily's castles and convents to reveal the shameful secrets of its all-powerful aristocracy" http://books.google.com/books?id=bnyPdok7IfYC&dq=a+sicilian+romance+radcliffe.
Ann Radcliffe
Anne Radcliffe was an English author, and considered the pioneer of the gothic novel . Her style is romantic in its vivid descriptions of landscapes, and long travel scenes, yet the Gothic element is obvious through her use of the supernatural...
. It was her second published work, and was first published anonymously in 1790.
The plot concerns the turbulent history of the fallen aristocrats of the house of Mazzini, on the northern shore of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, as related by a tourist who becomes intrigued by the stories of a monk he meets in the ruins of their doomed castle.
The introduction to the Oxford World's Classics
Oxford World's Classics
Oxford World's Classics is an imprint of Oxford University Press. First established in 1901 by Grant Richards and purchased by the Oxford University Press in 1906, this imprint publishes primarily dramatic and classic literature for students and the general public...
edition notes that in this novel "Ann Radcliffe began to forge the unique mixture of the psychology of terror and poetic description that would make her the great exemplar of the Gothic novel, and the idol of the Romantics". The novel explores the "cavernous landscapes and labyrinthine passages of Sicily's castles and convents to reveal the shameful secrets of its all-powerful aristocracy" http://books.google.com/books?id=bnyPdok7IfYC&dq=a+sicilian+romance+radcliffe.