I ready only 1/3 short novels contained within this book. The Castle of Otranto is a Gothic novel-supposedly the first ever written. It has all the requisite components: castle, a villain, a helpless female, and a "ghost". I really do like my gothic less fantastical (such as Wuthering Heights). I read this because it was on the 1001 Books list. It was written much like Shakespeare so it was not an easy read. The preface states that it is much like A Midsummer Night's Dream. All in all I'm glad to have read this "very first" gothic novel. 192 pages . ( )

Bevat: Rasselas
The castle of Otranto
Vathek