The "only thing we have to fear is fear itself"

"The Mysteries of Udolpho" is unequivocally my favorite book we have read so far (assuming Volume IV is as good as Volumes I-III). The novel is unusual, entertaining and fast paced. Radcliffe has (unlike some of the authors we have read this semester) created a heroine that definitely deserves the name (even considering all of her fainting spells). This is also the first book we have read this semester where I haven't been able to predict the ending midway through the novel (though a good guess would be that Emily and Valancourt will end up together).
One of my favorite parts of the book is the style. For example, the way Radcliffe introduces Count De Villefort before bringing Emily back to Languedoc. Radcliffe has this wonderful way of arranging her novel in a way in which things that do not appear to connect at first eventually collide. The only part of the book that bothers me is Radcliffe's fascination with scenery (which can often become tedious to read through and sometimes kills the tension for me). Another thing that I love about the style is the mixing of genres. Volume I gives the book the appearance of a traditional love story, while Volume II makes the novel look like a mystery. Volume III brings Emily away from Udolpho and back to reality, though elements of mystery still exist (and love is no longer a given). The up and down of the plot is much like a rollercoaster (though I hate that cliché) and I can't wait to see where Volume IV takes me.
This brings me to the Gothic aspect of the book (which I have grown to appreciate). After Volume II, I thought I was in for a mystery or detective story. However, Radcliffe only uses the Gothic element as a cover for deeper issues. It is only a facade, which allows for plot development and for Radcliffe to constantly bring the human condition of fear into the fray. In fact, throughout the novel it's as if Emily is living in two worlds: day and night: reality and dream. This (which I just realized while typing) reminds me of "Pan's Labyrinth" (one of the best films I have seen in the past few years if not ever). Both Radcliffe and Guillermo del Toro blend reality and dream to a point where you cannot decipher one from the other anymore and you start to question which is scarier. Is an unknown enemy or fear more terrifying than a known one? Do we create imagined fears to cope with the ones that exist in reality? In the end, is there even a difference between imagined and tangible fears or as FDR said, is the "only thing we have to fear is fear itself?" The beauty of Radcliffe’s novel is that it is not about mystery or love; it is about fear.