The Romance of the Forest

Description

The Romance of the Forest (1791) is a novel by Ann Radcliffe. Her third novel was immensely popular upon publication, going though several editions in the span of three years. Considered an essential work of Gothic fiction, The Romance of the Forest made her name as a leading novelist of suspense and the supernatural. As night descends on the city of Paris, Pierre and Constance de la Motte leave their home for what may be the last time. Unable to pay their creditors, they've decided to flee by carriage with their servants Peter and Annette, who help them as they frantically pack whatever they can before morning arrives. Although their escape proves successful, they decide to stop in order to find a place to rest until dawn. Following a faint light, Pierre makes his way through the darkness to an ancient home, where a stranger grants him entry. Soon, however, his hope dissipates as he is locked in a room with a beautiful woman and told that he must take her with him on his journey. Fearing for his life, he agrees to the stranger's demands, and makes his way back to the carriage with Adeline in tow. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Ann Radcliffe's The Romance of the Forest is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

Ann Radcliffe (1764-1823) was an English novelist. Born in London, she moved with her family to Bath in 1772 and was known as a shy girl in her youth. In 1787, she married Oxford graduate William Radcliffe, who owned and edited the English Chronicle. While he worked late to supervise the publication of the evening paper, Ann remained at home working on stories for her own entertainment. Eventually, with William's encouragement, she began publishing her novels and soon became one of the bestselling writers of her time. Recognized as a pioneering author of Gothic fiction, Radcliffe first found acclaim with The Romance of the Forest (1791) and published her magnum opus, The Mysteries of Udolpho, just three years later. By the end of the eighteenth century, Radcliffe found herself at odds with the growing popularity of Gothic fiction and withdrew from public life almost entirely. While several biographers, including Christina Rossetti and Walter Scott, have attempted to piece together the story of her life, a lack of written correspondence and her overall pension for privacy have made her a figure whose mystery mirrors that of her novels.