The Monk

A masterpiece of the Gothic genre, The Monk tells the story of the Capuchin friar Ambrosio and his fall from grace through desire, greed and lust. Favourably reviewed at first, the novel was later so widely and raucously denounced for its perceived licentiousness, blasphemy and corrupting influence that Lewis had to remove controversial passages from future editions. Unsurprisingly, amidst this furore, the book was immensely popular with the reading public. Suffused with eroticism, and focusing on the corrupting influence of power, The Monk pioneered a shocking new form of Gothic novel, where elements such as mob violence, incest and brutal murder replaced the gentler horrors of earlier practitioners of the genre.

A masterpiece of the Gothic genre, The Monk tells the story of the Capuchin friar Ambrosio and his fall from grace through desire, greed and lust. Favourably reviewed at first, the novel was later so widely and raucously denounced for its perceived licentiousness, blasphemy and corrupting influence that Lewis had to remove controversial passages from future editions. Unsurprisingly, amidst this furore, the book was immensely popular with the reading public. Suffused with eroticism, and focusing on the corrupting influence of power, The Monk pioneered a shocking new form of Gothic novel, where elements such as mob violence, incest and brutal murder replaced the gentler horrors of earlier practitioners of the genre.

Don't miss THE TAILOR, the brand new mystery in the million-copy-bestselling George Cross series - OUT NOW. 'George Cross is becoming one of my favourite detectives.’ ELLY GRIFFITHS A victim with no enemies. A murder with no motive. When the body of a monk is found savagely beaten in woodland near Bristol, DS George Cross discovers that nothing is known about the man’s past. How can he unpick a crime when he doesn't know anything about the victim? And why would someone want to harm a monk? His past reveals that he had no enemies, although George learns he was exceedingly wealthy, that he sacrificed it all for his faith. For a man who has nothing, it seems strange that greed could be the motive for his murder. But greed is a sin after all... Perfect for fans of MW Craven, Ann Cleeves and Joy Ellis, The Monk is part of the million-copy-bestselling George Cross Mystery series, which can be read in any order, by the 2026 winner of the Crime Writers' Association Dagger in the Library Award. ALSO IN THIS MILLION-COPY-BESTSELLING SERIES #1 THE DENTIST #2 THE CYCLIST #3 THE PATIENT #4 THE POLITICIAN #5 THE MONK #6 THE TEACHER #7 THE BOOKSELLER #8 THE TAILOR CROSS CHRONICLE SHORT STORIES THE LOST BOYS THE EX-WIFE THE HUNTER THE BASKET CASE 'In DS George Cross, Tim Sullivan has created a character who is as endearing as any I’ve ever come across in this genre. His quirks are his gift, and with Sullivan’s tremendous plotting and superb writing, this series is a gift to readers.' Liz Nugent 'The ultimate conjuring trick: an absorbing plot with an engaging detective I’d follow to the ends of the earth. Just brilliant!' Marion Todd 'A brilliantly old-school detective with a modern twist . . . from the complex emotion of his private life to the razor-sharp detail of the police investigation. Spot on!' Russ Thomas ‘Tim Sullivan’s detective, DS George Cross, is autistic. His approach to investigations is unorthodox…he works surprisingly well as a fictional character, processing clues in a way that recalls Poirot’s “little grey cells”.’ Sunday Times ‘Another tour de force . . . If you're looking for a great crime series you can't do much better than this. George Cross is an absolute delight.’ Bishop Stortford Independent Why readers love George Cross . . . 'Compelling, full of twists and turns, I couldn’t put this down. Sullivan has created a truly original and endearing detective in George Cross.' Simon McCleave 'DS George Cross is as arresting as the cases he solves.' Richard E Grant 'The fact that Cross has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder makes him just as intriguing as the murder mystery' The Times 'A British detective for the 21st century who will be hard to forget' Daily Mail 'Can't wait for the next in the series!' Reader review

