The Monk by Matthew Lewis

By Admin on September 18, 2023 in Blog

. The Monk by Matthew Lewis is one that has stayed with me since I finished it a couple of months ago. This epic 18th century novel written by a young Matthew Lewis is perhaps one of the world’s most enduring gothic novels to survive to this day. Surprisingly I had never heard of it, but when I discovered it and began reading, It was hard to put down.

There are a few themes to explore in The Monk. Good v’s evil, Moral tales about the dangers of pride, the dangers of religious fundamentalism all with a love story intertwined.

Set during the Spanish inquisition and inspired by folk horror tales of the time. The monk revolves around the story of Ambrosio, a capuchin monk who is greatly admired amongst the pious Madrid faithful for his consecrated life and dedication to his saintly calling.

I was not sure exactly how to frame my simple analysis of this story and from which angle to tackle it. You can approach it from different viewpoints. To get an idea it is probably best to lay out the main plot points of this tale.

Ambrosio grows up in the care of the monastery after being left at their doorstep as a baby. Once an adult he becomes a greatly admired leader. Crowds flock to his sermons and people seek his council. Ambrosio however, conscious of his fame and the admiration bestowed upon him, never leaves the monastery unless it is to give one of his sermons as he does not want to be seen amongst the common people of the city. Enter “Rosario” a young new arrival. And so begins Ambrosio’s downfall. We soon find out Rosario is actually Matilda in disguise. Matilda idolises Ambrosio and is set on making him hers, but her intentions are sinister. Ambrosio quickly falls.

What follows is a compounding of heinous acts committed by Ambrosio as he discovers pleasure he had till now not known. The more he discovers, the more he wants and it all comes to a head as he makes the young Antonia, a devout admirer of his, an obsession.

Running parallel to Ambrosio’s story is the story of Agnes and Don Raymondo. The aforementioned love story. Mingling romance with swashbuckling chivalry and a touch of the supernatural, it is a story just as entertaining as the tale of Ambrosio.

Throughout the book the chapters interchange between both tales. Though they run parallel for the most part, there are certain plot points which connect both stories. But I will not go into detail to avoid spoilers.

Perhaps the only negative thing I can say about this book is that some chapters in the Agnes and Don Raymondo story feel as though they drag on a bit. I suppose this is due to the fact that at the end of each chapter in the Ambrosio saga, The author did a great job of leaving the reader in suspense and you may find yourself wanting to find out what happens next in Ambrosio’s downfall.

Much has been written about the possible motivations behind the writing of this story. One prominent theory is that the author had an anti Catholic view. This seems plausible as the book was written during a period of time when England was in a deeply Protestant phase of its history. The suspected anti Catholic themes do seem prominent. The fall of a pious monk after living a deeply repressed life, the introduction of an evil prioress in the story of Agnes and the lack of divine intervention when it comes to battling the forces of evil, as if to say that these supposed saintly people do not have God’s backing.

This may be well and true, but The Monk by Matthew Lewis can also be read as a cautionary tale about the dangers of thinking oneself too good for this world. Despite its religious overtones, It is a story that is relevant for our time and could apply to almost any situation where we place someone on a pedestal, especially when that someone has narcissistic tendencies.

However you may choose to approach this book, it will prove to be an entertaining story. Combining horror, humour, romance and written in prose that is easily accessible for a novel of its time, it is one I highly recommend especially for fans of the gothic horror genre.

I was delighted to find out that there is a film adaptation which I will be sure to check out.