Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho brings something new to 18th century literature in that its underlying tale of romance is seeped in gothic mystery. And Emily as heroine presents a new spin on "type" as well, for her spirituality is interwined with the majesty of nature; she does not "preach" one particular code of piety. The way in which she relates to a higher power brings the reader comfortably along for the ride, unlike Pamela, as it keeps its reader as hostage clanking his/her chains along to the author's single definition of rigid adherence to spirituality.
Radcliffe makes mistakes in the new genre. Her use of "starts and stops" in her attempt to heighten the mystery serves to frustrate the reader more than elevate his/her curiosity. And all the characters are not fleshed out enough, as they take second place to the pastoral descriptions that flow ad nauseum on page after page. No matter which room Emily is in, it is what is outside the window that Radcliffe takes all the time to describe, and describe, and describe. Rather than paint a picture in words about every leaf that flutters before Emily's eyes as part of a luminescent tapestry of woven majesty upon the earth, Radcliffe needs to flesh out the mysteries of Emily's nature. Nature, as phenomena of the physical world, is the main character in the novel (with Emily relegated to sidekick) - and that's what isn't new to 18th century literature.
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I agree with you about the "spiritual" nature of Emily's response to her difficulties. I found it very hard to keep up with the plot and have to admit that I skipped much of the poetry.
Radcliffe's attempt at a new genre did give us a basis for future works. Her obsession with scenery struck me as just as odd as Mackenzie's tears. Still, these early writers did give us a basis for new ideas about novels. We might not have had Frankestein or any Poe's work without someone like Radcliffe. I guess one needs to be thankful for the start and then appreciate what comes after.
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