ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -The novel shows several Gothic elements such as mysterious settings, mysterious and suspenseful atmospheres, ancient prophecy, visions, high emotion, supernatural events, and women in distress. The novel shows basically all the elements of Gothic Literature.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Castle of Otranto, novel by Horace Walpole, published under a pseudonym in 1764 (though first editions bear the next year’s date). It is considered the first Gothic novel in the English language, and it is often said to have founded the horror story as a legitimate literary form.

Detailed explanation-3: -Generally regarded as the first Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto was first published in 1764. Its author is Horace Walpole (1717–1797), but it purports to be a translation of a work printed in Naples in 1529 and newly discovered in the library of ‘an ancient Catholic family in the north of England’.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Castle of Otranto was inspired by Walpole’s fascination with medieval history and artefacts. He even built a fake gothic castle, which became known as known as Strawberry Hill House, in 1749.