Don't miss THE TAILOR, the brand new mystery in the million-copy-bestselling George Cross series - OUT NOW. 'George Cross is becoming one of my favourite detectives.’ ELLY GRIFFITHS A victim with no enemies. A murder with no motive. When the body of a monk is found savagely beaten in woodland near Bristol, DS George Cross discovers that nothing is known about the man’s past. How can he unpick a crime when he doesn't know anything about the victim? And why would someone want to harm a monk? His past reveals that he had no enemies, although George learns he was exceedingly wealthy, that he sacrificed it all for his faith. For a man who has nothing, it seems strange that greed could be the motive for his murder. But greed is a sin after all... Perfect for fans of MW Craven, Ann Cleeves and Joy Ellis, The Monk is part of the million-copy-bestselling George Cross Mystery series, which can be read in any order, by the 2026 winner of the Crime Writers' Association Dagger in the Library Award. ALSO IN THIS MILLION-COPY-BESTSELLING SERIES #1 THE DENTIST #2 THE CYCLIST #3 THE PATIENT #4 THE POLITICIAN #5 THE MONK #6 THE TEACHER #7 THE BOOKSELLER #8 THE TAILOR CROSS CHRONICLE SHORT STORIES THE LOST BOYS THE EX-WIFE THE HUNTER THE BASKET CASE 'In DS George Cross, Tim Sullivan has created a character who is as endearing as any I’ve ever come across in this genre. His quirks are his gift, and with Sullivan’s tremendous plotting and superb writing, this series is a gift to readers.' Liz Nugent 'The ultimate conjuring trick: an absorbing plot with an engaging detective I’d follow to the ends of the earth. Just brilliant!' Marion Todd 'A brilliantly old-school detective with a modern twist . . . from the complex emotion of his private life to the razor-sharp detail of the police investigation. Spot on!' Russ Thomas ‘Tim Sullivan’s detective, DS George Cross, is autistic. His approach to investigations is unorthodox…he works surprisingly well as a fictional character, processing clues in a way that recalls Poirot’s “little grey cells”.’ Sunday Times ‘Another tour de force . . . If you're looking for a great crime series you can't do much better than this. George Cross is an absolute delight.’ Bishop Stortford Independent Why readers love George Cross . . . 'Compelling, full of twists and turns, I couldn’t put this down. Sullivan has created a truly original and endearing detective in George Cross.' Simon McCleave 'DS George Cross is as arresting as the cases he solves.' Richard E Grant 'The fact that Cross has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder makes him just as intriguing as the murder mystery' The Times 'A British detective for the 21st century who will be hard to forget' Daily Mail 'Can't wait for the next in the series!' Reader review

'He was deaf to the murmurs of conscience, and resolved to satisfy his desires at any price.' The Monk (1796) is a sensational story of temptation and depravity, a masterpiece of Gothic fiction and the first horror novel in English literature. The respected monk Ambrosio, the Abbot of a Capuchin monastery in Madrid, is overwhelmed with desire for a young girl; once having abandoned his monastic vows he begins a terrible descent into immorality and violence. His appalling fall from grace embraces blasphemy, black magic, torture, rape, and murder, and places his very soul in jeopardy. Lewis's extraordinary tale drew on folklore, legendary ghost stories, and contemporary dread inspired by the terrors of the French Revolution. Its excesses shocked the reading public and it was condemned as obscene. The novel continues to beguile and shock readers today with its gruesome catalogue of iniquities, while at the same time giving a profound insight into the deep anxieties experienced by British citizens during one of the most turbulent periods in the nation's history. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Ambrosio is an extremely devout monk about 30 years old. He was found left at the Abbey doorstep when he was too young to tell his tale and monks took him and raised him in the monastery. When his constant companion, a novice named Rosario, admits that he is a woman named Matilda, who disguised herself so that she could be near him, begins a struggle in Ambrosio between his religious vows and his personal temptations and ambitions, which leads to abuse, violence, incest and murder.

