Matthew Lewis' most renowned novel 'The Monk' is a terrifying story that deals with violence, lust, incest and desire. Set in a Spanish monastery, the novel gives the account of Ambrosio, a well-respected monk, and his feelings of lust for Matilda, a woman disguised as a monk and sent to the monastery as an instrument of Satan. With her use of magic she leads him into a life of sex, lust and murder, a savage tale set in a chilling Gothic environment. Lewis wrote 'The Monk' before he turned twenty years old and its wide success led to early comparisons to pioneering Gothic novelist Ann Radcliffe.