The New Monk A Romance

First appearing in 1798 during the scandal that followed the publication of M.G. Lewis’s The Monk, The New Monk is a ruthless parody of Lewis’s Gothic masterpiece.

In this dismantling of the Monk tale by “R.S., Esq.”, Lewis’s Spanish monk Ambrosio is replaced by Joshua Pentateuch, a Methodist minister in London. Like Lewis’s monk, Joshua is renowned for his piety and eloquence. But this monk is willing to sell his soul, not to possess a beautiful woman, but to get his hands on her money…and a juicy leg of mutton.

Ostensibly a scathing indictment of Lewis’s immorality and an attempt to ridicule his novel, The New Monk ironically descends to a level even more grotesque and shocking than The Monk. Out of print since its initial publication more than two centuries ago and available in only a handful of libraries worldwide, The New Monk remains fascinating both as Gothic parody and as a unique look at the 1790s London where Gothic novels were being created and consumed. This edition features a new introduction and notes by Elizabeth Andrews as well as explanatory footnotes.