Prepare to be shocked. This novel, written in 1796, is a gothic festival of sex, magic and ghastly, ghostly violence rarely seen in literature. The Monk is remarkably modern in style and tells a breathless tale of temptation, imprisonment and betrayal. Matthew Lewis recounts the downfall of Ambrosio, the holier than thou monk seduced within the walls of a Madrid abbey until he heads for the utter corruption of the soul.