⭐ Catholic Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ 4/5 — Catholic Review A profoundly dark Gothic novel built around temptation, sin, despair, salvation, damnation, and the value of the human soul. Maturin, an Irish Protestant clergyman, uses the supernatural story to explore the terrifying consequences of abandoning hope of salvation. Catholic listeners should use considerable discernment, because the novel contains strong anti-Catholic portrayals of monasteries, the Inquisition, and Catholic religious life that reflect Maturin's Protestant perspective rather than Catholic teaching. Scholars have also noted that the novel's treatment of Catholicism is more complicated than simple caricature, with some Catholic characters depicted through acts of charity and benevolence.