More info on my nominations:
The Monk was first published in 1796. It's a Gothic horror classic set in a monastery in Spain, was very popular in its day and was controversial in its dealing with Catholicism. I really liked the sample I read of it.
Goodreads
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Set in the sinister monastery of the Capuchins in Madrid, this is a violent tale of ambition, murder, and incest. The struggle between maintaining monastic vows and fulfilling personal ambitions tempts its main character into breaking his vows.
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The Vicar of Wakefield was first published in 1766 by Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith and is a classic of 18th century literature. It centres on the ups, downs, adventures and travails of the Primrose family, headed by the vicar. I also liked the sample I read of this.
Goodreads
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Oliver Goldsmith's hugely successful novel of 1766 remained for generations one of the most highly regarded and beloved works of eighteenth-century fiction. It depicts the fall and rise of the Primrose family, presided over by the benevolent vicar, the narrator of a fairy-tale plot of impersonation and deception, the abduction of a beautiful heroine and the machinations of an aristocratic villain. By turns comic and sentimental, the novel's popularity owes much to its recognizable depiction of domestic life and loving family relationships.
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