Occasionally we document the pulpification of classic literature, and today we have another example. Above you see The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis, which was originally published in 1796 but was updated pulp style by Bestseller Library for this 1960 version. The difference with this re-issue—as opposed to sexed up novels like George Orwell’s 1984 and Matteo Bandello’s Dammi la tua ecco la mia—is that The Monk really is like a pulp novel. You get lust, violence, cross-dressing, incest, magic, and an appearance by Satan himself, and not just any average Satan, but one with serpents for hair, razor sharp talons, and a burning pen in one hand—useful for writing up contracts for gullible mortals’ souls. And that’s pretty much what the plot deals with—a pious monk who is targeted and tempted by Satan. You think the Dark One takes no for an answer? Forget it. He’s got slippery ways and plenty of alluring minions. The cover art here is by someone who signed as Blofeld. Never heard of him before, and we doubt we will again.
