What do you think?
Rate this book
Melmoth the Wanderer Vol. 1 (of 4): Volume 1
Reproduction of the original: Melmoth the Wanderer Vol. 1 (of 4) by Charles Robert Maturin
120 pages, Paperback
Published August 6, 2020
About the author
Charles Robert Maturin
145 books128 followersCharles Robert Maturin was an Irish Protestant clergyman (ordained by the Church of Ireland) and a writer of gothic plays and novels.
His first three works were published under the pseudonym Dennis Jasper Murphy and were critical and commercial failures. They did, however, catch the attention of Sir Walter Scott, who recommended Maturin's work to Lord Byron. With the help of these two literary luminaries, the curate's play, Bertram (first staged on 9 May 1816 at the Drury Lane for 22 nights) with Edmund Kean starring in the lead role as Bertram, saw a wider audience and became a success. Financial success, however, eluded Maturin, as the play's run coincided with his father's unemployment and another relative's bankruptcy, both of them assisted by the fledgling writer. To make matters worse, Samuel Taylor Coleridge publicly denounced the play as dull and loathsome, and "melancholy proof of the depravation of the public mind", going nearly so far as to decry it as atheistic. Coleridge's comments on Bertram can also be found in 'Biographia Literaria', chapter 23. The Church of Ireland took note of these and earlier criticisms and, having discovered the identity of Bertram's author (Maturin had shed his nom de plume to collect the profits from the play), subsequently barred Maturin's further clerical advancement. Forced to support his wife and four children by writing (his salary as curate was £80-90 per annum, compared to the £1000 he made for Bertram), he switched back from playwright to novelist after a string of his plays met with failure. One of his grandsons, Basil W. Maturin, a Chaplain at Oxford University, died in the sinking of RMS Lusitania in 1915.
Charles Robert Maturin died in Dublin on 30 October 1824. Honoré de Balzac and Charles Baudelaire later expressed fondness for Maturin's work, particularly his most famous novel, Melmoth the Wanderer.
His first three works were published under the pseudonym Dennis Jasper Murphy and were critical and commercial failures. They did, however, catch the attention of Sir Walter Scott, who recommended Maturin's work to Lord Byron. With the help of these two literary luminaries, the curate's play, Bertram (first staged on 9 May 1816 at the Drury Lane for 22 nights) with Edmund Kean starring in the lead role as Bertram, saw a wider audience and became a success. Financial success, however, eluded Maturin, as the play's run coincided with his father's unemployment and another relative's bankruptcy, both of them assisted by the fledgling writer. To make matters worse, Samuel Taylor Coleridge publicly denounced the play as dull and loathsome, and "melancholy proof of the depravation of the public mind", going nearly so far as to decry it as atheistic. Coleridge's comments on Bertram can also be found in 'Biographia Literaria', chapter 23. The Church of Ireland took note of these and earlier criticisms and, having discovered the identity of Bertram's author (Maturin had shed his nom de plume to collect the profits from the play), subsequently barred Maturin's further clerical advancement. Forced to support his wife and four children by writing (his salary as curate was £80-90 per annum, compared to the £1000 he made for Bertram), he switched back from playwright to novelist after a string of his plays met with failure. One of his grandsons, Basil W. Maturin, a Chaplain at Oxford University, died in the sinking of RMS Lusitania in 1915.
Charles Robert Maturin died in Dublin on 30 October 1824. Honoré de Balzac and Charles Baudelaire later expressed fondness for Maturin's work, particularly his most famous novel, Melmoth the Wanderer.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 24, 2025
WARNING: The whole book, all four volumes, is over 1400 pages!! This volume is 332 pgs.
This book begins with a young (under 21), "present-day" (to the book's internal timeframe), John Melmoth, who is studying at university. He is called to the deathbed of his wealthy miser uncle. The uncle dies that night but reveals a mystery of an older John Melmoth, who has been alive for over 150 years. The story of the younger John Melmoth, our MC, is compelling and engrossing.
Unfortunately, the last chapter of this volume tells the story of the sole survivor of a ship wreck, a Spaniard, saved and housed with the young Melmoth. Not bad except the story is very long and a serious condemnation of the Catholic Church, basically propaganda. However, the writing is so engaging that now I want to know about this Spaniard. How did he arrive on the coast near the Melmoth estate? How is his life entwined with the old John Melmoth, and how will he (if he does) assist the young Melmoth? Despite the anti-Catholic language, I am intrigued by the story. Also, I want to know about our old John Melmoth; what's going on with him? I will be reading the next volume.
I find it interesting how many authors were influenced by this book. Among others, Michael Moorcock said this was one of his favorite books, and it influenced Bram Stoker's Dracula. Lovecraft thought it was important to the horror story genre.
This book begins with a young (under 21), "present-day" (to the book's internal timeframe), John Melmoth, who is studying at university. He is called to the deathbed of his wealthy miser uncle. The uncle dies that night but reveals a mystery of an older John Melmoth, who has been alive for over 150 years. The story of the younger John Melmoth, our MC, is compelling and engrossing.
Unfortunately, the last chapter of this volume tells the story of the sole survivor of a ship wreck, a Spaniard, saved and housed with the young Melmoth. Not bad except the story is very long and a serious condemnation of the Catholic Church, basically propaganda. However, the writing is so engaging that now I want to know about this Spaniard. How did he arrive on the coast near the Melmoth estate? How is his life entwined with the old John Melmoth, and how will he (if he does) assist the young Melmoth? Despite the anti-Catholic language, I am intrigued by the story. Also, I want to know about our old John Melmoth; what's going on with him? I will be reading the next volume.
I find it interesting how many authors were influenced by this book. Among others, Michael Moorcock said this was one of his favorite books, and it influenced Bram Stoker's Dracula. Lovecraft thought it was important to the horror story genre.
October 17, 2018
I am listening to this through the Librovox free library. It is really well read, and the story is gripping. It is written in the original Gothic style and has stories inside of stories inside of stories. As soon as you think you know where it is going there is a new layer and things tilt again. Volume 1 is chapters 1-first half of chapter 6.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews