The Worst of Bysshe Shelley : Zastrozzi , or my first impressions

[Lobolover]

After hearing so much negative about the novel , both on this forum and within the pages of "Supernatural Horror in literature" , I have decided to try read it and give my first impressions on each chapter .

Chapter I

There is almost no set up to the novel and , without us seeing most of the action that takes place , it just happens .

The First few lines of the chapter literaly feel like they were written by a complete amateur , where every bit of action is rushed over and most painfully spead up , with vital and / or effective passages being all ignored for the sake of having the set up done as fast as possible .

Torn from the society of all he held dear on earth, the victim of secret enemies, and exiled from happiness, was the wretched Verezzi!
All was quiet; a pitchy darkness in volved the face of things, when, urged by fiercest revenge, Zastrozzi placed himself at the door of the inn where, undisturbed, Verezzi slept.

Loudly he called the landlord. The landlord, to whom the bare name of Zastrozzi was terrible, trembling obeyed the summons.

"Thou knowest Verezzi the Italian? he lodges here." "He does," answered the landlord.

"Him, then, have I devoted to destruction," exclaimed Zastrozzi. "Let Ugo and Bernardo follow you to his apartment; I will be with you to prevent mischief."

Cautiously they ascended—successfully they executed their revengeful purpose, and bore the sleeping Verezzi to the place, where a chariot waited to convey the vindictive Zastrozzi's prey to the place of its destination.

The rest of the chapter , chroniceling Verezzi's confinement in a cave with chains holding him down to the rocky floor of a cavern , except for one arm (here I ask the pragmatical question : where and how did he relieve himself ? It seems authors of the past wrote their heroes into these kinds of situations and forgot that they would logicaly have to wallow in their own waste weren the conditions realy such as they have written out - and even today this error is stil being perpetrated there and again) is not much more evenly told .

Chapter II After Verezzi's cavern was destroyed by a thunder storm in the previous chapter , Zastrozzi has him put in a cottage and an old woman , paid off by the fiend , claims that he was never imprisoned anywhere and that he was but sick .

Yet notwithstanding the deep marks left by the chains in his hands , there is one tiny bit of illogicalness with that reasoning :

Had not those marks still remained, he would have conceived the horrible events which had led him thither to have been but the dreams of his perturbed imagination. He, however, thought it better to yield, since, as Ugo and Bernardo attended him in the short walks he was able to take, an escape was impossible, and its attempt would but make his situation more unpleasant.

This makes the whole scheme rather pointless in the end don't it ?

As Verezzi recovered, and his mind obtained that firm tone which it was wont to possess, he perceived that it was but a device of his enemies that detained him at the cottage, and his whole thoughts were now bent upon the means for effecting his escape.

Oh so the two captives who abducted you and kept you in an underground prison and who are now monitoring your every step and preventing you from leaving of your own accord - are "devices" set up by your enemies to prevent your escape .

What exactly lead you to this unorthodox hypothesis ?

Not knowing Zastrozzi as he entered, he started back, overcome by the likeness he bore to one of the men he had seen in the cavern.
He was now convinced that all the sufferings which he had undergone in that horrible abode of misery were not imaginary, and that he was at this instant in the power of his bitterest enemy.

Again - you think ?

"I fear nothing," interrupted Verezzi, "from your vain threats and empty denunciations of vengeance: justice, Heaven! is on my side, and I must eventually triumph."
What can be a greater proof of the superiority of virtue, than that the terrible, the dauntless Zastrozzi trembled! for he did tremble; and, conquered by the emotions of the moment, paced the circumscribed apartment with unequal steps.

Doesn't take a whole lot to make him get the willies now does it ?

Chapter III after escaping the cottage , Verezzi hides himself in some pine trees and lo and behold Zastrozzi arrives nearby on horseback .

"Eternal curses," exclaimed Zastrozzi, "upon Verezzi! I swear never to rest until I find him, and then I will accomplish the purpose of my soul.— But come, Ugo, Bernardo, let us proceed."
"Signor," said Ugo, "let us the rather stop here to refresh ourselves and our horses. You, perhaps, will not make this pine your couch, but I will get up, for I think I spy an excellent bed above there."
"No, no," answered Zastrozzi; "did not I resolve never to rest until I had found Verezzi? Mount, villain, or die."

He has a point Ugo , he said it like three seconds ago .

 

[Lobolover]

After getting to a town he instantly falls asleep on someone's doorstep .

He had been there nearly an hour, when he was awakened by an old woman. She had a basket on her arm, in which were flowers, which it was her custom to bring to Passau every market-day. Hardly knowing where he was, he answered the old woman's inquiries in a vague and unsatisfactory manner. By degrees, however, they became better acquainted; and as Verezzi had no money, nor any means of procuring it, he accepted of an offer which Claudine (for that was the old woman's name) made him, to work for her, and share her cottage, which, together with a little garden, was all she could call her own.

