Gothic Writer Matthew (Monk) Lewis on This Day in History

This Day In History: Matthew Lewis died on this day in 1818. He is best known for writing the gothic horror classic, The Monk. When the book first appeared in 1796, critics were shocked and outraged. That a Member of Parliament should publish a novel filled with blasphemy, rape, murder, incest, rotting corpses, and devil worship was unthinkable and unprecedented. But efforts to suppress the book failed, readers loved it, and it became a worldwide bestseller. Today it is regarded as one of the finest Gothic horror novels ever written. It also popularized the story of the Wandering Jew and the Bleeding Nun.

See also History of the Terror Tale by Edith Birkhead 1921

For more go to 70 Penny Dreadfuls, Gothic Novels and Dime Novels on DVDrom

See Vampires and Werewolves in Lore and History by Heinz Schmitz

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