Publisher:
Oxford University Press USA - OSO, Oxford
In A Sicilian Romance (1790) 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 nove, and the idol of the Romantics.This early novel explores the...
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In A Sicilian Romance (1790) 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 nove, and the idol of the Romantics.This early novel explores the cavernous landscapes and labyrinthine passages of Sicily's castles and covents to reveal the shameful secrets of its all-powerful aristocracy. Julia and Emilia Mazzini live secluded in an ancient mansion near the Straits of Messina. After their father's return to the island a neglected part of the house is haunted by a series of mysterious sights and sounds. The origin of these hauntings is only discovered after a series of breathless pursuits through dreamlikepastoral landscapes. When revelation finally comes, it forces the heroines to challenge the united forces of religious and patriarchal authority. Cover Page -- Title page -- Copyright page -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Note on the Text -- Select Bibliography -- A Chronology of Ann Radcliffe -- A Sicilian Romance -- Preface -- Chapter I -- Chapter II -- Chapter III -- Chapter IV -- Chapter V -- Chapter VI -- Chapter VII -- Chapter VIII -- Chapter IX -- Chapter X -- Chapter XI -- Chapter XII -- Chapter XIII -- Chapter XIV -- Chapter XV -- Chapter XVI -- Explanatory Notes.