She was a renowned personality for being the earliest in gothic fiction writing who entered and earned respect in mainstream literature with her ability to explain supernaturalism in her novels of the 1790s. She was hugely admired by the contemporary critics as ‘the mighty enchantress’ and the ‘Shakespeare of romance- writers’. She was an expert in using the supernatural and ‘for her emphasis upon landscape.’ She was born as Ann Ward in the year 1764 and later was married to an Oxford graduate William Radcliffe. As he was a journalist, he did have much time for his wife. So, she occupied herself with writing and wrote only five novels in her life time from which three became hugely successful. But why she withdrew herself from writing was still a mystery. However, in this article we would like to discuss few of her famous novels amongst five. So, let's look into them –

The Romance of the Forest (1791)

This novel proves her as a reputed romance writer. The story revolves around the life of Pierre de la Motte and his wife Constance who are flying away to save themselves from their creditors. They took an ancient house and started living there with two servants Peter and Annette. As the novel goes on, they keep on hiding themselves more and more. This journey of hiding is basically considered as the psychological journey of the couple that they were going through. It is her first major success which examines between hedonism and morality.

The Mystery of Udolpho (1794)

This novel is centred upon an eponymous castle which is inhabited by Emily St. Aubert and her experiences in the castle. She has witnessed not only her parents’ death, but also some supernatural threats, hunting and machinations of an Italian brigand. After her father’s death, she was orphaned and imprisoned by an Italian Brigand who prevented her romance with dashing Valancourt. This work is parodied by Jane Austen in her novel named Northanger Abbey.

The Italian, or the Confessional of the Black Penitents (1797)

This was the last book that she has published in her lifetime which deals with the issues of aristocracy, religion and nationality. This is well remembered for its antagonistic father Schedoni, who inspires the dangerous but extremely handsome Byronic character.

Lastly, we want to end the discussion with one of her famous lines which proves her as an intellectual human being –

“A well-informed mind is the best security against the contagion of folly and vice.”