Page "Gothic fiction" Paragraph 5

Ann Radcliffe developed the technique of the explained supernatural in which every seemingly supernatural intrusion is eventually traced back to natural causes.

Radcliffe made the Gothic novel socially acceptable.

Her success attracted many imitators, mostly of low quality, which soon led to a general perception of the genre as inferior, formulaic, and stereotypical.

Among other elements, Ann Radcliffe also introduced the brooding figure of the Gothic villain, which developed into the Byronic hero.

Radcliffe's novels, above all The Mysteries of Udolpho ( 1794 ), were best-sellers, although along with all novels they were looked down upon by well-educated people as sensationalist women's entertainment, despite some men's enjoyment of them.