Not sure if I would be so prompt to offer a job to the first penniless stranger I find asleep on my doorstep but maybe I'm just too modern .

Chapter IV We return to Zastrozzi ....to where he discovered Verezzi escaped and orders Bernardo to go fetch his horses .

Thanks Shelley I never would have figured how they got there in the last chapter if you didn't tell me .

"But let us proceed on foot—Verezzi shall not escape me—nothing shall now retard the completion of my just revenge."

Now I know I may be getting a little ahead of myself , seeing as it is only Chapter IV , but....who are these people ? I know absolutely and completely nothing about any of the characters and I'm haflway through the fourth chapter .

but though conscience for a while reflected his past life in images of horror,

Hmm , this seems familiar let me

he thought of his past life, and his awakened conscience reflected images of horror.

Oh , nice , he's even copying from himself now .

"But," said Zastrozzi, again taking his seat, "what use is that fellow Paulo in the dungeon? why do you keep him there?"
"Oh!" answered Matilda, "I know not; but if you wish"— She paused, but her eye expressively filled up the sentence.

What do these people have some obsesion with chaining people up for no aparent reason ? This can't be healthy .

Paulo bowed low—he drank the poisoned potion to the dregs, and, overcome by sudden and irresistible faintness, fell at Zastrozzi's feet. Sudden convulsions shook his frame, his lips trembled, his eyes rolled horribly, and, uttering an agonised and lengthened groan, he expired.

Alas Poor Paulo I knew him not at all .

"But you forgive my momentary, unmeaning doubt?" said Matilda, and fixed her unmeaning eyes on his countenance.

I wanted to coment on this earlier but chose to wait till it ocured again this chapter .

Simply put : using the same word twice within the same sentence will not only look and sound awkward , it shall give your readership peculiar ideas about your vocabulary .

 

[Lobolover]

Chapter V Matilda , after a night full of drinking , ploting and being evily unchaste and independent , heads off to Passau (where our dear Verezzi curently is) and tries to find our hero .

Signora!" said Ferdinand, "it grieves me much to be obliged to declare, that all my endeavours have been inefficient to find Il Conte Verezzi—."

"Oh, madness! madness!" exclaimed Matilda; "is it for this that I have plunged into the dark abyss of crime?— is it for this that I have despised the delicacy of my sex, and, braving consequences, have offered my love to one who despises me—who shuns me, as does the barbarous Verezzi? But if he is in Passau —if he is in the environs of the city, I will find him."

Uhm how do you know that ? How do you know he did not go in any other direction , there being a general eight basic ones based on the location of the Poles , and about every possible variation of those possible which by distance increase to near infinity ? I mean hello ?

Oh and she wanders about , wants to drown herself but is of course saved by - Verazzi !

Signora," continued he, addressing Matilda, "some wine would, I think, refresh your spirits; permit me to fill you a glass of wine."

Sigh......

"Distress not yourself and me, Signora," said Verezzi, "by these unavailing protestations. Is it for you—is it for Matilda," continued he, his countenance assuming a smile of bitterest scorn, "to talk of love to the lover of Julia?"

Well that's kinda.....mean .

Also in light of this

"Ah! forgive me, Signora," exclaimed Verezzi, "if my brain, crazed by disappointments, dictated words which my heart intended not."

Should he not have more important things to worry about ? He is aparently a person of some noble birth , yet he was just kindapped , put for several weeks in a dungeon , then in a virtual house arrest , and was pursued by his captor with two ruffians at his side . And yet he is careless enough not only to wander the streets of Passau at broad daylight and spend time in triffling discusions with a lady - he is content to go and asume the job of gardener at the house of an elderly woman , when what he should be doing is getting off to some big city and put himself under the protection of the authorities and or his sovereign and make public his case against Zastrozzi .

I mean HELLO ?

Chapter VI

The character of Matilda has been already so far revealed, as to render it unnecessary to expatiate upon it farther

I'm gonna disagree with you there . We are at the opening of chapter SIX , yet I have no idea about the identity of any single character in this whole novel , be it the title character or the protagonist .

All I know is who loves who , who doesn't love who , who wants to kill who and who wants to bead who .

And that's not realy enough .

But over time the two manage to get on at friendly terms as Verezzi stays at her villa . However one night a peculiar visitor comes in , unseen by Verezzi , and Matilda becomes agitated .

"Matilda," said Verezzi, in a sympathising tone, "what has agitated you? Make me a repository of your sorrows: I would, if possible, alleviate them."

"Oh no," said Matilda, affecting unconcern; "nothing—nothing has happened. I was even myself unconscious that I appeared agitated."

Oh realy ? Your

Suddenly she started from her seat— her whole frame seemed convulsed by agitation, as she rushed through the door.

Verezzi heard an agitated voice exclaim, "Go! go! to-morrow morning!"

Could have fooled me .

The lateness of the hour at last warned them to separate.

Hmm

From Chapter 5

The lateness of the hour, at last, warned them to separate.

