Considered the first "Gothic novel," Walpole's story takes place in the Castle of Otranto, where its prince struggles to keep his title and the castle while fighting against an ancient prophecy. Supernatural elements occur and mayhem ensues.This story was so crazy. I chalk it up to the time it was written (1764). It was very heavy-handed with the religious content - almost every character wished to quit their mortal life and go to heaven, there were extreme caricatures - all the women were totally and completely subservient to their husbands/fathers. Example: the main character, Manfred, wants to divorce his wife so he can marry the girl he was about to marry to his son, who's death opens the novella. His wife, Hippolita, is completely cool with it because she totally loves him and only wishes the best for him and she'll just become a nun and pray for her husband and daughter's good health and wait for her death. Like, seriously, Hippolita and her daughter both want to become nuns and pray until they die, even when their lives are seriously crappy and it's totally not their fault, but they'd never speak against their husband/father.
Honestly, this work feels much too dated for me to really appreciate. The Gothic aspects of the novella were really cheesy - portrait ghosts and overly large swords, helmets, and arms/feet appearing out of nowhere, but really they just represent Heaven's displeasure at Manfred still clinging to his castle.
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