Melmoth the Wanderer

By: Charles Maturin, Victor Sage - introduction

Narrated by: Gerry O'Brien

Brought to you by Penguin.

Created by an Irish clergyman, Melmoth is one of the most fiendish characters in literature. In a satanic bargain, Melmoth exchanges his soul for immortality. The story of his tortured wanderings through the centuries is pieced together through those who have been implored by Melmoth to take over his pact with the devil. Influenced by the Gothic romances of the late 18th century, Maturin's diabolic tale raised the genre to a new and macabre pitch. Its many admirers include Poe, Balzac, Oscar Wilde and Baudelaire.

(P) Penguin Audio 2020

if you like gothic tales of religious folk being tempted this is for you

very similar to The Monk. I loved the smaller stories within. can't wait to read more like this

A Classic Gothic Novel and a Great Audiobook

I enjoyed this recording of “Melmoth” from the beginning to the end, which is the Introduction. (It has been moved to avoid “spoilers.) The Intro is excellent.
My only quibble is that O’Brien pronounces “Arminian” as “Armenian.” Not the same! (The reader of the introduction does not make this mistake.)
Readers may want to know that the structure of the novel is complicated—one narrative nested inside another and another. Also, like many Gothic novels, “Melmoth” has a strong element of anti-Catholicism – and what it says about eastern religions is even worse. But then gothic novels are supposed to be horrible!

Gothic classic

Great story, the nested stories can be challenging if you lose focus but are entertaining. I loved the narration.

Great Book

After reading The Monk, this book was the perfect aesthetic to accompany it. highly enjoyed it!

Too Many Words

I didn’t like anything about this book. The language was far too melodramatic. The author gave far too much unnecessary detail, and used far too many words. This book was not worth the time and effort necessary required to finish it.