Conrad dies on his wedding day. Manfred, his father, is not grieving — he is scheming. With his dynasty crumbling and his conscience nowhere to be found, Manfred sets his sights on his dead son's bride. There is, of course, the matter of his existing wife. But the castle of Otranto has witnessed centuries of sin, and the curse placed on Manfred's ancestor is finally, terrifyingly, ready to collect. The walls groan. The omens multiply. Something ancient has woken up. Written in 1764, The Castle of Otranto is widely considered the novel that gave birth to Gothic fiction.