'He was deaf to the murmurs of conscience, and resolved to satisfy his desires at any price.' The Monk (1796) is a sensational story of temptation and depravity, a masterpiece of Gothic fiction and the first horror novel in English literature. The respected monk Ambrosio, the Abbot of a Capuchin monastery in Madrid, is overwhelmed with desire for a young girl; once having abandoned his monastic vows he begins a terrible descent into immorality and violence. His appalling fall from grace embraces blasphemy, black magic, torture, rape, and murder, and places his very soul in jeopardy. Lewis's extraordinary tale drew on folklore, legendary ghost stories, and contemporary dread inspired by the terrors of the French Revolution. Its excesses shocked the reading public and it was condemned as obscene. The novel continues to beguile and shock readers today with its gruesome catalogue of iniquities, while at the same time giving a profound insight into the deep anxieties experienced by British citizens during one of the most turbulent periods in the nation's history. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Matthew Lewis's Gothic masterpiece, depicting a holy man slowly becoming entangled in a web of sin, The Monk is edited with an introduction by Christopher MacLachlan in Penguin Classics. Savaged by critics for its blasphemy and obscenity, particularly since the author was a Member of Parliament, The Monk soon attracted thousands of readers keen to see if this Gothic novel lived up to its lurid reputation. With acute psychological insight, Lewis shows the diabolical decline of Ambrosio, a worthy superior of the Capuchins of Madrid who is tempted by Matilda, a young girl who has entered his monastery disguised as a boy. Descending into a hell of his own creation, Ambrosio is driven to magic and murder in an attempt to conceal his crimes from the Inquisition. The Monk was greatly admired by the Marquis de Sade, who saw it as a response to the upheavals of the French Revolution, yet it also reveals something more universal: the way violent and erotic impulses lurking within us all can break through every barrier of social restraint. Matthew Gregory Lewis (1775-1818) was educated at Oxford after which he held a position in the British Embassy at The Hague. It was there in 1794, that he wrote the racy novel The Monk , under the influence of the early German romantics. Its controversial publication in 1796, due to Lewis' new status as MP, earned him fame and the book a great deal of popularity. If you enjoyed The Monk , you might like Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto , also available in Penguin Classics.

Matthew Lewis's Gothic masterpiece, depicting a holy man slowly becoming entangled in a web of sin, The Monk is edited with an introduction by Christopher MacLachlan in Penguin Classics. Savaged by critics for its blasphemy and obscenity, particularly since the author was a Member of Parliament, The Monk soon attracted thousands of readers keen to see if this Gothic novel lived up to its lurid reputation. With acute psychological insight, Lewis shows the diabolical decline of Ambrosio, a worthy superior of the Capuchins of Madrid who is tempted by Matilda, a young girl who has entered his monastery disguised as a boy. Descending into a hell of his own creation, Ambrosio is driven to magic and murder in an attempt to conceal his crimes from the Inquisition. The Monk was greatly admired by the Marquis de Sade, who saw it as a response to the upheavals of the French Revolution, yet it also reveals something more universal: the way violent and erotic impulses lurking within us all can break through every barrier of social restraint. Matthew Gregory Lewis (1775-1818) was educated at Oxford after which he held a position in the British Embassy at The Hague. It was there in 1794, that he wrote the racy novel The Monk , under the influence of the early German romantics. Its controversial publication in 1796, due to Lewis' new status as MP, earned him fame and the book a great deal of popularity. If you enjoyed The Monk , you might like Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto , also available in Penguin Classics.

Ambrosio, the abbot, was the perfect monk . . . until evil thoughts start infiltrating his mind

Ambrosio is an extremely devout monk about 30 years old. He was found left at the Abbey doorstep when he was too young to tell his tale and monks took him and raised him in the monastery. When his constant companion, a novice named Rosario, admits that he is a woman named Matilda, who disguised herself so that she could be near him, begins a struggle in Ambrosio between his religious vows and his personal temptations and ambitions, which leads to abuse, violence, incest and murder.

