56 pages • 1 hour read
A Sicilian Romance
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
A Sicilian Romance is a Gothic novel published in 1790 by the English author Ann Radcliffe. It was her second published work, following The Castles of Athlin and Dubnayne in 1789. Both novels were at first published anonymously to unenthusiastic reviews. Radcliffe’s third novel, The Romance of the Forest (1791), began to establish her reputation as a pioneer of Gothic fiction. Radcliffe’s works are often characterized by elaborate landscape descriptions, strong-willed women within patriarchal societies, and critiques of Catholicism, all of which are evident in A Sicilian Romance. The novel combines romance, suspense, and terror in a labyrinthine castle set in the Sicilian countryside, exploring dichotomies between passion and reason, the natural and civilized worlds, and good and evil.
This guide uses the 2023 Moncreiffe Press print edition.
Content Warning: This novel discusses suicide and abuse.
Plot Summary
The novel opens with a tourist in Sicily who has visited the ruin of the former Mazzini castle and has been given a manuscript describing the history of the noble family who lived there in the 16th century. The tourist reconstitutes this manuscript into the novel’s plot.
After the loss of his wife, Louisa de Bernini, the Marquis de Mazzini marries Unlock all 56 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
Related Titles
By Ann Radcliffe
