The Romance of the Forest. Interspersed with Some Pieces of Poetry. In Two Volumes.

Two volumes in one; complete. Early American edition - likely pirated, hence the author mis-spelled as "Mrs Ratcliffe". Hard cover, 12mo, in full leather binding with leather label to spine, and spine ruled and with title in gold. [2], 165, [1], 182, [2] pp. Endpapers missing. Now in protective mylar. **CONDITION: Good. Hinges cracked and tender. Corners worn. Pages lightly browned & spotted.** English Author ANN RADCLIFFE (1764-1823) was an early writer of gothic novels, most famously "The Mysteries of Udolpho" (1794). "The Romance of the Forest" (1791) was Radcliffe's first bestseller, and is the story of Pierre de la Motte and his long-suffering wife, Constance. Although rich and happily married, Pierre had lived a life of dissipation and ruin, before resorting to moneylenders to try (and fail) to regain his standing. The start of the novel sees Pierre and Constance fleeing Paris and Pierre's creditors. Through a "dark and tempestuous" night, they find refuge in an ancient house alone upon a heath, where Pierre is held at gunpoint and forced to convey a terrified young woman, Adeline, away from the house and her captor. The novel is full of gothic settings and unscrupulous characters, and a melodramatic plot worthy of an opera.** A scarce American imprint of Radcliffe's first major novel. She is said to have influenced Dickens, Mary Shelley, and even Poe. REF: Shaw & Shoemaker, (1806) #11237.…