Eliza Parsons The Castle Of Wolfenbach

It is among the seven "horrid novels" recommended by the character Isabella Thorpe in Jane Austen's novel Northanger Abbey and an important early work in the genre. It contains the standard gothic tropes of the blameless damsel in distress, the centrality of a huge, gloomy, ancient building to the plot, the discovery of scandalous family secrets, and a final confrontation between forces of good and evil. Its resolutely anti-Catholic, pro-English Protestant sentiment is also a feature of the genre. "Matilda Weimar flees her lecherous and incestuous uncle and seeks refuge in the ancient Castle of Wolfenbach. Among the castle's abandoned chambers, Matilda will discover the horrifying mystery of the missing Countess of Wolfenbach. But when her uncle tracks her down, can she escape his despicable intentions?" --www.valancourtbooks.com.

The good old Count Renaud is dead, and his will makes the degenerate Rhodophil his heir, disinheriting his other son Ferdinand, who has married against his father's wishes. Rhodophil promises to share his new riches with his younger brother and his wife Claudina, but Ferdinand hears a mysterious voice from beyond the grave, warning him to flee his brother and his wife to save himself from sin and death! Ferdinand obeys the supernatural warning and sets out to find fortune and adventure. In the course of his quest he will encounter a recluse in a ruined castle with a horrible secret, find himself captured and imprisoned by the Turkish army, and encounter one of Gothic literature's most depraved female characters, the monstrous Fatima. And if he survives all these dangers, Ferdinand must return to Renaud Castle to solve the mystery of the ghostly voice and uncover the terrible truth about his wife and his brother! This edition includes the unabridged text of the four volume 1796 edition, with a new introduction and notes by Karen Morton, and reproductions of illustrations from the 1796 and 1824 editions.

From the prolific English gothic horror novelist, The Castle of Wolfenbach is Eliza Parsons' masterpiece and an important early influence in the genre. Follow the captivating journey of Matilda, a young and courageous heroine, as she runs from her abusive uncle and finds herself entangled in a web of mystery and peril. Finding refuge in an eerie castle haunted by a tragic past, Matilda's life takes a sinister turn. As she unravels the secrets concealed within the castle's walls, she uncovers chilling family secrets, forbidden romances, and encounters a malevolent presence that threatens her very existence. This volume is part of the Mothers of the Macabre series, celebrating the gothic horror masterpieces of pioneering women writers who played a pivotal role in shaping and advancing the genre.

Camilla, subtitled A Picture of Youth, is a novel by Frances Burney, first published in 1796. Camilla deals with the matrimonial concerns of a group of young people: Camilla Tyrold and her sisters, the sweet-tempered Lavinia and the smallpox-scarred Eugenia, and their cousin, the beautiful Indiana Lynmere—and in particular, with the love affair between Camilla herself and her eligible suitor, Edgar Mandlebert. They have many hardships, however, caused by misunderstandings and mistakes, in the path of true love.

This electronic version has been made available under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) open access license. The first full-length study of incest in the Gothic genre, this book argues that Gothic writers resisted the power structures of their society through incestuous desires. It provides interdisciplinary readings of incest within father-daughter, sibling, mother-son, cousin and uncle-niece relationships in texts by authors including Emily Brontë, Eliza Parsons, Ann Radcliffe and Eleanor Sleath. The analyses, underpinned by historical, literary and cultural contexts, reveal that the incest thematic allowed writers to explore a range of related sexual, social and legal concerns. Through representations of incest, Gothic writers modelled alternative agencies, sexualities and family structures that remain relevant today.

The Castle of Wolfenbach (1793) is a novel by Eliza Parsons. Employing themes common to the popular genre of Gothic fiction, Parsons crafts a chilling tale of murder and mystery that remains uniquely entertaining to this day. Referred to as a “horrid” novel in Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, The Castle of Wolfenbach was recognized as a terrifying precursor to such classics as Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794), often considered the quintessential Gothic novel. Orphaned as a young girl, Matilda Weimar is raised by her uncle, a domineering figure whose attentions soon turn abusive. Left with no choice, Matilda flees with her trusted servant Albert. They arrive after some time in the harsh countryside at the cottage of Pierre and Jaqueline, who have only one bed and no food to offer. Desperate, Matilda and Albert make their way to the haunted Castle of Wolfenbach, where caretakers Joseph and Bertha offer to give them shelter. Although they seem hesitant, the caretakers reveal that the Count was a terrible man who left his wife and children to die in captivity and advise their unexpected guests to be gone by morning. As night falls, Matilda hears strange sounds coming from inside the castle, and sneaks up into the tower to investigate. There, she encounters a woman and her servant, who are surprised to find a stranger in their midst. Sensing their sympathy, Matilda recounts the story of her life. The next day, after Matilda and Albert have left for France, the castle burns to the ground—but its mystery remains. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Eliza Parsons’ The Castle of Wolfenbach is a classic of British horror fiction reimagined for modern readers.

First published in 1987. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Reproduction of the original. The publishing house Megali specialises in reproducing historical works in large print to make reading easier for people with impaired vision.