7 h 34 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 7 h 34 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Behind locked doors, strange sounds unsettle a castle where a father's wishes threaten his daughter's freedom.
On the coast of Sicily, the Marquis of Mazzini rules his ancient castle with a hard hand. His daughter Julia loves Hippolitus, but her father wants her to marry the wealthy Duke de Luovo. With her feelings set aside, Julia faces a choice between obedience and the chance to shape her own life.
Meanwhile, sounds rise from a long-shut wing, and servants whisper that the first Marchioness haunts its rooms. Julia's brother Ferdinand is drawn to the mystery, while her sister Emilia remains loyal through the family's troubles. In A Sicilian Romance, Ann Ward Radcliffe brings romance and fear together, letting suspense gather slowly around hidden passages, family secrets, and the power held behind castle walls.
What you’ll discover
- A castle of secrets Explore an ancient home whose abandoned wing turns familiar walls into a source of fear.
- Love against a father's will Follow Julia as her love for Hippolitus clashes with the marriage her father demands.
- Loyalty under pressure Meet Emilia, Ferdinand, and Madame de Menon, whose care offers Julia support amid family troubles.
- Hidden ways to freedom Enter dark passages where the castle that confines Julia also holds a route of escape.
- Suspense that takes its time Let wild landscapes, strange sounds, and unanswered questions draw you deeper into the mystery.
Who will love it
For readers who love atmosphere, old castles, suspense, and heroines choosing freedom, and anyone curious about where the Gothic novel began.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A castle by the sea and a divided family
- Strange sounds from the abandoned wing
- Julia's love and her father's plan
- Flight through the dark passages
- Tyranny, freedom, and the fear of the unknown
- How Radcliffe builds her suspense
Who’s who
- JuliaThe Marquis's spirited daughter, who loves Hippolitus and refuses the husband her father has chosen for her.
- EmiliaJulia's gentle elder sister, who stays loyal to her through the troubles of the household.
- The Marquis of MazziniMaster of the castle, a proud and stern man who wants to rule his family and arrange his daughter's marriage.
- HippolitusA young man of honour, friend to Ferdinand, who loves Julia and wants to marry her.
- FerdinandJulia's brother, a brave and curious young man who stands by his sisters and is drawn to the castle's mysteries.
- Madame de MenonThe children's governess, a wise and kind woman who guides and protects them and knows the castle's past.
- The MarchionessThe Marquis's second wife, who is vain and fond of pleasure and does little to ease the family's troubles.
- The Duke de LuovoA wealthy nobleman whom the Marquis has chosen as Julia's husband, and whom she does not want.
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- Audiobook
- 7 h 34 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 7 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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Read and hear Eine sizilianische Romanze in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Eine sizilianische Romanze
by Ann Ward Radcliffe · 1790
In a Sicilian castle, Julia resists a forced marriage as strange sounds rise from a shut wing.
Challenging5–10 hours to read25 languages
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In short
A Sicilian Romance is a Gothic novel by Ann Radcliffe, published in 1790. It was her second book, and it set out the pattern that made her the leading writer of the form.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A castle by the sea and a divided family
The story opens at the castle of Mazzini, a vast and ancient building on the Sicilian coast near Messina. It is the home of the Marquis of Mazzini, a proud man who rules his household with a hard hand. His first wife is said to have died some years before, and he has married again. The second Marchioness is vain and fond of show, and she wants a life of pleasure and company.
The Marquis has two daughters, Julia and Emilia, and a son, Ferdinand. The sisters are close but very different in manner. Emilia is gentle and quiet, while Julia is warmer in spirit and quick to anger and forgive. Ferdinand is spirited and loyal to his sisters.
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What is A Sicilian Romance about?
It follows a young woman, Julia, in a Sicilian castle ruled by her stern father, the Marquis of Mazzini. She resists a forced marriage while strange sounds and lights in a closed wing hint at a hidden secret.
When was A Sicilian Romance written?
Ann Radcliffe published it in 1790, and it was her second novel. It is a work of fiction, set in Sicily in the sixteenth century.
Is A Sicilian Romance a Gothic novel?
Yes. It has a remote castle, a tyrannical father, a persecuted heroine, rumours of ghosts, and wild scenery. These features became the standard marks of Gothic fiction, which Radcliffe helped to shape.
The author
Ann Ward Radcliffe
1764–1823 · English Gothic novelist
Ann Radcliffe, born Ann Ward, was an English novelist. She was born in London in 1764 and died there in 1823. She married William Radcliffe, a journalist, in 1787. Her novels include A Sicilian Romance (1790), The Romance of the Forest (1791), and The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794).
More by Ann Ward Radcliffe
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