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Ann Ward Radcliffe
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The Italian (Tales of Mystery & The Supernatural) Kindle Edition

by Ann Radcliffe (Author), Kathryn White (Introduction) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 143 ratings
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With an Introduction by Kathryn White.


‘He saw her wounded, and bleeding to death; saw her ashy countenance, and her wasting eyes … turned piteously on himself, as if imploring him to save her from the fate that was dragging her to the grave…’


Ann Radcliffe, author of The Romance of the Forest and The Mysteries of Udolpho, is the high priestess of the gothic novel. In The Italian, first published in 1797, she creates a chilling, atmospheric concoction of thwarted lovers, ruined abbeys, imprisonment and dark passages, with an undercurrent of seething sexuality and presents us with a cunning villain in the sinister monk Schedoni. A contemporary review commented on, ‘Radcliffe’s uncommon talent for exhibiting, with picturesque touches of genius, the vague and horrid shapes which imagination bodies forth…’


Radcliffe’s work was hugely influential and H.P. Lovecraft, early twentieth century master of the uncanny, was impressed by the, ‘eerie touch of setting and action contributing artistically to the impression of illimitable frightfulness which she wished to convey.’ The novel remains a fascinating, engrossing and unnerving masterpiece of gothic fiction.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    402 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Wordsworth Editions
  5. Publication date
    October 1, 2014
  6. File size
    774 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

At the church of San Lorenzo in Naples, a young nobleman falls in love with the lovely orphan Ellena di Rosalba. When Vincentio di Vivaldi informs his mother, the Marchesa, of his romantic intentions, she forbids him from marrying the girl, enlisting the mysterious Father Schedoni to bend her son’s will. The Italian is a novel by Ann Radcliffe.

About the Author

E. J. Clery is Research Fellow in English at Sheffield Hallam University and author of The Rise of Supernatural Fiction 1762-1800 (1995). She has edited Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto in Oxford World's Classics.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00SWSFV6A
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wordsworth Editions; UK ed. edition (October 1, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 1, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 774 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 402 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1537053876
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 143 ratings

