"You may find, perhaps, signor, that the strength of my mind is equal to the justice of my cause...."
Ann Radcliff: Mysteries of Udolpho
The smash hit of 1795, The Mysteries of Udolpho is
known for its fearsome characters, daring
escapes, gruesome deaths, and epic swordplay. Authors such as Emily Bronte,
Jane Austen, Edgar Allen Poe, Fodor Dostoevsky, Bram Stoker, and Victor Hugo
credit Udolpho with inspiring them. The novel follows the
adventures of Emily, who loses her parents and her fortune. She is thrown upon
the mercies of her vulgar aunt and grasping uncle by marriage, Madame and Signor
Montoni. Separated from her love, Valancourt, Emily is forced to the castle
of Udolpho in the remote mountains of Italy. There Signor Montoni murders
Emily’s aunt through neglect, establishes an army of banditti to rob
travelers, and tries to sell Emily to the highest bidder as a bride. With
her loyal French maid, the maid’s lover, and Chevalier DuPont,
Emily escapes. Montoni is captured and murdered in prison. Emily
then learns that while she was imprisoned, Valancourt was drinking
and gambling his way through Paris. Heartbroken Emily has no
time to grieve, however, as ghosts begin to walk, bandits rob and kidnap her friends,
and a mysterious nun is discovered who holds the key to Emily's father's secret heartbreak.
Finally Emily regains her fortune, lover, and happiness. Meanwhile,
Montoni’s friend has now obtained permission to investigate Montoni’s
murder. We must answer the question of who killed this villain…for if justice is not served immediately, the horrifying
ramifications will haunt the next generation!