This is for the thespian goths out there. This book has the dramatics of a Shakespearean play mixed with the melancholy, supernatural vibes of a gothic novel.

The Castle of Otranto is said to be the grandfather of gothic fiction and I can appreciate it for what it has inspired from the past, present, and possibly the future with new modern gothic novels coming out. I myself am not the biggest fan of novels written for the stage, so this book wasn't exactly for me. The book has long drawn out monologues that can be found in dramas and an omniscient voice narrating the story.

But let's get into the gothic vibes: obviously it is set in a castle with haunted corridors, prophecies, melodrama, grief, death, hysterics, and a damsel in distress. Manfred tries to escape fate and the prophecy he is known to have. After the event of his son, he soon goes absolutely bonkers and turns into a tyrant. You have Theodore the knight in shining armor so to speak, Isabella the damsel in distress, and Manfred's own family in the cross fire of his tyranny.

I think it was fun to read something that inspired one of my favorite genres, although it may not be my favorite and something I come back to often.