Romantic Tales from the Author of The Monk

M. G. Lewis' first published gothic romance novel, The Monk, (his first written novel, The Effusions of Sensibility, was never finished) appeared in 1796 to great acclaim. "To exaggerate the success and scandal of The Monk were impossible. Lewis at once became famous, and a celebrity he remained" (Summers, The Gothic Quest, p. 212.

As time passed, the ring of acclaim turned to a tone of criticism. Rather than famous, Lewis became "infamous" and his once "artfully contrived" novel became "lewd" and regarded with the sternest disapproval. Even so, Lewis remained popular and published prolifically to delight of his established readers. His macabre gothic romance interests took the form of plays and poems, as well as, novels. In 1808 he published this book, The Romantic Tales, which "became very popular, and the book was more than once reprinted.."(Summers, A Gothic Bibliography, p. 485).