Ambrosio, the abbot, was the perfect monk . . . until evil thoughts start infiltrating his mind

Left at a monastery as a baby, Ambrosio grew up to be a cruel and stern monk, renowned for his sermons and piety. When a nun named Agnes goes to Ambrosio for the sacrament of confession, she admits that she is pregnant after having a long love affair with a man named Raymond. Though admissions told in confession are meant to be kept in confidence, Ambrosio turns Agnes over to the authorities in her convent for punishment. Without a trace of guilt or a second thought, Ambrosio returns to his normal life after this, unaware that he was soon to get himself into a situation that would make him empathize with Agnes. Meanwhile, Raymond, Agnes' lover, is confronted by her brother, who is angry that Raymond played a part in his sister's tarnished reputation. In order to earn support and sympathy, Raymond tells he and Agnes' elaborate love story, challenging the society's reaction to their relationship and pregnancy. Ambrosio, however, is unaware of this, nor does he think about it after he meets a beautiful woman named Matilda. Overcome with lust, Ambrosio begins an illicit affair with Matilda, breaking his vow of celibacy. Though he considers ending things with Matilda, Ambrosio finds himself addicted to her company, as Matilda helps satiate his every desire. As their relationship unfolds, however, Ambrosio finds himself longing for more and more. Committing crimes, harming others, and relying on supernatural help, the once virtuous monk is now running out of time to repent. M.G Lewis' The Monk: A Romance was one of the best-selling novels of its era. With romance, crime, supernatural beings, and near-death experiences, this gothic horror is a gripping and haunting narrative that has remained compelling even to modern audiences. Featuring the depiction of taboo topics, social commentary, and themes of religion and temptation, The Monk: A Romance is as introspective as it is eerie. This edition of The Monk: A Romance by M.G Lewis is now presented with a new, eye-catching cover design and is printed in a stylish font, making it both accessible and contemporary.

Left at a monastery as a baby, Ambrosio grew up to be a cruel and stern monk, renowned for his sermons and piety. When a nun named Agnes goes to Ambrosio for the sacrament of confession, she admits that she is pregnant after having a long love affair with a man named Raymond. Though admissions told in confession are meant to be kept in confidence, Ambrosio turns Agnes over to the authorities in her convent for punishment. Without a trace of guilt or a second thought, Ambrosio returns to his normal life after this, unaware that he was soon to get himself into a situation that would make him empathize with Agnes. Meanwhile, Raymond, Agnes' lover, is confronted by her brother, who is angry that Raymond played a part in his sister's tarnished reputation. In order to earn support and sympathy, Raymond tells he and Agnes' elaborate love story, challenging the society's reaction to their relationship and pregnancy. Ambrosio, however, is unaware of this, nor does he think about it after he meets a beautiful woman named Matilda. Overcome with lust, Ambrosio begins an illicit affair with Matilda, breaking his vow of celibacy. Though he considers ending things with Matilda, Ambrosio finds himself addicted to her company, as Matilda helps satiate his every desire. As their relationship unfolds, however, Ambrosio finds himself longing for more and more. Committing crimes, harming others, and relying on supernatural help, the once virtuous monk is now running out of time to repent. M.G Lewis' The Monk: A Romance was one of the best-selling novels of its era. With romance, crime, supernatural beings, and near-death experiences, this gothic horror is a gripping and haunting narrative that has remained compelling even to modern audiences. Featuring the depiction of taboo topics, social commentary, and themes of religion and temptation, The Monk: A Romance is as introspective as it is eerie. This edition of The Monk: A Romance by M.G Lewis is now presented with a new, eye-catching cover design and is printed in a stylish font, making it both accessible and contemporary.

