Bibliographer: Brad Lenox

The Mysteries of Udolpho

The title page of The Mysteries of Udolpho reimagines the title page as a sensational and colorful playbill, pointing away from traditional bibliographic description’s black-and-white text while gesturing towards the early novel’s notoriously flexible sense of genre and willingness to dramatize itself.

Traditional Description

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Radcliffe, Ann. The mysteries of Udolpho, a romance; interspersed with some pieces of poetry. 2nd ed. London: G.G. and J. Robinson, 1816.

THE MYSTERIES OF UDOLPHO, A ROMANCE; INTERSPERSED WITH SOME PIECES OF POETRY. BY ANN RADCLIFFE, AUTHOR OF THE ROMANCE OF THE FOREST, ETC.

THE SECOND EDITION. IN FOUR VOLUMES.

Fate fits on these dark battlements, and frowns,
And, as the portals open to receive me,
Her voice, in fullen echoes through the courts,

Tells of a nameless deed.

Vol, I. London: Printed for G.G. and J. Robinson, Paternoster- row. 1794.
Contents. Volume I. A1r: title, A1v: blank, B1r - T10v text
Volume II. A1r: title, A1v: blank, B1r - X11v text
Volume 3. A1r: title, A1v: blank, B1r - X1v text, X1r - X4v text
Volume 4. A1r: title, A1v: blank, B1r - U2v text
Notes. British Library copy consulted. X1 in volume 4 reprinted twice. Sir John Eden Bart coat of arms begin each volume. British Library stamps found on the end of each volume’s text.

 

Experimental Description