The Monk [Recorded Books Edition] Audiobook By Matthew Lewis cover art

The Monk [Recorded Books Edition]

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The Monk [Recorded Books Edition]

By: Matthew Lewis
Narrated by: Jefferson Mays
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"Few could sustain the glance of his eye, at once fiery and penetrating."

Savaged by critics for its supposed profanity and obscenity and bought in large numbers by readers eager to see whether it lived up to its lurid reputation, The Monk became a success due to scandal when it was published in 1796 - not least because its author was a member of parliament and only 20 years old. It recounts the diabolical decline of Ambrosio, a Capuchin superior, who succumbs first to temptations offered by a young girl who has entered his monastery disguised as a boy, and continues his descent with increasingly depraved acts of sorcery, murder, incest, and torture. Combining sensationalism with acute psychological insight, this masterpiece of Gothic fiction is a powerful exploration of how violent and erotic impulses can break through the barriers of social and moral restraint.

This edition is based on the first edition of 1796, which appeared before Lewis' revisions to avoid charges of blasphemy. In his introduction Christopher MacLachlan discusses the novel's place within the Gothic genre and its themes of sexual desire and the abuse of power.

Public Domain (P)2015 Recorded Books Fantasy Gothic Horror

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absolutely 💯 fantastic. stunning & provocative it goes beyond words. a must read! 👌🏻

supernatural tragic comedy

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One of the most famous stories ever .. and a performance for the ages! Masterful reading all around. I have listened 5 times and will start again soon. A slow weaving to a grotesque climax. A gothic morality tale if there ever was one.

Don’t let old grammar fool you .. this is true horror!

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the narrator was great. the book was slow for the first 4 hours but after that it was good. the ending is a complete mindf*uck for sure. being published I'm 1796 with this sort of subject matter seems way ahead of it's time. must read!

The ending was phenominal!

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Great way to pass away the time with romantic language, plots, storylines and thrilling action.

Sinister twist.

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I can't believe the best narrator for this novel is free for audible members. I've listened to samples of the others available on Audible, but this guy fits the novel's tone best. What makes his narration so great is that despite this being a gothic horror novel, there is a lot of comedy in it. The characters profess their love for each in the novel in a way that is part Cyrano de Bergerac, part Shakespere. It's can be melodramatic cheesy but still endearing. This narrator puts just the right amount of comedic tone in his voice without ruining the gothic horror vibe of the book. There are also many old women in the novel that think all these dashing young hansome men are in love with them, which also provides the novel a comedic effect. Again, this narrator handles those scenes masterfully which makes them read much more funny than if you had just read it in your head. I can't sing praises to this narrator enough.

The Best Narrator for the Novel

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This book is overblown and I love it. The author's reading meets the drama without overdoing it, which would be very easy for this novel. Recommend listening at a higher speed, but I love this audiobook.

Most Gothic of Gothics

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The narrator was PERFECT! And delivered the story with such emotion that I couldn’t stop listening. Excellent performance of an amazing book!

A new favorite!

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