The Monk: A Romance is a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis, published in 1796. A quickly written book from early in Lewis's career (in one letter he claimed to have written it in ten weeks, but other correspondence suggests that he had at least started it, or something similar, a couple of years earlier), it was published before he turned twenty. It is a prime example of the male Gothic that specialises in the aspect of horror. Its convoluted and scandalous plot has made it one of the most important Gothic novels of its time, often imitated and adapted for the stage and the screen. In the same month as the second edition was published, Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote a piece in The Critical Review, an important literary magazine of the day, in which he both praises and harshly criticises the novel. He acknowledges that it is "the offspring of no common genius," that the "underplot... is skilfully and closely connected with the main story, and is subservient to its development," that the story Lewis weaves in about the bleeding nun is "truly terrific" and that he cannot recall a "bolder or more happy conception than that of the burning cross on the forehead of the wandering Jew." Coleridge gives his highest praise to the character of Matilda, who he believes is "the author's master-piece. It is, indeed, exquisitely imagined, and as exquisitely supported. The whole work is distinguished by the variety and impressiveness of its incidents; and the author everywhere discovers an imagination rich, powerful, and fervid. Such are the excellencies". Coleridge continues by saying that "the errors and defects are more numerous, and (we are sorry to add) of greater importance." Because "the order of nature may be changed whenever the author's purposes demand it" there are no surprises in the work. Moral truth cannot be gleaned because Ambrosio was destroyed by spiritual beings, and no earthly being can sufficiently oppose the "power and cunning of supernatural beings." Scenes of grotesquery and horror abound, which are a proof of "a low and vulgar taste." The character of Ambrosio is "impossible... contrary to nature." Coleridge argues that the most "grievous fault... for which no literary excellence can atone" is that "our author has contrived to make [tales of enchantments and witchcraft] ' 'pernicious' ', by blending, with an irreverent negligence, all that is most awfully true in religion with all that is most ridiculously absurd in superstition," commenting with the immortal line that "the Monk is a romance, which if a parent saw in the hands of a son or daughter, he might reasonably turn pale." Coleridge finishes the piece by explaining that he was "induced to pay particular attention to this work, from the unusual success which it has experienced" and that "the author is a man of rank and fortune. Yes! the author of the Monk signs himself a LEGISLATOR! We stare and tremble." Thomas James Mathias followed Coleridge's lead in The Pursuits of Literature, a poem in the 18th-Century satiric tradition, but takes a step farther than Coleridge by claiming that a specific passage made the novel indictable under law. The passage, found in Chapter Seven Volume II, discusses an interpretation of the Bible as too lewd for youth to read. These two major pieces led the way for a multitude of other attacks on the novel, from such sources as the Monthly Review, the Monthly Magazine, and the Scots Magazine; the last of these attacked the novel six years after its publication. It was a general trend amongst those who criticised, however, to offer praise of some aspect of the novel. "It looked," writes Parreaux, "as if every reviewer or critic of the book, no matter how hostile he was, felt compelled to at least pay lip-service to Lewis's genius." (wikipedia.org)

