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162 reviews for:
The confessional of the black penitents, or The Italian
Ann Radcliffe, Ann Radcliffe
3.35 AVERAGE
162 reviews for:
The confessional of the black penitents, or The Italian
Ann Radcliffe, Ann Radcliffe
3.35 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“the grave, the austere, the solemn, and the gloomy, intermingling with the light, the blooming, and the debonaire, expressed all the various tempers, that render life a blessing or a burden, and, as with the spell of magic, transform this world into a transient paradise or purgatory”
Radcliffe’s ‘The Italian’ follows the kidnapping of the noble born Vivaldi’s lover Ellena by a corrupt monk, father Schedoni, due to Vivaldi’s mothers disapproval of the the match. The narrative takes you through convents and ruins leading to the dungeons of the Inquisition and is full of murder, moody gothic settings and deception. Though through all this Ellena remained the archetypal damsel in distress who is wholly good and yet in all the trouble she ends up in she seems to just spend the majority of the book sitting around and then eventually leaving places undisputed which was a strange one.
I loved the tension and ambience of the scenes involving the Inquisition. It is such a dark and fascinating setting and group of jurisdictional enforcers especially considering the role of religious corruption in both the Inquisition and also the primary antagonist Schedoni. Despite all the tension occurring in these fantastic settings much of it is unfortunately recounted past events and hence no in-the-moment cumulations of the plot, and there were a few too many convenient family tree shock factors or narrative tie ups in the conclusion for me.
Much of the atmosphere and narrative devices were similar to Matthew Lewis’ ‘The Monk’ (which I did slightly prefer) however both encapsulated the gothic ambience brilliantly. I do question however the categorisation of ‘The Italian’ in the separate sub-genre of the ‘female gothic’ as much was parallel to Lewis and I’d argue for such reason the genre doesn’t really exist.
Side note: Spalatro deserved so much better. He did much wrong but for some reason I loved the man.
Radcliffe writes in the novel, “and entreated her to relate the particulars as speedily as possible.” and literally no one ever did.
this book could have been 50% shorter.
I can be a chatty person and make something that could have been a 5 minute conversation into a 30+ minute one without meaning to so I understand, but it was so much.
the story itself is interesting, and for it’s time, it’s a good representation of a feminist book. Radcliffe purposefully focuses on women and their choices, wants, and needs while other authors of her time (and after her time) do not, but of course, there’s still clear sexism that comes with it being a different time.
this book could have been 50% shorter.
I can be a chatty person and make something that could have been a 5 minute conversation into a 30+ minute one without meaning to so I understand, but it was so much.
the story itself is interesting, and for it’s time, it’s a good representation of a feminist book. Radcliffe purposefully focuses on women and their choices, wants, and needs while other authors of her time (and after her time) do not, but of course, there’s still clear sexism that comes with it being a different time.
I really enjoyed the vibes of this, lots of imagery of the sublime throughout and I genuinely enjoyed the court/confessional framing elements! Dragged a bit towards the end but none the less good!
El italiano o el confesionario de los penitentes negros, 1797
Ann Radcliffe
La gran dama del terror gótico publicó su última novela casi al final del siglo XVIII y prescindió de elementos sobrenaturales en su trama.
Todo lo demás seguía ahí : jóvenes atormentados, amores imposibles, siniestros confesores, conventos tenebrosos... Y para más susto, la Santa Inquisición!
Su tono anuncia ya el nuevo movimiento literario, el Romanticismo, con la historia protagonizada por Vivaldi, un noble napolitano, enamorado de la huérfana y bella Helena que pertenece a una clase inferior. Los marqueses y padres de Vivaldi, no consideran este matrimonio adecuado y con la ayuda del siniestro monje Schedoni, deciden separar a los amantes.
Tras la muerte de la anciana tía de Helena, esta será secuestrada por unos encapuchados y encerrada en un tenebroso convento y Vivaldi emprenderá su búsqueda sin desfallecer ni aunque se enfrente a la mismísima Santa Inquisición.
A nuestros protagonistas les aguarda, eso sí, un merecido final feliz!
He disfrutado muchísimo de la novela!
Trimestre aniversario del #clubclásicosjuveniles
Novela gótica para #retomujeresautoras
#theitalianortheconfessionaloftheblackpenitents #annradcliffe #goticnovel #britishclassic #leoclásicos #leeresvivir #leermola #leoautoras
Ann Radcliffe
La gran dama del terror gótico publicó su última novela casi al final del siglo XVIII y prescindió de elementos sobrenaturales en su trama.
Todo lo demás seguía ahí : jóvenes atormentados, amores imposibles, siniestros confesores, conventos tenebrosos... Y para más susto, la Santa Inquisición!
Su tono anuncia ya el nuevo movimiento literario, el Romanticismo, con la historia protagonizada por Vivaldi, un noble napolitano, enamorado de la huérfana y bella Helena que pertenece a una clase inferior. Los marqueses y padres de Vivaldi, no consideran este matrimonio adecuado y con la ayuda del siniestro monje Schedoni, deciden separar a los amantes.
Tras la muerte de la anciana tía de Helena, esta será secuestrada por unos encapuchados y encerrada en un tenebroso convento y Vivaldi emprenderá su búsqueda sin desfallecer ni aunque se enfrente a la mismísima Santa Inquisición.
A nuestros protagonistas les aguarda, eso sí, un merecido final feliz!
He disfrutado muchísimo de la novela!
Trimestre aniversario del #clubclásicosjuveniles
Novela gótica para #retomujeresautoras
#theitalianortheconfessionaloftheblackpenitents #annradcliffe #goticnovel #britishclassic #leoclásicos #leeresvivir #leermola #leoautoras
I came to Ann Radcliffe via Jane Austen, and having enjoyed The Romance of the Forest, came back for more. The Italian is set mostly in Naples, and is about a young Italian nobleman, Vivaldi, who falls passionately in love with a girl of inferior birth. Vivaldi's parents are against the match, and his mother enlists a creepy monk to ensure the relationship is put to an end. Deliciously over-the-top gothic fiction, full of dark passages, gliding monks, other-worldly groans, dilapidated houses by a lake, ruffians and murderers, but also gorgeous Italian scenery and characters of great kindness and loyalty. The Inquisition scenes were slooooow, but otherwise it was an exciting and deeply atmospheric Italian adventure.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
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i read this in one day so this review is not at all accurate or serious
i enjoyed this one considering the circumstance and how long it was
the characters were all kinda silly but it was fun
i enjoyed this one considering the circumstance and how long it was
the characters were all kinda silly but it was fun
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Incredibly dramatic but oh so fun! The villains and side characters were so dynamic, and I loved the gothic style of this novel. The plot is thrilling, and it was so hard to put this book down!
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dungeons, scheming mothers, duplicitous monks, and runaway lovers. I couldn't ask for more if I tried!