Melmoth the Wanderer

Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin is a Gothic novel about a man named Melmoth who has sold his soul to the devil in exchange for extended life and wanders the earth trying to find someone willing to take over his cursed fate.

The story is framed through multiple nested tales, as different characters recount terrifying encounters with Melmoth and the moral dilemmas he presents. The novel explores themes of damnation, temptation, religious guilt, and human suffering, all wrapped in a dark, haunting atmosphere typical of Gothic literature.