{"product_id":"the-monk-9791043138133","title":"The Monk","description":"\u003cp\u003e • Author(s): M. G. Lewis\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher: Les Prairies Numeriques\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher Imprint: Les Prairies Numeriques\u003cbr\u003e • BISAC: Ancient, Classical \u0026amp; Medieval\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Monk\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eM. G. Lewis\u003c\/strong\u003e claimed to have written \u003cstrong\u003eThe Monk\u003c\/strong\u003e in just ten weeks, when he was twenty-one years of age. He published the first edition anonymously, sensing that the controversial and then-pornographic nature of the novel would stun society. And so it did-the book was so sensational, so salacious, and so scandalous, that after he put his full name (and title, as a member of \u003cstrong\u003eParliament\u003c\/strong\u003e) on the second edition, his reputation hardly recovered for the rest of his life.\u003cstrong\u003eThe Monk\u003c\/strong\u003e is a Gothic horror novel marked by an intricate plot, melodramatic characters, and scenes of shocking terror. It follows two plots: in the first, the celebrated monk Ambrosio meets a mysterious novice at the abbey-a woman, \u003cstrong\u003eMatilda\u003c\/strong\u003e, posing as a man, who seems to have a powerful, irresistible charisma. \u003cstrong\u003eMatilda\u003c\/strong\u003e seduces Ambrosio not just in body but in mind, and leads him down a path of darkness and brutal violence. In the other plot, \u003cstrong\u003eRaymond\u003c\/strong\u003e, the son of a marquis, falls in love with a nun, and the two scheme to live together; but their plans lead to encounters with evil spirits, exorcisms, riots, dungeons, and more.\u003cstrong\u003eThe\u003c\/strong\u003e novel was shocking for its time in its frank depiction of sexuality and sexual violence, demons, spirits, and scenes of raw horror; but just as shocking was its anti-religious sentiment and thesis that evil often triumphs over good. It sold so well and offended so many that just two years after its publication \u003cstrong\u003eLewis\u003c\/strong\u003e was forced to issue a bowdlerized fourth edition, in which any offensive passages were either muted or expunged. Despite this attempt at satisfying society, and despite at least one written apology, \u003cstrong\u003eLewis\u003c\/strong\u003e spent the rest of his days in a constant struggle to escape the shadow of \u003cstrong\u003eThe Monk\u003c\/strong\u003e's reputation, which he never quite did-even posthumous assessments of him as a person sometimes concluded that the debauched excess depicted \u003cstrong\u003eThe Monk\u003c\/strong\u003e reflected a failing of his own personal morals\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Les Prairies Numeriques","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47776369901719,"sku":"9791043138133","price":2641.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0666\/3471\/1191\/files\/9791043138133.webp?v=1777995842","url":"https:\/\/atlanticbooks.com\/products\/the-monk-9791043138133","provider":"Atlantic Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}