Romance of the Forest: Part 1

Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe is set in the 17th century and reads differently from The Castle of Otranto. You can definitely tell that the idea of the novel has evolved as there is more plot build-up and reads more like your traditional novel. The beginning of the novel was very confusing, but I quickly figured out the situation. Ann Radcliffe is very wordy and details all emotions, even when it is unnecessary. The first 50-60 pages was quite boring, but once the Marquis enters the situation and Adeline meets Theodore, the conflict begins and things start to get interesting.

There are a variety of characters in the novel and I find it interesting that the servants are again static characters. I would so far characterize Madame La Motte a stock character and Adeline is definitely a dynamic character. The use of traditional Gothic elements is rampant throughout the novel. The ruined abbey is the perfect location to start the Gothic novel and the dark passageways, fainting females, and supernatural elements demonstrate classic Gothic. I am excited to see what will happen between Adeline and Theodore. I wonder if Adeline rejecting her offers in a time where arranged marriages were still predominant was thought of controversial and am interested to see who she ends up with at the end of the novel.