The Mysteries of Udolpho

The Mysteries of Udolpho was the most famous of Ann Radcliffe's six novels. Containing all of the elements associated with Gothic-Romantic fiction, the story follows innocent French girl, Emily St. Aubert, as she travels (often against her will) through the beautiful-yet-terrifying landscapes of late medieval France and Italy, and from one creepy castle to the next. Throughout, she faces love gained and lost, imprisonment at the hands of villainous brigands, and seemingly inexplicable otherworldly encounters, collectively threatening her freedom, sanity, and life. While the characters are two-dimensional, the scope of the novel, with its gorgeous imagery and Gothic elements, make The Mysteries of Udolpho an important novel, and one of the more interesting works of early modern English literature.