The Castle of Otranto
Published in 1764, The Castle of Otranto is a gothic fiction and vampire fiction novella by Horace Walpole. The story is set in Italy and Great Britain. It deals with castles, vampires, Open_syllabus_project and inheritance and succession.
Open Library readers give it an average of 3.5 out of 5 from 22 ratings, and 213 more have it on their want-to-read list. It has been published in 582 editions across 6 languages. On Project Gutenberg it was downloaded 10,608 times in the last 30 days.
It runs to roughly 114 pages — 2–3 hours of reading at an average pace. It is in the public domain, so you can read it free on Project Gutenberg or listen to the 4 h 04 min LibriVox audiobook.
About The Castle of Otranto
This book is the earliest and most influential of the Gothic novels. First published pseudonymously in 1764, The Castle of Otranto purported to be a translation of an Italian story of the time of the crusades. In it Walpole attempted, as he declared in the Preface to the second edition, "to blend the two kinds of romance: the ancient and the modern." He gives us a series of catastrophes, ghostly interventions, revelations of identity, and exciting contests. Crammed with invention, entertainment, terror, and pathos, the novel was an immediate success and Walpole's own favorite among his numerous works. - Back cover.
Free audiobook
The Castle of Otranto — LibriVox recording, 4 h 04 min in 6 sections.
Public-domain recording by volunteer readers. Listen online, download MP3s or stream from the Internet Archive.
Quick answers
Who wrote The Castle of Otranto?
The Castle of Otranto was written by Horace Walpole and first published in 1764.
What genre is The Castle of Otranto?
It is usually shelved as Gothic Fiction, Vampire Fiction, Horror and Historical Fiction.
How long is The Castle of Otranto?
The median edition has 114 pages, about 2–3 hours of reading at 250 words per minute.
Is The Castle of Otranto free to read?
Yes. It is in the public domain in the United States and can be read free on Project Gutenberg in EPUB, Kindle and HTML formats.
Is there a free audiobook of The Castle of Otranto?
Yes — LibriVox volunteers recorded it; the recording runs 4 h 04 min.
What books are similar to The Castle of Otranto?
Readers who like it often enjoy The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dracula and The Vampyre.
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