Ann Radcliffe's "The Mysteries of Udolpho" is as much a transitionary work between the enlightenment and romanticism, as it is a traditional horror story. In it, we follow Emily St. Aubert as she tries to reconcile her father's teachings of reserve and moderation with the reckless passions of love and fear.

Between her father's dying requests that initiate the action of the novel, and the mysterious secret chambers of Chateau le Blanc and the ominous Castle Udolpho, Emily attempts to control her overflows of emotion in order to resolve doubts about herself and the world around her.

The first third of the novel will appeal to art-lovers, who will revel in Radcliffe's florid, epic landscapes from the Italian sea-coast to the wine country of southern France. The remainder of the novel shows Radcliffe's manipulation of what have become standards of the gothic-terror genres, foremost being building and maintaining suspense. The ways in which Radcliffe poses questions, answers them, and then retracts the answers keep even the most astute reader in the dark straight through to the end.

While Radcliffe is quick to indulge flights of emotional and poetic fancy, she carefully balances this with the notion that the well-adjusted person can balance these impulses with self-governing rationality. The fact that the story's protagonist is a young woman bears further implications for Radcliffe's vision in terms of female empowerment and ability to cope with the terrors of the 'real world'.

A dense, convoluted plot, still-relevant themes, and charming minor characters keep "The Mysteries of Udolpho" worth reading over 200 years after it was first published.

I read Mysteries of Udolpho in my freshman year of high school. I had never heard of it before, aside from when I read Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. I discovered it on the internet, and the plot immediately intrigued me. I bought it the next chance I got, and I was not disappointed. I've read some reviews saying that the descriptions were too long, or the plot too tedious, and I am shocked. Ann Radcliffe's story, and style of writing are the best I've seen in my entire life. It's disappointing to know that she is not credited for her works as she should be. I consider Ann Radcliffe the best writer of all time, and Mysteries of Udolpho her greatest achievement. At first, I was a little worried about the size of the book, but that soon diminished when I discovered how fast-paced the novel was. I couldn't put the book down! When I grew near the end, I wished that there was more! I can safely say that if you enjoy gothic style novels, this will be the best one you have ever read! It is a must-read for everyone!

I love novels, especially gothic novels, but I dreaded reading this book for my senior seminar on the gothic novel. The sheer size of it was so imposing to me. Aside from that, I had never even heard of it, nor had I heard the name Ann Radcliffe. I began to believe that my fears were justified after the first few totally over-descriptive chapters, but I persisted and was rewarded for my patience! Once the "mysteries" of Udolpho began to appear, I couldn't put the book down, so anxious was I to know their outcomes. Like most gothic novels, it is a bit farfetched and melodramatic (especially the love angle), but that's not the point here. The story is just jam-packed with gothic sexual thrills, lust, rotting corpses, spooky sounds, unexplainable "creeping flesh" sensations... read it and appreciate a virtually unknown gem!