Showing results by author "Matthew Lewis"

The Monk is a violent tale of ambition, murder, and incest. The great struggle between maintaining monastic vows and fulfilling personal ambitions leads the monk Ambrosio, into temptation and the breaking of his vows, then to sexual obsession and rape, and finally to murder in order to conceal his guilt. Written when Matthew Lewis was only 19, The Monk was criticised when first published in 1796 for its lewdness and impiety, but this criticism only added to its popularity.

Father Ambrosio, the most pious and venerated monk in all of Madrid, is held as a paragon of virtue. But after 30 years of study and prayer, evil thoughts begin to permeate his mind. As two plots cleverly converge, torture, murder, incest, rape, poison, and magic prevail, sustained by an elegance in the writing of the 19-year-old Matthew Lewis.

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.

Antarctica, June 6th 1998. 23-year-old Matt Lewis has just started his dream job: an observer aboard a deep sea fishing boat. As the crew haul in their lines for the day, the waves seem bigger than usual - they are casting shadows on the deck. A storm is brewing. What follows is an astonishing story of courage and tragedy. Lewis leads the escape onto three life rafts, where the battle for survival begins.

The individuals in this book all share a common bond - they were awakened. They awoke to a world that was unfamiliar to them and one that was often terrifying and bizarre. Suddenly, those trusted men and women in power became manipulators and power hungry dictators and not the democratic leaders we are led to believe. A unique collection of evidence and theory is set out in this film to reveal a new world order.

Artist Hans Holbein is summoned to the house of Sir Thomas More to receive the commission of a lifetime. He will leave with a secret that could cost him his life. He will learn the truth about the life of King Richard III, the man that the Tudor dynasty has been at great pains to villify. From his return from exile with his brother, King Edward IV, to his rise to become the king's most loyal, most trusted, and most powerful subject. From his flourishing personal life to his seizure of the throne from his nephew.

In this sequel to Loyalty, Hans Holbein returns to London in search of royal patronage, a secret from his past will define his future in a new, terrifying way. The story that he knows did not end at Bosworth. In the aftermath, Henry Tudor must try to secure his dynasty against unending, unseen threats. From the ashes of all that they knew, those who cannot accept King Henry's rule must find a place in the new world being forced upon them. Who does the truth belong to?

Il monaco è il primo e più famoso romanzo gotico. Scritto nel 1796, raccolse un enorme successo, ma creò anche un notevole scandalo per i suoi contenuti: castelli, abbazie, fantasmi e, soprattutto, violenze, stupri, incesti; fra i suoi personaggi troviamo addirittura l’Ebreo errante, e Lucifero in persona. L’autore pubblicò quindi una versione più accettabile nel 1798, in cui i contenuti scabrosi hanno un intento più dichiaratamente morale, rendendolo ispiratore di numerosi altri romanzi (si pensa che anche Manzoni vi si sia ispirato).