“The Castle of Otranto” is the author’s main work, the first Gothic novel in history, published in 1764. Over the family of the feudal lord Manfred, who took possession of the Castle of Otranto through treacherous murder, there is a prophecy: members of the family will own this castle only as long as it is passed down through the male line. When Manfred's only son dies under mysterious and terrible circumstances, the cruel father decides to marry his son's fiancee against her will in order to secure an heir. However, the girl has protectors, and not all of them belong to the mortal world... In addition to “The Castle of Otranto”, the collection includes the story “Maddalena” and the surreal “Hieroglyphic Tales” full of black humor.