The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

This thread is for the discussion of The Mysteries of Udolpho. Volume Four. There will be threads for each volume 1-4 to cut down on spoilers. Feel free to add discussion questions.

I made it to volume 4. I was trying to understand why this book was in 4 volumes. Most of the excitement was in Volume 3 and after that the story seemed long and drawn out.

Very interesting. I'm not there yet, but I'm surprised by the 4 volume thing as well. It's much more typically 3 volumes. I wonder if it was "padded" for financial reasons.

I went looking for the four volume versus three volume reasons. While I wasn't successful, I did find some things on the Victorian Web that relate to the interest here on comparisons between Radcliffe and Austen. See spoiler for an example.

(view spoiler)["In this passage from The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794), Anne Radcliffe employs a narrative technique that differs markedly from that used by Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice (1813).

"'Emily, often as she travelled among the clouds, watched in silent awe their billowing surges rolling below; sometimes, wholly closing upon the scene, they appeared like a world of chaos, and, at others, spreading thinly, they opened and admitted partial catches of the landscape — the torrent, whose astounding roar had never failed, tumbling down the rocky chasm, huge cliffs white with snow, or the dark summits of the pine forests, that stretched midway down the mountains.' (Anne Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho, pp. 164, 165)

"Radcliffe bombards the reader with rich and detailed descriptions of the environment, allowing her characters to become secondary to the world around them. In this passage, Emily observes scenes such as 'the billowy surges rolling below,' 'the torrent. . . tumbling down the rocky chasm,' and 'the dark summits of the pine forest that stretched midway down the mountains.' Nature takes an active roll in Radcliffe's narrative, providing a framework against which to set Emily and reflect her inner feelings of 'rapture' and 'silent awe' (Huang, 'Setting in Dickens and Radcliffe,' Intermedia, i.e. now in the Victorian Web).

"Austen, on the other hand, tends to downplay the external physical world in favor of dialogue between the characters, who are described only in ambiguous terms. Mr. Bingley, for example, is introduced simply as being 'good looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners' (Pride and Prejudice, p. 6). Such descriptions tell us precious little about the true individual natures of the characters. Instead, Austen allows them to grow in a more organic fashion, letting them gradually evolve through the intricate process of conversation and interaction.

The contrast in narrative techniques between Radcliffe and Austen helps to underscore the thematic differences between the two. Radcliffe uses the technique of word-painting to concentrate on the relationship between people and the natural world, rendering mankind insignificant in comparison to the beauty, splendor, and power of Nature (Huang). Whereas in this sense Radcliffe is a Romantic, Austen seems to blur the gap between Neoclassicism and Romanticism. Her concise and formal writing style, emphasis on wit and the art of conversation, and satirical method all indicate Neoclassical influences. On the other hand, Austen also shows Romantic influences, particularly with regard to the development and growth of Elizabeth as she and Darcy overcome their respective prides and prejudices and discover their love for each other ('The Cultural Context of Pride and Prejudice')."

http://www.victorianweb.org/previctor...
(hide spoiler)]

Since Radcliffe precedes Victorian Literature, the Victorian Web manager has not expanded material on her, as he explains in one link. Things feel fragmented as one jumps around the topics there, but, if interested, bits and pieces can be garnered from here:

http://www.victorianweb.org/previctor...

Here is another article I enjoyed about Gothic novels and sensibilities :

https://suite.io/ben-harry-wright/5k3...

"The Sublime and the Picturesque

"The sublime refers to the overwhelming sensation an observer may experience when confronted by powerful natural phenomena, such as vast mountain ranges, immense forests and stormy oceans. The concept originally emerged from the writings of Longinus, a Greek teacher of rhetoric in the 1st century, although it was considerably elaborated upon by Edmund Burke in his treatise A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1757). These ideas influenced numerous writers, including Radcliffe, although her descriptions of wild and rugged landscapes also recall some of the dark and brooding paintings of the 17th century Italian artist Salvator Rosa."

Here is a link to paintings by Salvator Rosa at the National Gallery, London. Click on the image to enlarge.

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/art...

One sees fantasy, superstition, magic, and witchcraft invading the images.

More from: Ben Harry Wright at https://suite.io/ben-harry-wright/5k3...

"The desolate and foreboding Castle Udolpho presents a stark contrast to the picturesque environs of La Vallee, Emily's chateau in Gascony. The heroine's home is a rural idyll, the view from her room's windows overlooking 'groves of almond, palm-trees, flowering-ash, and myrtle' (p.3). In her descriptions of such picturesque scenes, Radcliffe was influenced by the paintings of the 17th century French artist Claude Lorrain.

"The Cult of Sensibility

"Sensibility refers to an individual's capacity to feel and the emotional depth with which they respond to their environment. It emerged in early 18th century philosophy, partially as a reaction to the rationalism of the Augustan age, although it was subsequently adopted by literature, featuring most notably in the works of Samuel Richardson, Laurence Sterne and Henry MacKenzie. Sensibility plays a significant role in Udolpho, performing an important function in how Radcliffe characterizes the people of her novel."

A slide show of the works of Lorrain. A bit time consuming and one must go through a few to get a guess at which may have influenced Radcliffe. Still, a pleasant diversion.

http://www.claudelorrain.org/slidesho...


For a quicker look at Claude Lorrain's work, but more about the man and his influences (I see fewer here that might have inspired the view in Gascony):

http://www.artble.com/artists/claude_...

In contrast/comparison, here are modern images, most photographic, of Gascony:
https://www.google.com/search?q=gasco...

It was a pleasant diversion. Some of Lorrain's paintings seemed dark and dreary, especially the harbor scenes. I can see how art might have influenced her writing. I really liked the links and will look up some more pictures of Gascony.

Deep sigh of relief I finished The Mysteries of Udolpho. I am glad this book is finished. The story was getting long and drawn out. I was getting annoyed with the characters, especially Emily. She had too many weeping and fainting spells. The maid put it best, Why all this weeping and moaning?

Cindy wrote: "Deep sigh of relief I finished The Mysteries of Udolpho. I am glad this book is finished. The story was getting long and drawn out. I was getting annoyed with the characters, especiall..."

But hopefully you'll be glad to have read it, Cindy. I felt much as you describe at the time I read it, but so often now I am glad to know what is being implied when "Udolpho" or "Radcliffe" is named -- and depending on context, it may be any number of different things.

I am glad I read it. I was not used to a long story. You are right about knowing the references. I remember in Northanger Abbey they were talking about what was hidden behind the black curtain. Now I know, you find out in the final pages of Volume 4.

Holy Mackeral! Will this book never end????

Renee wrote: "Holy Mackerel! Will this book never end????"

LOL! Believe it or not, it does --- eventually.

I had the same feeling. This book is too long. That is why I asked the question of why it is in 4 volumes.

Finally finished!! The story itself wasn't bad. Young impressionable orphan girl is treated unkindly and taken off to foreign lands where she is made a prisoner in a creepy castle. Sees creepy stuff. Hears creepy noises. Has creepy thoughts as a result. All explained in the end. But what a lot of filler! And what a lot of twisting about to get in a mystery or two.

Yep. Glad I read it. Glad it's over. ;-)

Cindy wrote: "I had the same feeling. This book is too long. That is why I asked the question of why it is in 4 volumes."

Good for reading by flickering candle and fireplace light?

Wonder if it tended to be read aloud or in solitary?

Good question.
I do realize that the raft of the time for all things Romantic would make more palatable all the flowery poetry and overblown descriptions of nature.

Are you finished with your buddy read? Is it ok to mark the book as read?

Yes. Thank you, Deborah.