Two friends and academics recap classic literature and take it off its pedestal. In our thirtieth episode and first of two Halloween specials, we cover the world's first (?) Gothic novel, Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto (1764). It's got more gigantic sabres, private caves, disembodied ghost parts, and lists of soldiers than you can shake a stick at.

Cover art © Catherine Wu.

Episode themes: Mozart, 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusic ("Allegro")', Mozart, 'Requiem ("V. Rex tremendae')'; Orfeo, 'Toccata'.

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