Each of these four Gothic stories reveals a psychological tale of isolation and monomania. H. Walpole's 'The Castle of Otranto' is filled with terror and ghostly interventions. William Beckford's 'Vathek' alternates grotesque comedy with scenes of exotic magnificence. 'The Monk', by Matthew Lewis an...

Each of these four Gothic stories reveals a psychological tale of isolation and monomania. H. Walpole's 'The Castle of Otranto' is filled with terror and ghostly interventions. William Beckford's 'Vathek' alternates grotesque comedy with scenes of exotic magnificence. 'The Monk', by Matthew Lewis and M. Shelley's 'Frankenstein' are also included.