The Monk - Matthew Gregory Lewis

I became interested in reading this when I saw it listed on a collection of early horror books. I'm glancing over titles like Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray when I saw The Monk: A Romance. And it was in the number 1 position! I was instantly intrigued.

Ambrosio is seen by many as a sort of walking saint. He stays in the abbey and never leaves. He has no pity for the faults and weaknesses in others. One of the other members becomes very dear to him, and when they reveal their secret, Ambrosio begins his descent to the sinful side. And he goes all in. His "guilt" is fleeting and easily forgotten as he moves on to the next offense.

Other than Ambrosio, there are other characters important to the book. Lorenzo, Agnes, Raymond and Antonia are the main four, and they are the romance side of the book. I'm not going to get too far into the plot - I'll be writing all day. I will mention there are elements of the supernatural. Devils and magic are intertwined in the book, and they mesh well with the story.

I think one of the most interesting things about this book is that it was published in 1796. I think we should all pause and appreciate how amazingly coherent and enthralling something published that long ago can be. I'm not saying it's perfect. When Raymond was telling his history, I wondered why he chose to go back so far, but I'm not complaining. Also, the Spanish Inquisition was no joke. I had to look up what an auto-da-fe was (where they burned heretics), and that wasn't even the worst thing that happened in the book.

I'm also going to confess I learned something about myself reading this book. Ambrosio is a human who it's hard to find words for. Monster seems too tame. But when there was any hint of him having a chance at redemption, I resisted the idea. I wanted him to pay for what he'd done. He was a selfish, narcissistic man, and no punishment seemed like it would be enough. I'm not very forgiving...

This book is good. I think if you go into it realizing it isn't a romance (I mean there are romance subplots in there, but I don't see it as the main theme), you can appreciate it for what it is. It's a gothic story for sure, not outright horror, but I'm a sensitive soul. Some of the scenes had me on the edge of my seat, and I was startled by someone who came and asked me a question. Honestly, that happens most of the time, but I was so hyped up from the tension in the book, I was nervous. Recommended for sure! Great Book!