1793 Castle of Wolfenbach: Emily Parsons
Castle
of Wolfenbach is one of the “Seven Horrid Novels”
famously listed by Isabella Thorpe in Northanger
Abbey by Jane Austen. For many years, these novels were thought to be
inventions of Jane Austen, but research, published by Michael Sadleir in 1912,
revealed that the “Seven Horrid Novels” were all real books.
Emily Parsons (1739 -1811) had the distinction of
being the author of two of the horrid novels; Castle of Wolfenbach and The
Mysterious Warning. In all, Emily Parsons had more than 20 novels published
between 1790 and 1807. She was a devout Protestant, whose writings betrayed a
deep distrust of France and the Roman Catholic church.
Castle
of Wolfenbach was first published in 1793 by William
Lane in 2 volumes. It then seems to have been completely out of print until all
the seven horrid novels were re-issued by The Folio Press (Folio Society) in 1968.
The only possible collectible copy is that Folio Press edition shown here.
This
edition of Castle of Wolfenbach , like the first edition, is not illustrated but has an excellent
introduction written by Professor Devendra P. Varma, a Canadian expert in
Gothic literature, who has also edited a fine facsimile edition of Varney the Vampire, the famous "Penny Dreadful" Gothic serial.
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