A Gothic Read – The Monk
The Monk by Matthew Lewis is probably the oldest novel I’ve read.
It was written around 1794 and likely published soon after as reference to the second edition notes that he had expunged various paragraphs. The English translation I read was by Howard Anderson, published 1981 although first published 1973.
Anderson notes that the author Matthew Lewis was born in 1775, that in 1792 he went to Weimar and in 1794 to the Hague. It was during this Hague posting that he wrote The Monk. He then sat in the House of Commons between 1796 and 1802. He died in 1818 and was buried at sea on route back from Jamaica. There is more to be found about Lewis online – there’s far more to the man than meets the eye.
I can’t say I enjoyed The Monk – although did a take at one reference to it being a romance. It most definitely is not a romance in 21st century terms despite all the romance or desire that features in the text. What was intriguing was the focus on the dark side of life and religion. How he came to set a book in Spain linking with the Inquisition I couldn’t quite work out from what I’d read of his life story but it was no doubt ‘in the news’ given that it ran from 1478-1834.
Another fascinating aspect was his setting out at the start of the novel what his inspiration had been. This apparently concerned some accusations of plagiarism and suggestions that he took ideas from others. So already, over 230 years ago such issues were raising their head. Whether he was guilty of malpractice or not, the book has stood the test of time as a classic. His ability to pull together diverse strands over time and place was telling and if he had drawn inspiration from what others were writing at the time, it is even more telling about society and its behaviours – not much different to what we read in the press today, by all accounts. But not something one readily associates with the 1700s.
If you’re a fan of Gothic literature, this might be one for you if you haven’t already read it. I associate Gothic with dark – but see it’s a mix of mystery, horror, and supernatural. The Monk definitely has all three elements.
I can’t think of much in the TSL fold which is similar, although Gideon Master’s trilogy Lucifer’s Child comes close while Patrica Simpson’s Death is Waiting is a more light-hearted mystery with hints of supernatural added. As to the horror, I’ll leave you to decide.
