The Old English Baron is an ambitious rewriting of Horace Walpole's Castle of Otranto, transporting the trappings of the Gothic to medieval England. The noble hero endures many adventures of romantic horror in order to obtain his rightful heritage, and the story concludes with a dramatic day of retribution. Reeve's book is increasingly recognized as a major influence in the development of Gothic fiction.
When Sir Philip Harclay returns to England after a long absence, he finds that his childhood friend, Arthur, Lord Lovel, is no longer alive, and that the castle and estates of the Lovel...

The Old English Baron follows the adventurous story of Sir Philip Harclay, who, after returning to medieval England, finds that Arthur Lord Lovel, a childhood friend, is dead. He discovered that Arthur's cousin Walter Lord Lovel had inherited the estate and sold the family castle to the baron, Fitz-Owen. But things take a turn when a mysteriously abandoned set of rooms in the castle promises to reveal the secrets of the past. After a series of surprising twists and turns, the legitimacy of the true heir is finally discovered.

"The Castle of Otranto" tells the story of Manfred, lord of the castle, and his family. On the wedding-day of his sickly son Conrad and princess Isabella, Conrad is crushed to death by a gigantic helmet that falls on him from above. This inexplicable event is particularly ominous in light of an ancient prophecy. Manfred, terrified that Conrad's death signals the beginning of the end for his line, resolves to avert destruction by marrying Isabella himself while divorcing his current wife Hippolita, whom he feels has failed to bear him a proper heir. "The Old English Baron" is the literary...