Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
![The Monk [Recorded Books Edition] cover art](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51OBYzu2azL._SL500_.jpg)
-
The Monk [Recorded Books Edition]
- Narrated by: Jefferson Mays
- Length: 15 hrs and 31 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.00 for first 30 days
![The Monk [Recorded Books Edition] cover art](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51OBYzu2azL._SL63_.jpg)
The Monk [Recorded Books Edition]
Buy Now for £23.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
Summary
"Few could sustain the glance of his eye, at once fiery and penetrating."
Savaged by critics for its supposed profanity and obscenity and bought in large numbers by readers eager to see whether it lived up to its lurid reputation, The Monk became a success due to scandal when it was published in 1796 - not least because its author was a member of parliament and only 20 years old. It recounts the diabolical decline of Ambrosio, a Capuchin superior, who succumbs first to temptations offered by a young girl who has entered his monastery disguised as a boy, and continues his descent with increasingly depraved acts of sorcery, murder, incest, and torture. Combining sensationalism with acute psychological insight, this masterpiece of Gothic fiction is a powerful exploration of how violent and erotic impulses can break through the barriers of social and moral restraint.
This edition is based on the first edition of 1796, which appeared before Lewis' revisions to avoid charges of blasphemy. In his introduction Christopher MacLachlan discusses the novel's place within the Gothic genre and its themes of sexual desire and the abuse of power.