Litsy

WanderingBookaneer

Mysteries of Udolpho | Ann Ward Radcliffe

I am so behind on this book!

JillPill How're you liking it? It sounds really interesting 6y

PurpleyPumpkin I‘m so behind on it too! But I‘m determined to finish it... at some point this year. 😜 6y

WanderingBookaneer @JillPill : I‘m not a huge fan of the melodrama in gothic fiction, but it hasn‘t been too bad. 6y

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WanderingBookaneer @PurpleyPumpkin : I‘m reading it for #AroundTheYearIn52Books . The new week starts tomorrow. I want to finish it today, but I‘ll be ok if I finish it tomorrow or Tuesday. 6y

PurpleyPumpkin Ah, yes, it‘s a good gothic novel pick. I started reading it for #udolphoread, but wasn‘t able to get through it. That was a few months ago. 😬 6y

dgingo Let us know what you think. I was assigned to read it in grad school, but I never finished it—our professor introduced it by saying, “it‘s really long and slow, and not that engaging, and not really that good, but it‘s important, so read it by next week.” 🙄#NotAllProfessorsAreGoodProfessors 6y

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DreesReads

The Mysteries of Udolpho | Ann Radcliffe

pick

I plowed through the last 80 pages of this yesterday! I found it to be quite different from many female-authored and female-heroine books of that time (written late 18th century, admittedly my read list is not long for then). The women in this book do have some agency--and sure sometimes it leads to bad choices--but it is refreshing nonetheless. #udolphoread #1001books

Liz_M Fascinating, I have no memory of the main character's agency, but do remember her fainting a lot. 6y

DreesReads @Liz_M she refused to marry two different men, despite the efforts of those around her. She snuck around a lot to try to learn more, and was instrumental in getting the prisoner freed. Her aunt also used what power she had to preserve her properties for Emily. And yes lots of swooning and tiring poetry. 6y

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Leniverse

The Mysteries of Udolpho | Ann Radcliffe

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A gothic soap opera of excessive length and melodrama, and preposterous plot twists. The good characters spout great lengths of poetry whenever they behold nature. The men react emotionally by pacing in agitation or weeping manfully, the women by sitting down and weeping sweetly or by becoming insensible and collapsing in a swoon. And yet it is a pick, and a very entertaining one at that. 😂
#UdolphoRead

PurpleyPumpkin Excellent review! I‘m still working my way through this. I might just finish before the end of the year!😳 6y

Leniverse @PurpleyPumpkin You can do it! I alternated reading with listening to the LibriVox recording. Some of the readers are not great, so I wouldn't do the whole thing as audio, but it certainly helped me maintain momentum through the many twisting mountain passages. 6y

PurpleyPumpkin I‘ve also found that alternating between paper and audio helpful. But for this book, I‘ve been reading via Serial Reader. It helps to read it in bite-size pieces everyday. Unfortunately, I haven‘t kept to the daily routine which is why I‘ve fallen behind. But I haven‘t given up yet! 6y

Rachbb3 Perfect description! 😂 6y

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Librarybelle

The Mysteries of Udolpho | Ann Radcliffe

#UdolphoRead readers: I just posted two questions under the spoiler. One final question, and I know some of you have answered this partially: Did you like or dislike the book? Would you recommend it?

Thanks for reading!

Daisey I enjoyed this book much more than I expected in the beginning. I would recommend it, but only selectively due to the length and language, for readers I know enjoy classics. 6y

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Librarybelle

The Mysteries of Udolpho | Ann Radcliffe

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#UdolphoRead

jenniferw88 I think it's because it's mentioned in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey & after reading that, fans may be tempted to read it to see what the fuss is about. 6y

AnneCecilie I think that @jenniferw88 has a valid point, but at the same time the novel is accessible and during some parts quite the page turner. 6y

jenniferw88 @AnneCecilie that too! 😂😉😂 6y

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Librarybelle

The Mysteries of Udolpho | Ann Radcliffe

This post contains spoilers

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#UdolphoRead

AnneCecilie At the end of volume 3, I was still a little confused by what the mysteries were. By the end of volume 4, I think that all the mysteries are wrapped up. And all the gothic elements are also explained with natural causes. 6y

GA_Bookworm07 How did u make this exactly? 6y

Librarybelle @AvidBookWorm02 I used the PicCollage app and chose the freestyle option 6y

Daisey @AnneCecilie I agree! As I got closer to the end, I really wasn‘t sure the story was going to answer all my questions, but it did. 6y

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AnneCecilie

Mysteries of Udolpho | Ann Ward Radcliffe

pick

I'm so glad I've finally read this novel. This is the story of Emily St Albert who is kept against her will at Udolpho, and the mysteries there. Described as a gothic novel, the story is filled with ghosts, unexplained music and other sounds. During parts of the story, it's a real page-turner, and I can only imagine how it must have been for a reader in 1794. #udolphoread

rubyslippersreads I'm glad you liked it. Even though I got behind on the #udolphoread, I'll add it to my #litsyclassics list. 😊 6y

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Librarybelle

The Mysteries of Udolpho | Ann Radcliffe

Today is the last official day of #UdolphoRead ! I will post final discussion questions tomorrow.

Thank you to everyone who participated!

Aleida Great cover. Where is that, does it say? 6y

Librarybelle @Aleida I haven‘t noticed, I‘m afraid! But, it fits the book well, I think. 6y

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jenniferw88

Mysteries of Udolpho | Ann Ward Radcliffe

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pick

I tried to create a family tree for all of us, but it's just too complicated! Here is a quote that tries to explain the relationships.

I've raised my rating to 5 ⭐ (previously 4 ⭐) as I really enjoyed doing the #UdolphoRead with all of you! Thanks @Librarybelle for organising!

Librarybelle Hooray! Glad you liked the reread. And thank you for all of the insight throughout the reading! 6y

Rachbb3 I enjoyed it as well. It was my first time reading it and will definitely do a reread in the future. @Librarybelle 6y

Librarybelle @Rachbb3 ❤️ Glad you enjoyed it! 6y

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