Zusammenfassung
Zusammenfassung von Der Wald von Saint-Clair
Für wen es gedacht ist
For readers who love atmospheric suspense, crumbling buildings, brave heroines and landscapes of woods, mountains and lakes. It also suits anyone curious about the roots of the Gothic.
Worum es in diesem Buch geht
The Romance of the Forest is a Gothic novel by Ann Radcliffe, first published in 1791. It was her third novel, and it made her a leading writer of her day. Set in seventeenth century France, it follows a young woman who is cast out into the world with no name she can trust, and who finds shelter in a ruined abbey deep in a forest.
Radcliffe wrote for readers who wanted fear, wonder and moral comfort in the same book. She gives you crumbling walls, hidden rooms, a stranger with power and a heroine who must think her way out of danger. She also gives you loving pictures of woods, mountains and lakes. Her mysteries look supernatural at first, yet she leans toward explanations rooted in human cruelty and greed. That choice shaped Gothic fiction for decades.
In about fifteen minutes you will meet the fugitive family who take Adeline in, the nobleman whose interest in her grows dangerous, and the young officer who steps into her story. You will see how the novel builds suspense scene by scene, and what it says about fear, kindness and the abuse of power. Let us begin with the night flight from Paris that sets everything in motion.
In dieser Zusammenfassung
- 1A family flees Paris by nightFree
- 2A ruined abbey becomes a refuge
- 3Secrets stir inside the old walls
- 4A powerful nobleman arrives at the abbey
- 5Adeline finds love and a friend in danger
- 6Flight, pursuit and the pull of Savoy
- 7Law and power turn against the innocent
- 8What the novel says about fear and virtue
- 9How Radcliffe builds suspense and atmosphere
Punkt 1 von 9
A family flees Paris by night
The story opens with Pierre de la Motte, a Parisian who is ruined by debts and by his own poor choices. He fears arrest and the loss of everything he has. So he bundles his wife into a carriage in the dark and leaves the city with a few trusted servants. Among them is Peter, a loyal man who stays with the family to the end.
The road offers no safety. La Motte does not know where he is going, only that he must put distance between himself and the law. He drives through the night and into unfamiliar country. Every sound on the road feels like pursuit, and Radcliffe makes you share his nerves from the first pages.
At a lonely house on the way, a strange scene stops the fugitives. They meet men who seem to be acting in secret, and La Motte is drawn into their business almost against his will. A young woman is in the hands of these men, and she is frightened and pleading. La Motte has his own troubles, yet he cannot walk away from her.
He takes her into his carriage, and the household grows by one. The young woman is Adeline, and she is terrified, weak and uncertain who her friends are. Madame de la Motte treats her with kindness from the start. That warmth will matter a great deal, because Adeline has no one else.
This opening sets the pattern for the whole book. A man in trouble makes a decision that seems small, and it changes many lives. Radcliffe is already asking what we owe to a stranger in need. She also shows how a person who is not entirely good can still do good when it counts.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Who’s who
- Adeline
- A vulnerable young woman raised in a convent, she finds shelter with the La Mottes and attracts Theodore's affection.
- Pierre de la Motte
- A debt-ridden Parisian fleeing his creditors, he shelters Adeline while seeking safety for his own household.
- Madame de la Motte
- Pierre's loyal wife offers Adeline kindness while struggling to understand her husband's anxious moods and secrets.
- The Marquis de Montalt
- The wealthy owner of the abbey lands, he unsettles the La Motte household and pursues Adeline.
- Theodore Peyrou
- A brave young army officer, he falls in love with Adeline and seeks to protect her.
- Louis de la Motte
- Pierre and Madame de la Motte's son admires Adeline and hopes she will return his affection.
- La Luc
- A kindly, devout resident of Savoy, he offers Adeline hospitality and the care of a father.
- Clara La Luc
- La Luc's warm-hearted daughter welcomes Adeline as a close friend and helps her feel at home.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 137,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 9 h 10 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 11 other languages
Questions about Der Wald von Saint-Clair
What is The Romance of the Forest about?
It tells of Adeline, a young woman without family, who finds shelter with a fugitive French family in a ruined abbey. She uncovers old secrets, is pursued by a powerful nobleman and finds love and friendship along the way.
When was The Romance of the Forest written?
Ann Radcliffe published it in 1791. The story is set in seventeenth century France, though the events are invented. It is a work of fiction and not a true story, written in the early years of the Gothic novel.
Is The Romance of the Forest a Gothic novel?
Yes. It has a ruined abbey, hidden rooms, a menacing nobleman and a persecuted heroine. Radcliffe also offers rational explanations for eerie events, a mark of her style that set her apart from rougher Gothic writers.
Is The Romance of the Forest hard to read?
No. The story is easy to follow, because it starts with one clear event: a family flees Paris by night and takes in a frightened young woman. Short chapters end on small questions, and the setting changes from forest to road to mountain.
What is the main message of The Romance of the Forest?
The novel argues that virtue, patience and reason can overcome fear and cruelty. It shows power abused by the rich and kindness offered by simple people. It also treats nature as a source of calm and moral strength.