The Castle of Otranto was definitely a new breed for the time period of its release. A literary fusion, if you will, of Shakespearean plot lines mixed with what the author refers to as a combination of the new and old styles of Romance. The way that he does this, allows the development of the plot and characters to happen in such a way that would be impossible without the air of mysticism he includes along with allegedly "real" characters so that they can respond in a way that a real person would to these supernatural circumstances.
It's no surprise to me that Walpole released this work under a pseudonym due to how controversial it could have been perceived. Whenever one is bold enough to combine and create a new genre, it does have the ability to either spring board or crash a person's career. It also allowed the public to take everything in it from a completely different point of view than if they had known that it was a work of fiction by Walpole. Typically, when I am about to start a book from a well known author, I have preconceived notions on their style, possible outcomes, character development, etc. However, since this was designed to be read as a "real" event that was just translated, it gives the reader the adrenaline rush and a "on the edge of their seat" feeling that is associated with strong character-reader attachment.
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