The Romance of the Forest

The Romance of the Forest - Ann Radcliffe [These notes were made in June, 1981:]. Source - Robarts. Finished May/81. Having read Castles and Sicilian Romance, I am amazed at the astonishing improvement in this book. For my money it is better than Udolpho - it is mercifully free of the excessive natural description, and its death-cell scenes stir me a little more than Emily's gallant defence of her property. The Marquis is not, perhaps, so masterly a villain as Montoni, but then, neither can live up to Schedoni, and I find Adeline and her lover a little more independent-minded that Emily/Ellena and Valancourt/Vivaldi. The best Radcliffe I've read so far, tho' I've not yet finished The Italian.