Rating: 
Summary: Historical artifact
Review: This is interesting as a historical milestone since it seems to have been the first Gothic novel ever written. As such I guess it should arouse some mild interest. I suppose it can be seen as a real creative achievement since it's not derivative of anything except for ghost stories and Shakespeare. It is NOT particularly entertaining for its own sake. Pioneering as it may be, it is nowhere near as exciting or interesting as many stories that owe it something. The language is stilted, characters flat, and plot ridiculous and at times hard to follow. But if you want to see where horror and the whole gothic theme came from, here it is...
Rating:
Summary: Doesn't work
Review: This may be the beginning of the gothic novel but it certainly isn't the best of them. About halfway through, the story simply becomes monotonous. Some other reviewers have mentioned that this old piece may not satisfy modern tastes, but I don't find that the fault lays so much with the audience, as with the author. This story just begins to sputter after awhile, and becomes tedious. If you want old goth, try "The Monk". It's better written.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a modern horror novel
Review: Those looking for an early example of a modern horror novel will be sadly disappointed by this. It's very much a work which needs to be viewed in the context of its own time (then introduction to this volume is particularly useful in doing that, but read it after you have read the novel itself). That said, the book goes along at a good pace, and the plot (though in large parts straining the reader's credulity) does hold the attention. There are several interesting themes, most notably the treatment of people, women in particular, as pawns in the game of property presevervation/expansion, and the rebellions and social tensions this caused. For the British reader, Manfred's obsession with producing a son-and-heir, and his wish to dispense with his barren wife in favour of a younger woman give strong echoes of those school history lessons about Henry VIII. So, approach the novel on its own terms to get the best out of it.
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Summary: The sins of the fathers...
Review: Walpole's 1765 novel "The Castle of Otranto" is the story of Manfred, a power-crazed tyrant, seeking to secure the right of his lineage to the dominion of Otranto in Italy. Trying to avoid the end of his line, he attempts to marry his infirm and frail son, Conrad, to Isabella, the daughter of a rival family. The death of Conrad and subsequent manifestation of various gigantic body parts and relics, to wit, a helmet, leg, sword, and hand, seem to be harbingers of Manfred's prophesied demise. The three most prevalent themes in the novel are the threats posed by male sexuality, misperception, and women. Male sexuality plays itself out in Manfred's frantic need for a specifically male heir, the indiscretions of Jerome, a priest whose son Theodore harbors an unfulfilled lust for Manfred's daughter Matilda. Misperceptions abound in "The Castle of Otranto". There are constantly people doubting the truth of their own eyes and ears. Disguises and darkness prevent characters from knowing who is friend and who is foe, often with fatal results. Women are consistently characterized as pseudo-angelic beings, whose virtues and fidelity, both filial and connubial, are secondary to their ability to produce male heirs. Hippolita, Manfred's wife, emerges as the story's true tragic figure, whose only crime as her family and dominions slip away, is that she could not produce a healthy son. "The Castle of Otranto" is not particularly well-written - dialogue is often confusing to follow, and the characters are all fairly flat. However, the precedents for the gothic narrative style are wonderful to note. One can easily see the roots of stories from Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher" to Wilde's "Picture of Dorian Gray" to Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" in Walpole's work. This is a classic text, and one more people should read.
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Summary: The Original Gothic Mystery
Review: Walpole's book is one of the first in this genre. It is the story of a prince who is anxious to keep his throne no matter what the cost. This obsession leads him to bring misery to several key characters. A supernatural force fights against him, but he refuses to acknowledge it. A bleeding statue, a giant helmet, and much vengeance from the haunting knight makes the reader wonder when the prince would give in. The interactions between some characters are beautiful and noble. For someone who likes knights in armors, castles and fortresses, virtuous ladies, and many more gothic themes, this book is a wonderful choice.
Rating: 
Summary: lame
Review: While this novel does deserve some credit as the first of the Gothic novels, it still fails to entertain. taken in its time, the walking paintings and giant helmets were probably very eerie, but now they seems weak, contrived, and ultimately boring. Good for those interested in the genre, but everyone else should stay away.
Rating: 
Summary: The First Gothic Novel
Review: Written in the mid-eighteenth century (yes, that's the 1700s), Walpole set about to invigorate what he considered the boring literature of his time. What he started was, I'm sure, much more than he expected. This novel, full of blood-dripping statues, moving paintings, gigantic visions, and skeletal monks, is the first of what is now known as the Gothic genre. Melodramatic and intense, this is a marvellous book, though clearly not a modern novel. The themes might be shared with Anne Rice, but the level of the writing certainly isn't. Walpole is an educated man writing in the style of his time; don't be surprised that it doesn't read like our contemporary knock-offs. A must for lovers of literature as well as of fantastic fiction.
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