The Monk: A Romance is a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis, published in 1796. A quickly written book from early in Lewis's career (in one letter he claimed to have written it in ten weeks, but other correspondence suggests that he had at least started it, or something similar, a couple of years earlier), it was published before he turned twenty. It is a prime example of the male Gothic that specialises in the aspect of horror. Its convoluted and scandalous plot has made it one of the most important Gothic novels of its time, often imitated and adapted for the stage and the screen. In the same month as the second edition was published, Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote a piece in The Critical Review, an important literary magazine of the day, in which he both praises and harshly criticises the novel. He acknowledges that it is "the offspring of no common genius," that the "underplot... is skilfully and closely connected with the main story, and is subservient to its development," that the story Lewis weaves in about the bleeding nun is "truly terrific" and that he cannot recall a "bolder or more happy conception than that of the burning cross on the forehead of the wandering Jew." Coleridge gives his highest praise to the character of Matilda, who he believes is "the author's master-piece. It is, indeed, exquisitely imagined, and as exquisitely supported. The whole work is distinguished by the variety and impressiveness of its incidents; and the author everywhere discovers an imagination rich, powerful, and fervid. Such are the excellencies". Coleridge continues by saying that "the errors and defects are more numerous, and (we are sorry to add) of greater importance." Because "the order of nature may be changed whenever the author's purposes demand it" there are no surprises in the work. Moral truth cannot be gleaned because Ambrosio was destroyed by spiritual beings, and no earthly being can sufficiently oppose the "power and cunning of supernatural beings." Scenes of grotesquery and horror abound, which are a proof of "a low and vulgar taste." The character of Ambrosio is "impossible... contrary to nature." Coleridge argues that the most "grievous fault... for which no literary excellence can atone" is that "our author has contrived to make [tales of enchantments and witchcraft] ' 'pernicious' ', by blending, with an irreverent negligence, all that is most awfully true in religion with all that is most ridiculously absurd in superstition," commenting with the immortal line that "the Monk is a romance, which if a parent saw in the hands of a son or daughter, he might reasonably turn pale." Coleridge finishes the piece by explaining that he was "induced to pay particular attention to this work, from the unusual success which it has experienced" and that "the author is a man of rank and fortune. Yes! the author of the Monk signs himself a LEGISLATOR! We stare and tremble." Thomas James Mathias followed Coleridge's lead in The Pursuits of Literature, a poem in the 18th-Century satiric tradition, but takes a step farther than Coleridge by claiming that a specific passage made the novel indictable under law. The passage, found in Chapter Seven Volume II, discusses an interpretation of the Bible as too lewd for youth to read. These two major pieces led the way for a multitude of other attacks on the novel, from such sources as the Monthly Review, the Monthly Magazine, and the Scots Magazine; the last of these attacked the novel six years after its publication. It was a general trend amongst those who criticised, however, to offer praise of some aspect of the novel. "It looked," writes Parreaux, "as if every reviewer or critic of the book, no matter how hostile he was, felt compelled to at least pay lip-service to Lewis's genius." (wikipedia.org)

Thank you for checking out this book by Theophania Publishing. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you soon. We have thousands of titles available, and we invite you to search for us by name, contact us via our website, or download our most recent catalogues. The first idea of this Romance was suggested by the story of the Santon Barsisa, related in The Guardian.--The Bleeding Nun is a tradition still credited in many parts of Germany; and I have been told that the ruins of the Castle of Lauenstein, which She is supposed to haunt, may yet be seen upon the borders of Thuringia.--The Water-King, from the third to the twelfth stanza, is the fragment of an original Danish Ballad--And Belerma and Durandarte is translated from some stanzas to be found in a collection of old Spanish poetry, which contains also the popular song of Gayferos and Melesindra, mentioned in Don Quixote. I have now made a full avowal of all the plagiarisms of which I am aware myself; but I doubt not, many more may be found, of which I am at present totally unconscious.

Thank you for checking out this book by Theophania Publishing. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you soon. We have thousands of titles available, and we invite you to search for us by name, contact us via our website, or download our most recent catalogues. The first idea of this Romance was suggested by the story of the Santon Barsisa, related in The Guardian.--The Bleeding Nun is a tradition still credited in many parts of Germany; and I have been told that the ruins of the Castle of Lauenstein, which She is supposed to haunt, may yet be seen upon the borders of Thuringia.--The Water-King, from the third to the twelfth stanza, is the fragment of an original Danish Ballad--And Belerma and Durandarte is translated from some stanzas to be found in a collection of old Spanish poetry, which contains also the popular song of Gayferos and Melesindra, mentioned in Don Quixote. I have now made a full avowal of all the plagiarisms of which I am aware myself; but I doubt not, many more may be found, of which I am at present totally unconscious.