Neither in the writings and letters of Lermontov that have reached us, nor in the memoirs about him, there are any traces that would indicate his acquaintance with the Gothic novel of the 18th century. The names of Radcliffe and Lewis were, however, to come to his attention. In 1830, the young man Lermontov read with special attention “Letters and Diaries of Lord Byron with Notes on His Life,” published by Thomas Moore, noting the similarities between his and Byron’s biography. In the process of this reading, Lermontov inevitably had to come across a mention of Lewis, with whom Byron closely communicated in 1813-1817 in England and Italy. Byron's characterizations of Lewis speak of an undoubted and lasting attachment, but are not without a grain of irony.