The Monk: A Romance
M. G. (Matthew Gregory) Lewis
The Monk: A Romance
FictionMysteryRomanceClassicsHorrorGothic
18 chapters·14h 57m listening
3.87from 36,103 ratingson Goodreads
"The Monk: A Romance" by M. G. Lewis is a Gothic novel published in 1796. It follows Ambrosio, a virtuous monk who succumbs to forbidden desires when a mysterious figure infiltrates his monastery. His fall from grace spirals into a dark tale of lust, murder, and demonic pacts. Scandalous for its sexually explicit content and themes of rape and incest, it became the most controversial Gothic novel of the 18th century, shocking readers while achieving immense popularity and influencing the horror genre.
Contains spoilers for the entire book
- Themes
- Atmosphere
About the book
Published in 1796, when its author was just twenty, The Monk is set in Madrid, where Ambrosio, abbot of the Capuchins, is revered for his eloquence and his apparently spotless virtue. His pride is tested when a young novice in his monastery turns out to be a woman, Matilda, and his fall leads him from temptation into ever darker crimes. Matthew Gregory Lewis interweaves Ambrosio’s story with that of the lovers Raymond and Agnes and the legend of the Bleeding Nun, filling the novel with convents, crypts, ghosts and the Inquisition. Its violence and open sensuality caused a scandal, and it remains one of the most extreme and influential Gothic novels.
Characters
Ambrosio — Protagonist
A celebrated Madrid monk whose reputation for holiness leaves him unprepared for temptation.
Matilda — Tempter
A mysterious figure close to Ambrosio who encourages him to abandon his vows.
Antonia — Young woman
An inexperienced young woman whose arrival in Madrid exposes her to dangerous attention.
Lorenzo de Medina — Antonia's admirer
A young nobleman whose affection for Antonia is bound up with his concern for his sister.
Agnes — Lorenzo's sister
A young nun whose private history brings her into conflict with the convent's authority.
Raymond — Agnes's lover
A nobleman whose efforts to reunite with Agnes lead through a series of Gothic dangers.
The Prioress — Convent superior
A rigid religious authority determined to enforce discipline and preserve the convent's reputation.
About the author
Matthew Gregory Lewis (1775–1818) was an English novelist and playwright, born in London and educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. While working as an attaché at the British embassy in The Hague he wrote The Monk, published in 1796, when he was twenty. The novel’s sensation, and its scandal, earned him the lasting nickname “Monk” Lewis. The same year he entered Parliament, and his Gothic play The Castle Spectre (1797) was a great success at Drury Lane. He translated and imitated German ballads and compiled the anthology Tales of Wonder. Having inherited sugar plantations in Jamaica, he travelled there twice and tried to improve the conditions of the enslaved people who worked them; his Journal of a West India Proprietor was published after his death. He died of yellow fever at sea in 1818, on his voyage home.