Horace Walpole – ‘The Castle of Otranto’ Book

Considered the first gothic novel ever written, this daring and lighthearted story of the medieval dynasty and sexual politics has influenced writers like Stoker, Poe, and Rowling.

It recounts the fortunes of the royal line of Sicily in the thirteenth century and is full of unfulfilled prophecies, paranormal events, adventure, suspense, and destiny.

The day before Prince Conrad’s nuptials to the lovely Princess Isabella, he is crushed to death. His father, King Manfred, decides to marry the princess himself since he is an orphan and is scared of an old prophecy that predicts the end of his dynasty. With the aid of the unassuming Theodore, Isabella escapes the regal castle and heads for the sanctuary of a local church since she is anything but smitten with her new fiancé.