The Monk

Stories about the frightening and mystical invariably attract the attention of listeners. The founder of the so-called "Gothic" literature, full of supernatural horrors, mysterious adventures, and inexplicable phenomena, was the English writer and bibliophile Horace Walpole in the second half of the 18th century. In his novel "The Castle of Otranto," published in 1764, the narrative was filled with dark and ominous scenes. Walpole's literary legacy gave rise to an intellectual movement in England known as the "Gothic Revival." In this vein lie later works such as "The Mysteries of Udolpho" by Ann Radcliffe, "The Manuscript Found in Saragossa" by Jan Potocki, and "The Monk" by Matthew Gregory Lewis.

From birth, it was destined for Gregory Lewis to become a significant statesman. The future writer was born in London in 1775 to a family of influential politicians. Matthew received an excellent education at Christ Church College, Oxford University, and then undertook a long journey through Germany, becoming acquainted with the most famous representatives of German culture. Lewis began his career in The Hague, where he took the position of British attaché. Over time, he became a member of the House of Commons in the English Parliament and later engaged in economic activities in Jamaica. However, alongside this, a second life flowed for Matthew Gregory, in which he was a writer. In his youth, Lewis read both Walpole's "The Castle of Otranto" and Radcliffe's "The Mysteries of Udolpho" — he felt that he could also write something similar. As a result, the novel "The Monk" came from the pen of nineteen-year-old Matthew, which is still considered one of the landmark works written in the Gothic style. Trying not to mix his two lives, Lewis published his "Monk" anonymously in 1796, but he could not hide his authorship for long, and soon friends and acquaintances began to call him Lewis the Monk. The success of the novel, with its aestheticization of repulsion and descriptions of black magic, hellish temptations, cruel deeds, and dark omens, was extraordinary. "The Monk" was praised by the Marquis de Sade, who called it the most characteristic of novels in the latest fashion. Inspired by his success, Lewis continued to write. He became the author of the tragedy "The Ghost of the Castle," which was staged in 1798. A year later, Matthew released a collection called "Horrible Tales," and a couple of years later, a collection titled "Magic Tales." Nevertheless, his "Monk" continued to occupy a leading position in this series. Based on this landmark work, a French mystical thriller featuring Vincent Cassel in the leading role was filmed in 2011.