What one reviewer at amazon said about The Mysteries of Udolpho (Oxford World's Classics):
Ann Radcliffe's "The Mysteries of Udolpho" is as much a transitionary work between the enlightenment and romanticism, as it is a traditional horror story. In it, we follow Emily St. Aubert as she tries to reconcile her father's teachings of reserve and moderation with the reckless passions of love and fear.
Between her father's dying requests that initiate the action of the novel, and the mysterious secret chambers of Chateau le Blanc and the ominous Castle Udolpho, Emily attempts to control her overflows of emotion in order to resolve doubts about herself and the world around her.
The first third of the novel will appeal to art-lovers, who will revel in Radcliffe's florid, epic landscapes from the Italian sea-coast to the wine country of southern France. The remainder of the novel shows Radcliffe's manipulation of what have become standards of the gothic-terror genres, foremost being building and maintaining suspense. The ways in which Radcliffe poses questions, answers them, and then retracts the answers keep even the most astute reader in the dark straight through to the end.
While Radcliffe is quick to indulge flights of emotional and poetic fancy, she carefully balances this with the notion that the well-adjusted person can balance these impulses with self-governing rationality. The fact that the story's protagonist is a young woman bears further implications for Radcliffe's vision in terms of female empowerment and ability to cope with the terrors of the 'real world'.
A dense, convoluted plot, still-relevant themes, and charming minor characters keep "The Mysteries of Udolpho" worth reading over 200 years after it was first published.
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