The Monk

In Madrid, the saints have to carry spectators: the Capuchin church is so packed that boys perch on cherubim and St. Agatha is made to bear double. Then a veiled young woman catches Don Lorenzo’s eye—and refuses to show her face.

Published in 1796, M. G. Lewis’s Gothic romance opens amid the chatter and crush of a Spanish city where even a sermon becomes a social spectacle. Antonia, newly arrived and guarded by her sharp-tongued aunt, draws Lorenzo closer with every quiet answer; beyond this flirtation looms Ambrosio, a monk whose reputation for virtue will soon face a dangerous test. In a world ruled by public appearances, private desires may prove far harder to govern. What lies beneath Antonia’s veil—and what might tempt the monk from his vows?

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