The Castle of Otranto
A Gothic Story
The Castle of Otranto, published in 1764, is usually called the first Gothic novel. Horace Walpole presented it as a translation of a medieval Italian manuscript and only admitted his authorship in the second edition. On the day of his son's wedding, the tyrant Manfred sees the boy crushed by a gigantic helmet that has fallen from nowhere; he then tries to divorce his wife and marry the intended bride, Isabella, himself, while a peasant named Theodore, a mysterious friar and a sequence of walking portraits, bleeding statues and groaning armor work against him. The book is short, fast and often absurd, and it supplied the haunted castles, usurpers and persecuted maidens that novelists would use for the next half century. The full text is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the first chapter is free.
Start reading right away, without signing up. The complete text is included in Vinteuil Reading, or yours forever with a one-time purchase.
Frequently asked questions about The Castle of Otranto
The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read The Castle of Otranto online?
Yes. The Castle of Otranto opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is The Castle of Otranto free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of The Castle of Otranto is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is The Castle of Otranto in the public domain?
Yes. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole is a public-domain work. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read The Castle of Otranto?
About 2 h 28 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is The Castle of Otranto?
The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole is filed under "Fiction" in the Vinteuil library.
