"The sound approached towards him -- the chains rattled vehemently; scarcely had he sprung from his chair, and seized his sword, ere the door flew open, and a spectre, whose arms and legs were fastened with heavy chains, with a naked body covered with wounds, from which the blood still seemed to gush, with clotted hair and eyes dripping with blood, rendered visible by a flame which burnt on the crown of its head, replete with purple gashes, stood before him." In The Castle of Ollada, the first novel by Gothic master Francis Lathom, young Altador seeks to solve the mystery of the Castle of Ollada and win the love of the beautiful Matilda. Why does the Baron Garcia refuse to inhabit the ancient castle? And what is the bloody spectre that has been witnessed haunting its ruined halls? An immediate success when first published in 1795, The Castle of Ollada was the first novel by celebrated Gothic writer Francis Lathom, who wrote it at age 20. Inspired by Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto and the novels of Ann Radcliffe, The Castle of Ollada will captivate modern readers with its gloomy atmosphere and dark Gothic mysteries.  This edition includes the complete unabridged text, based on the second edition of 1831, as well as a foreword and notes for modern readers. The complete text of two contemporary reviews is also included to illustrate the novel's reception when originally published.

The Castle of Ollada

Literature & Fiction

Lathom, Francis

Genre Fiction

Valancourt Books

"He drew aside the covering which concealed the face of the subject...guess, if you can, the horror, the astonishment, when, in the countenance of the deceased, I beheld my own mother!" The worthy doctor Urbino di Cavetti is kidnapped and led blindfolded to the bedside of a young woman. A mysterious nobleman offers him an immense fortune if he will consent to cure her...of her life! Horrified, Urbino refuses to murder her, and must flee his native Venice with his family to avoid the powerful stranger's vengeance. They flee to the isolated Castello della Torvida, which local peasants affirm to be haunted. But the spectre the servants see and the supernatural warnings the family receives are the least of their worries when Urbino's niece, the lovely Paulina, is kidnapped by the lascivious Marchese di Valdetti. Confined a prisoner in Valdetti's castle, Paulina must choose: become the Marchese's wife, or fall victim to his insatiable lust! Can her friends penetrate the mysteries of the haunted castle and save Paulina in time? With a colourful cast of characters and an intricate plot, Italian Mysteries was among Francis Lathom's most successful Gothic novels. This edition, the first since 1820, includes a new introduction and explanatory notes for modern readers.

Italian Mysteries (Gothic Classics)

Literary

The year is 1587. Conflicts with Scottish borderers and rampaging banditti threaten England's peace and security, and Queen Elizabeth orders Lord William de Mowbray to fortify his castle against the invaders. Meanwhile, within the castle, Lord William's daughter Rosalind has fallen in love with the orphan Edward and will do anything to avoid a forced marriage with the sinister Lord Rufus de Madginecourt. 
Incensed at learning of Rosalind's love for Edward, Lord William sends him to Flanders, where he arranges to have him unjustly imprisoned. With her Edward unable to protect her, can Rosalind withstand the combined persecutions of her father and Lord Rufus? Who is Allanrod, the mysterious Scottish freebooter who seems determined to possess her? And what is the bloodstained spectre clad in black armour the servants have seen haunting the castle grounds? 
An incredible success when it first appeared in 1806, The Mysterious Freebooter was Francis Lathom's most popular novel and one of the bestselling novels of the first half of the nineteenth century. This new edition makes The Mysterious Freebooter - which is as entertaining and suspenseful today as when it was first published - available to new generations of readers.

The Mysterious Freebooter; Or, the Days of Queen Bess (Gothic Classics)

British & Irish

Men and Manners

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

Men and Manners: A Novel, Volume II

History

BiblioLife

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

The One-Pound Note: And Other Tales (1820)

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Kessinger Publishing

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

The Impenetrable Secret V2: Find It Out! (1831)

Religion & Spirituality

Kessinger Publishing, LLC

Men and manners, a novel. In four volumes. By Francis Lathom, ... Volume 4 of 4

Reference

Words, Language & Grammar

Gale ECCO, Print Editions

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Books by Lathom, Francis

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The Castle of Ollada

Italian Mysteries (Gothic Classics)

The Mysterious Freebooter; Or, the Days of Queen Bess (Gothic Classics)

Men and Manners: A Novel, Volume II

Men and Manners

The One-Pound Note: And Other Tales (1820)

The One-Pound Note: And Other Tales (1820)

The Impenetrable Secret V2: Find It Out! (1831)

The Impenetrable Secret V2: Find It Out! (1831)

Men and manners, a novel. In four volumes. By Francis Lathom, ... Volume 4 of 4