Horace Walpole (1717 - 1797)
Walpole, painted by Allan Ramsay
Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), was an English art historian, man of letters and politician. He is famous for his magnificent Strawberry Hill castle in Twickenham south-west London and for his Gothic novel,The Castle of Otranto...
Audio book access from Librivox
- The Castle of Otranto- Audio bookThe Castle of Otranto is a 1764 novel by Horace Walpole. It is generally held to be the first gothic novel, initiating a literary genre which would become extremely popular in the later 18th century and early 19th century.
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Journal Articles
- Gothic ImaginationWalpole had never been to Otranto and knew nothing of its castle, even if there was one at all!! This paper talks about the author as a person.
The Castle of Otranto
The Plot : Manfred the prince of Otranto, is in a difficult situation he has only one unhealthy male heir, Conrad who must marry as soon as possible to ensure the continuation of the family line. On the wedding day Conrad cannot be found; a servant sent to search for him comes back foaming at the mouth, speechless with horror....Click above image to read the book in chapters.
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Article in The Telegraph - UK
- The Telegraph - UKWalpole's neo-gothic mansion in Twickenham, west London, housed a vast collection of 10,000 objets d'art and curiosities