The Mysteries of Udolpho – Ann Radcliffe

"Fate sits on these dark battlements, and frowns."

The orphaned Emily St. Aubert is imprisoned in the medieval castle of Udolpho by her cruel aunt's new husband, the villainous Signor Montoni. Separated from the man she loves, Emily must navigate the dark corridors of the castle, facing both physical threats from Montoni's band of marauders and the psychological terror of supernatural occurrences that may or may not be real.

Ann Radcliffe's novel is the archetypal gothic romance. It established the standard for the genre, featuring the brooding villain, the sublime landscape, and the triumph of virtue over terror. It was immensely popular and famously satirized in Jane Austen's 'Northanger Abbey'.