Today YIR wanted to direct your attention to the Gothic novels of Mrs. Ann Ward Radcliffe (b.1764). In her day, she was wildly popular in Britain, her heroines suffering non-stop in tempestuous situations, facing manipulative villainy at every turn.

The drama of these stories is dynamic, and Rhinos like the churning agitation and fast pace of her tales, such as ‘The Mysteries of Udolpho’ (1794) and ‘The Italian'(1797.)

Again, these stories were widely read, and their influence on consequent literature, drama, and film is self evident.