It was evening. Multitudes of light clouds, partially illumined by the moonbeams, overspread the horizon, and through them floated the full moon in tranquil majesty, while her splendour was reflected by every wave of the Adriatic Sea. All was hushed around; gently was the water rippled by the night wind; gently did the night wind sigh through the Colonnades of Venice. It was midnight; and still sat a stranger, solitary and sad, on the border of the great canal. Now with a glance he measured the battlements and proud towers of the city; and now he fixed his melancholy eyes upon the waters with a vacant stare. At length he spoke -

Horror in literature attains a new malignity in the work of Matthew Gregory Lewis (1773-1818), whose novel The Monk (1796) achieved marvelous popularity and earned him the nickname 'Monk' Lewis. This young author, educated in Germany and saturated with a body of wild Teuton lore unknown to Mrs. Radcliffe, turned to terror in forms more violent than his gentle predecessor had ever dared to think of; and produced as a result a masterpiece of active nightmare whose general Gothic cast is spiced with added stores of ghoulishness. The story is one of a Spanish monk, Ambrosio, who from a state of over-proud virtue is tempted to the very nadir of evil by a fiend in the guise of the maiden Matilda...The novel contains some appalling descriptions such as the incantation in the vaults beneath the convent cemetery, the burning of the convent, and the final end of the wretched abbot. erring ancestress, The Bleeding Nun, there are many enormously potent strokes; notably the visit of the animated corpse to the Marquis's bedside, and the cabalistic ritual whereby the Wandering Jew helps him to fathom and banish his dead tormentor... -- H. P. Lovecraft, Supernatural Horror In Literature

When "The Monk" first appeared in 1796, critics were shocked and outraged. That a Member of Parliament should publish a novel filled with blasphemy, rape, murder, incest, rotting corpses, and devil worship was unthinkable and unprecedented. But efforts to suppress the book failed, readers loved it, and it became a worldwide bestseller. Today it is regarded as one of the finest Gothic horror novels ever written.
M.G. Lewis's novel - written when he was only nineteen - centers on Ambrosio, a monk renowned for his piety, who finds himself faced with temptation when his passions are aroused by Matilda, a beautiful girl who has entered the monastery disguised as a boy. But after he succumbs to her charms, Ambrosio's lust for sensual gratification quickly becomes insatiable, and he begins a precipitous descent into depravity, indulging in sorcery, demonic rituals, rape, and murder as he seeks to sate his unquenchable desires. . . .
This definitive edition of "The Monk" reprints the unabridged text of the three-volume 1796 first edition from the copy in the British Library and features an introduction by one of the most popular and acclaimed horror writers of our time, Stephen King. Also included are six lurid full-page illustrations from the 1797 and 1807 Paris editions of the novel, along with a portrait of the author and a reproduction of the original title page.

Left at a monastery as a baby, Ambrosio grew up to be a cruel and stern monk, renowned for his sermons and piety. When a nun named Agnes goes to Ambrosio for the sacrament of confession, she admits that she is pregnant after having a long love affair with a man named Raymond. Though admissions told in confession are meant to be kept in confidence, Ambrosio turns Agnes over to the authorities in her convent for punishment. Without a trace of guilt or a second thought, Ambrosio returns to his normal life after this, unaware that he was soon to get himself into a situation that would make him empathize with Agnes. Meanwhile, Raymond, Agnes’ lover, is confronted by her brother, who is angry that Raymond played a part in his sister’s tarnished reputation. In order to earn support and sympathy, Raymond tells he and Agnes’ elaborate love story, challenging the society’s reaction to their relationship and pregnancy. Ambrosio, however, is unaware of this, nor does he think about it after he meets a beautiful woman named Matilda. Overcome with lust, Ambrosio begins an illicit affair with Matilda, breaking his vow of celibacy. Though he considers ending things with Matilda, Ambrosio finds himself addicted to her company, as Matilda helps satiate his every desire. As their relationship unfolds, however, Ambrosio finds himself longing for more and more. Committing crimes, harming others, and relying on supernatural help, the once virtuous monk is now running out of time to repent. M.G Lewis’ The Monk: A Romance was one of the best-selling novels of its era. With romance, crime, supernatural beings, and near-death experiences, this gothic horror is a gripping and haunting narrative that has remained compelling even to modern audiences. Featuring the depiction of taboo topics, social commentary, and themes of religion and temptation, The Monk: A Romance is as introspective as it is eerie. This edition of The Monk: A Romance by M.G Lewis is now presented with a new, eye-catching cover design and is printed in a stylish font, making it both accessible and contemporary.

Left at a monastery as a baby, Ambrosio grew up to be a cruel and stern monk, renowned for his sermons and piety. When a nun named Agnes goes to Ambrosio for the sacrament of confession, she admits that she is pregnant after having a long love affair with a man named Raymond. Though admissions told in confession are meant to be kept in confidence, Ambrosio turns Agnes over to the authorities in her convent for punishment. Without a trace of guilt or a second thought, Ambrosio returns to his normal life after this, unaware that he was soon to get himself into a situation that would make him empathize with Agnes. Meanwhile, Raymond, Agnes' lover, is confronted by her brother, who is angry that Raymond played a part in his sister's tarnished reputation. In order to earn support and sympathy, Raymond tells he and Agnes' elaborate love story, challenging the society's reaction to their relationship and pregnancy. Ambrosio, however, is unaware of this, nor does he think about it after he meets a beautiful woman named Matilda. Overcome with lust, Ambrosio begins an illicit affair with Matilda, breaking his vow of celibacy. Though he considers ending things with Matilda, Ambrosio finds himself addicted to her company, as Matilda helps satiate his every desire. As their relationship unfolds, however, Ambrosio finds himself longing for more and more. Committing crimes, harming others, and relying on supernatural help, the once virtuous monk is now running out of time to repent. M.G Lewis' The Monk: A Romance was one of the best-selling novels of its era. With romance, crime, supernatural beings, and near-death experiences, this gothic horror is a gripping and haunting narrative that has remained compelling even to modern audiences. Featuring the depiction of taboo topics, social commentary, and themes of religion and temptation, The Monk: A Romance is as introspective as it is eerie. This edition of The Monk: A Romance by M.G Lewis is now presented with a new, eye-catching cover design and is printed in a stylish font, making it both accessible and contemporary.