Castle of Otranto

Dear Horace Walpole,

I am writing to tell you how I respectfully dislike your work, Castle of Otranto.  Upon my curiosity of gothic novels, your book ended up in my hands. My first impression was one of intrigue.  Your catching my attention in the beginning with a murder, was clever, I’ll give you that.  I was enthralled to keep reading.  However, can I ask what a helmet is?  Although mysterious and slightly vague, I resent being left to imagine what thing crushed poor Conrad.

                          

I found the chase for Isabella disgusting and demeaning. Although Isabella’s lack of interest for Conrad was apparent, it was a nasty thought to sick Manfred, the father of her fiancé, on her trail.  In the terms of this book, that is incest and then to develop a whole plot line on how to subdue young Isabella is repulsive.  I find it demeaning that you assume that the women in this book are so distractible as well.  Offering up jewelry for secrets is low and to write that assumption of women into the plot is disappointing. 

I recognize that fears of marriage and male dominance where prevalent issues at the time of this novel’s creation however, I felt like this story is a not-so-different tale of the life of King Henry and his many wives and mistresses.  Manfred’s quest for Isabella and Manfred’s disinterest in his own daughter for lack of her ability to take on the thrown sounds like King Henry’s mistresses and his dislike for his daughters who also couldn’t carry the title.  Also, the declaration of a false marriage based on the fruitlessness of the wife is a painful comparison to King Henry’s denial of one of his own marriages based on that very same thing.

I recognize that fears of marriage and male patriarchy were dominant issues at the time, so I can understand why you worked those issues into your novel but I found the story too familiar and bland. However, I commend you on your ability to pioneer the thought of gothic novels into society.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Spencer