"The Monk" is a gothic romance written in 1796 by a member of the British Parliament. Shocking in its day, the story is rich with scenes of the occult (satan, demons, you name it), members of the Catholic Church succumbing to ungodly temptations, explicit and illicit sex, and extreme violence. Even by today's standards it is startling and juicy. If you don't mind the sometimes stodgy language and dry lengthy passages, "The Monk" is quite a read. Amazingly bold and relevant ... and written over 200 years ago.