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Ann Ward Radcliffe

Ann Ward Radcliffe

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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
143 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kaley carrado
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2017
Verified Purchase
Read this book for one of my college English classes and really enjoyed it. I was very skeptical at first because I havnt read very many classics. When first reading the book I didn't like it. The language was very hard to read and understand. However, after getting through the first fifty pages I got used to the writing style and actually started to really enjoy the story. There was so much mystery and supernatural elements and suspense throughout the book that kept my interest. The story was filled with evil characters and good characters fighting for their own gain. The characters were also tightly interwoven in politics and relation that they were not wholly in the know about. Overall once you get used to the language it's a great read and I would recommend it.
5 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Audiobook mistakes?
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2021
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I really enjoyed the audiobook, however about 8 and 1/2 hours in they seemed to have missed some of the incorrect clips while editing. There’s moments where the narrator break character, stumbles over words, and does vocal exercises. It’s not really that big a deal but it did take me a second to realize what exactly was happening. Just be aware that it’s there, if you do choose to buy the audiobook. Especially because it is kinda expensive. OTHERWISE, it’s a really wonderful production and the narrator does a beautiful job. :)
One person found this helpful
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Book Lover
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Page Turner
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2009
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I read this book while on vacation in Italy. I found myself staying awake far into the night, unable to put it down. It is very atmospheric and draws the reader into the time and place of the story. The characters are well developed (even if you don't like some of them)and the plot line never stalls. Definite read.
2 people found this helpful
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John B.
3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not Great
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2016
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I have read many classic stories and picked this one up on the suggestion of a friend. This is not a bad book but it is not a great classic either. It is a good story that begins quickly into the plot and does not stop. However, the first half of the book does plot along but the second half moves at a much quicker pace. One is left wondering where the story will end or how the story will end. One wonders what is going to be the story of the leading lady and leading bad guy. Not much in the way of information comes in the first half of the book, but the answers come very quickly near the end. In fact, that is one of the drawbacks of the book - the book ends rather quickly. The characters are not much developed nor are there tangent story lines. This is a one dimensional story but a good one at that. The ending is easy to figure out but it does take a long way to get there. There are some twists and turns that are very good and unexpected. The stories by Willkie Collins are much better - Moonstone, Lady in White, No Name, Armadale and Basil. I would suggest those books over this one. With that being said, this is not a bad book to read if you have some extra time.
4 people found this helpful
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judy wiley
5.0 out of 5 stars a quiet masterpiece!
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2014
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Rich, romantic, the triumph of good over evil, full of lush descriptions of the times and the geography of Italy. A wonderful story! I loved it!
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Erica Flynn
1.0 out of 5 stars Kindle version is terrible
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2014
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"Optimized for Kindle?" Hardly. First of all, this version is missing the opening sequence. Second, it is missing Chapter 5, Volume 1. Third, there are numerous typographical errors, some of which aren't easy to gloss over. This was my very first Kindle purchase, and it makes me wonder why I bought this silly gadget at all.
4 people found this helpful
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Stephanie Newman
4.0 out of 5 stars Gotta Love Those Italians
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2014
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Because I was spending 3 months teaching in Italy, I decided to read a number of books set there. Before choosing The Italian, I read about it, and about its author, Ann Radcliffe. I learned she was a contemporary of Jane Austen, is considered the founder of the gothic genre, and that Austen purportedly wrote Northanger Abbey as a parody of Radcliffe's gothic novels. That was enough to make me want to read The Italian. The writing is florid and overblown, and it took me about the first third to half of the book to really start to enjoy it. From that point forward, I became swept up in the story, and fascinated by historical details of the plot. Instead of irritated, I started to feel charmed by the language and style of writing. This book is definitely not for everyone, but if you enjoy historical fiction, romance, and the writing style of a different era, it may be for you.
One person found this helpful
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JMN
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2017
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Good gothic literature and free!
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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newant
5.0 out of 5 stars Wife loved it .
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 19, 2024
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No complaints.
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Irene
1.0 out of 5 stars No
Reviewed in Italy on October 22, 2020
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Il libro presenta le pagine ingiallite, macchiate e la copertina sporca di qualcosa che sembra essere colla. Non ho parole...
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Irene
1.0 out of 5 stars No
Reviewed in Italy on October 22, 2020
Il libro presenta le pagine ingiallite, macchiate e la copertina sporca di qualcosa che sembra essere colla. Non ho parole...
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One person found this helpful
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Scott McLaren
4.0 out of 5 stars but overall very a good reading experience on the Kindle
Reviewed in Canada on November 24, 2014
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A few minor typos here and there, but overall very a good reading experience on the Kindle.
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Claus Hoheisel
4.0 out of 5 stars Der letzte Roman von A. Radcliffe "The Italian".
Reviewed in Germany on December 23, 2012
Verified Purchase
Verglichen mit den früheren Romanen dieser Autorin erscheint "The Italian" von Sprachbeherrschung und Wortschatz her ungleich besser. Jedoch sind die "Kehrtwendungen" nicht genügend verdeckt und die Aufrechterhaltung der Spannung gelingt nicht in allen Abschnitten des Romans. So wirkt z.B. die Gefangeschaft des Hauptprotagonisten künstlich in die Länge gezogen. Insgesamt kann ich aber diesen Roman sowie alle anderen der Autorin sehr empfehlen.

23.12.2012
C. H.
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橘　久人
1.0 out of 5 stars これで良く商売ができる！！
Reviewed in Japan on November 24, 2013
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酷く汚れた商品が届きました。返送しようかと考えたけれど、発送元の書店名がありません。Undeliveredの場合の住所は入っていましたが、それで代金を返してもらえるかもわかりません。まだ郵送された包装の中に入れたままにしてあります。販売者がわからないので、以後は英国アマゾンの古書は買わないことにします。英国にいた当時よく古書店に行ったし、大学生協でもバーゲンをしていましたが、その時でもこんな本は1ポンドセールにだって出ていなかったと思います。
　きっと東洋に送るのだからこの程度でいいと思った知識のない本屋が売ったのでしょう。おかげで、ラドクリフの作品、読む気がうせました。
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