Nightmare Abbey

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"Nightmare Abbey" by Thomas Love Peacock is a satirical novel published in 1818 that humorously critiques the gloomy Romantic movement of the early 19th century. The story takes place in a decaying mansion called Nightmare Abbey, home to Christopher Glowry and his melancholic son, Scythrop. Scythrop is a parody of the Romantic idealist-brooding, philosophical, and full of impractical dreams about reforming the world.

Caught between two women-Marionetta, lively and flirtatious, and Celinda, mysterious and intellectual-Scythrop becomes increasingly confused and despondent. Through witty dialogue and eccentric characters (many based on real writers like Byron and Shelley), Peacock mocks the pretentiousness and excesses of Romantic melancholy, ending the novel on a note of playful irony rather than tragedy.