Table of Contents

Part 1: Life, Times, Contexts and Themes explores the novel in the context of the author's life, the political scene, and the philosophy and literature that influenced it. Part 2: The Three Narratives is a close reading of the versions of events offered by the three narrators. It considers the themes of childhood and education, the moral problems at the centre of the novel, and the role of women. Part 3: Critical Responses gives an overview of the criticism on the novel. The book concludes with an annotated guide to further reading, and selections (with critical commentary) from other Gothic writings.

About the Author

Essaka Joshua is a lecturer at the University of Birmingham. She has published several articles on Romantic and Victorian literature, including studies of Mary Shelley, William Wordsworth, Thomas Lovell Beddoes, and Charlotte BrontA". Dr Joshua is the author of Pygmalion and Galatea: The History of a Narrative in English Literature (Ashgate, 2001), The Romantics and the May Day Tradition (Ashgate, 2007)and a textbook on The Remains of the Day (First and Best, 2004).