The Italian
Ann Radcliffe · 1764–1823 · England
Why it matters
A monk's sinister plot to force apart two lovers unravels through Inquisition dungeons and Apennine convents. Radcliffe's darkest, tautest gothic tightens the machinery of terror she perfected in Udolpho.
At a glance
gothicromance
Difficulty 5/10fast pace424 pagesLong period sentences, but a tightly plotted gothic thriller compared to her earlier novels.
Where to go next
Ann Radcliffe · 1794The Mysteries of UdolphoLvl 5Slow burn
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Johann Wolfgang von Goethe · 1774The Sorrows of Young WertherLvl 3Medium pace
Emily Brontë · 1847Wuthering HeightsLvl 6Medium pace
E. T. A. Hoffmann · 1816The SandmanLvl 6Medium pace
Alessandro Manzoni · 1827The BetrothedLvl 5Medium pace