A spellbinding Gothic novel, The Monk is Matthew Lewis' most famous work. First published in 1796 and set in a sinister Capuchin monastery in Madrid, this violent tale of ambition, murder, and incest focuses on a monk's struggle to maintain his monastic vows in the face of temptation and sexual obsession. ". . . rich, powerful, and fervid. " — Samuel Taylor Coleridge.