The Monk

The MonkBy: Matthew Lewis, Christopher MacLachlan Few could sustain the glance of his eye, at once fiery and penetratingSavaged by critics for its supposed profanity and obscenity, and bought in large numbers by readers eager to see whether it lived up to its lurid reputation, The Monk became a succs de scandale when it was published in 1796 not least because its author was a member of parliament and only twenty years old. It recounts the diabolical decline

At the center of an extraordinary cast of characters are fifteen-year-old Miri Ammerman and her spirited single mother

The dialogue intrigues

Louie and Ralphie are tough

but then realizes that they are not acting in the best interests of her children

she has Rachel

Pete Blaber has taken a life lesson back with him

Red is the neighborhood "wishtree"—people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches

She’s part of an elite team

In the midst of this marital crisis

In the fresh and vivid prose that is his trademark

Riley Jenson and her twin brother

Opal Lee grew up as a Black girl in Texas at a time when Black and white people were kept separate and Black people had fewer opportunities than white people did