The introduction to this edition of The Monk contains one of the nastiest I've ever read. It criticizes the author on every level, accuses him of being a bad writer and an all around good-for-nothing rich kid who fell ass-backward into success, through no effort of his own. The author of the info begins by saying he's surprised the publishers would even bother to reprint the book! It's so vicious I started to laugh. I haven't even started the book but the introduction is priceless!