A Sicilian Romance

Radcliffe, Ann Ward, 1764-1823Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 399K words
Chapters: 40

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Sicilian Romance by Ann Ward RadcliffeAuthor: Radcliffe, Ann Ward, 1764-1823,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jan 1, 2005

Editor's review

A Sicilian Romance is a representative early Gothic novel by Ann Radcliffe. Set in an ancient castle on the island of Sicily, it tells of intrigue, imprisonment, and hidden lineage within an aristocratic family. Radcliffe is known for creating suspense through dim corridors, abandoned mansions, and a faintly supernatural atmosphere, while weaving the situation of women in a patriarchal family into the plot. The book's value lies not in the thrill of horror scenes but in its foundational contribution to the spatial narrative techniques of Gothic fiction and its delicate handling of the tension between emotion and reason. The Project Gutenberg edition is a public-domain English ebook, suitable as an introductory text for Gothic fiction modules in English literature courses, and also for readers interested in the evolution of eighteenth-century narrative to savor its atmosphere on a commute or at night. Readers should note the differences between eighteenth-century English syntax and contemporary English, and are advised to use an annotated or introductory edition to understand the background.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in Gothic fiction and eighteenth-century English literature
Students of English or comparative literature using it as course reading
Lovers of English-language originals featuring castles, suspense, and family secrets
Readers who wish to understand the role of women writers in the development of the early novel

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting modern fast-paced thrills and explicit horror
Learners with weak English reading skills who are unused to eighteenth-century English syntax
Readers who need a Chinese translation and do not wish to read the English original
Readers lacking patience for slow narrative and lengthy descriptions of setting

Reading tips

Read the introduction or learn the basic features of Gothic fiction first to lower the barrier to understanding.
Keep pen and paper to record character relationships and the castle's spatial layout, which helps clarify the threads of suspense.
After each chapter, review how the atmospheric descriptions drive the plot and appreciate Radcliffe's narrative rhythm.
If English is difficult, read alongside a reliable Chinese translation or annotated edition.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Which is more suitable to read first, this book or The Mysteries of Udolpho?

A Sicilian Romance is shorter and relatively simpler in structure and is often regarded as an early work in Radcliffe's career; The Mysteries of Udolpho is more mature and more complex. If you are new to Gothic fiction, you may read this book first to familiarize yourself with its atmosphere and techniques before moving on to the latter.

How difficult is the English original?

The book is in eighteenth-century English, with long sentences and dense description, and differs from modern English. Readers with reading ability above the level of CET-4 can attempt it, breaking long sentences into parts; for research purposes, an annotated edition or relevant introduction is recommended.

Does this edition include annotations or an introduction?

According to the information provided, this is a public-domain ebook released by Project Gutenberg and is not stated to include a modern introduction or annotations. Readers who need supplementary materials may look for scholarly editions or course introductions to use alongside it.

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About the author

Radcliffe, Ann Ward, 1764-1823 Author

Ann Ward Radcliffe (1764–1823) was an important English writer of Gothic fiction whose works were widely read in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The library holds ten of her works, including La forêt, ou l'abbaye de Saint-Clair, Les mystères d'Udolphe, A Sicilian Romance, and the multi-volume I misteri del castello d'Udolfo; some titles appear in French and Italian translations, indicating that her works circulated widely in continental Europe. She is known for creating suspense through gloomy castles, mysterious events, and psychological tension, with delicate description and strong emotion. Her writing had a lasting influence on later Gothic literature and the Romantic novel. Because public information is limited, this note focuses on her themes, style, and literary influence rather than on biographical details.