Just a diference in writing comas .

Sigh

 

[Lobolover]

Chapter VIII (note : the chapter numbers skip VII , other versions of the book reportedly skip IX but the text is allegedly the same)

After relating to Verezzi the news brought by her mysterious visitor - none other then Zastrozzi , he collapses and nearly dies of a fever .

As she spoke this, a sort of desperate serenity overspread her features—she seized the physician's arm, and looked steadfastly on his countenance, and then, as if overcome by unwonted exertions, she sank fainting at his feet.

Ah there we have the Racfliffe reflex ! At the slightest burdening of the nerves , faint !

Our dear hero isn't quite out of the woods , but he'll live . There is a condition though :

The physician paused, and left Matilda to finish the sentence; for he was a man of penetration and judgement, and conjectured that some sudden and violent emotion, of which she was the cause, occasioned his patient's illness. This conjecture became certainty, as, when he concluded, he observed Matilda's face change to an ashy paleness.
"May I not watch him—attend him?" inquired Matilda imploringly.
"No," answered the physician: "in the weakened state in which he now is, the sight of you might cause immediate dissolution."

Considering the cause of his illness is something wholy diferent , I am not quite sure how good a psychiatrist this man is . For all we know he might make endsmeat by atending pigs all day .

Chapter IX

The soul of Verezzi was filled with irresistible disgust, as, recovering, he found himself in Matilda's arms.

Well that's sort of.....mean .

 

[j d worthington]

Lobo: I'm not quite sure why you devoted so much time to Zastrozzi, actually. While, upon rereading the thing a few years ago, I did find some odd points of interest, my initial response to this one still remains quite close to that of Lovecraft: "schoolboy effusions" written under the obvious influence of Shelley's reading of the popular Gothic novels of the time, most especially Zofloya and The Monk, both of which were heavily imitated in this and St. Irvyne, to the point where obvious plagiarisms abound.

These are best considered as a student's studies or "works in the manner of" as they learn their craft, and through the historical lens, rather than for any other purpose; as art, they fail abysmally, despite an occasional flash of genuine weirdness. They are clumsy, repetitive, ill-proportioned, poorly conceived and planned out (if at all), and lack all pretense at originality, verisimilitude, or artistic integrity. The best that can be said of them is that they are not much worse than a goodly number of tales which were published in the pulps during their heyday. (And if you've ever actually read a few issues of these, rather than anthologies culled -- and yes, that is exactly the proper word -- from them, you will see what I mean.)

 

[Lobolover]

This is more of a comedy thread then anything . And also to record my first impresions of one of the worst books by one of the greatest poets .

You have to admit some of the examples I chose are quite silly . Especialy as at halfway through the eight chapter I stil have no idea who any of those people is , and one of them almost died on me too !

 

[Lobolover]

Chapter IX continuation :

when she had retired from Verezzi, when he had talked with tenderness, as he was wont, of Julia, and sworn everlasting fidelity to her memory, would Matilda's soul be tortured by fiercest desperation.

..........realy ? Do I have to.....

The violent grief of Verezzi had subsided into a deep and settled melancholy; he could now talk of his Julia, indeed it was his constant theme; he spoke of her virtues, her celestial form, her sensibility, and by his ardent professions of eternal fidelity to her memory, unconsciously almost drove Matilda to desperation

Oh lord , he's recycling whole paragraphs within the same chapter .

Chapter X

Verezzi's illness at last assumed so dangerous an appearance, that Matilda, alarmed, sent for a physician.

Uhm , we just went through with this last chapter .

Matilda proposed to him to remove to a retired and picturesque spot which she possessed in the Venetian territory.

Yes thanks for telling us what property she owns . Now can we please find out who she IS ? And maybe even the protagonist that matter ? Or if you realy wanna go the extra mile , then maybe the title character ?

Also another mention is made of how Verrezi is driving Matilda to desperation .....we get it .

 

[Lobolover]

I'll sum up how I felt about the novel as a whole :

The ending was.....unexpected I give you that . And certainly the villian not repenting even in death was a nice touch .

However : the bulk of the novel consisted of Verezzi's sickness and Matilda's constant conferences with Zastrozzi on how to secure his love . Then out of nowhere not only does Julia die - and her apearance in the final scene she features in is surprisingly abrupt and comes out of nowhere - without even a single line in the whole book , Verezzi also dies shortly before . And without us ever finding out who any of the two were (aside from us finding out Julia's family name/peerage name) . The whole explanation given by Zastrozzi - whose not even that much of a presence in the novel given he is the title character - as to his father's wickedness is all fine and dandy but I don't even know who he is , how will that help me in any way ?

The whole book is confusing , repeats itself verbatim way too often even within the same chapter , the plot goes nowhere only to go on a realy weird track four chapters before the end . I would just be interested to know what passages were plagiarised from what works , as I have heard this was a very common ocurence in this novel .

 

[J Riff]

I dunno if anyone will ever read it again if they see this thread!