Books with author M E (Mary Elizabeth) 1837-19 Braddon

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

“For the satisfaction of the curious, we may mention that Mary Elizabeth Braddon, born in London in 1837, has written for the press, upon a great variety of subjects, since she was sixteen years old; besides having produced several plays, and a volume of poetry. Her early prose fictions – ‘Lady Lisle,’ ‘The Captain of the Vulture,’ ‘The Trail of the Serpent,’ ‘Ralph the Bailiff,’ etc., did not attract much attention; but ‘Lady Audley’s Secret,’ in which her skill as a sensational novelist was favorably exhibited, may be aid to have made her popular at a bound, and her subsequent productions have fully maintained the reputation thus established.” -American Literary Gazette and Publishers' Circular “While she always had a strong leaning toward exciting plots, many of her later books followed the modern trend of English society novels, and were as gentle and ladylike as the mildest of Mrs. Humphry War’d stories.” -The Outlook Confronting bigamy, murder and madness, Mary Elizabeth Braddon most popular novel begs the question: Can women and men ever really depend on one another, even within marriage? When young Lucy Graham marries Sir Michael Audley all seems well and good. Sir Michael is thoroughly devoted to his new bride and Lady Audley takes great pleasure in her privileged position at Audley Court. But Sir Michael's daughter Alicia is frustrated and uncomfortable with her stepmother's girlish ways. Shortly afterwards, Sir Michael's nephew, the attractive but lazy barrister Robert Audley, welcomes back to England an old friend of his, George Talboys. The pair visit the Court for some sport, where George disappears in mysterious circumstances. Robert Audley is spurred into action, taking up the case with a newfound passion and energy. Like the best detective novels, and with some wonderful melodrama thrown in for good measure, the plot unravels at a quickening pace until the truth is revealed about Lady Audley's secret.

Lady Audley is universally adored: beautiful, kind and charming, she enamors all whom she meets. It is not until the strange disappearance of widower George Talboys that her behavior takes an odd turn. George's friend Robert Audley, Lady Audley's nephew-in-law, is on the case; upper-class layabout-turned-detective, he is determined to get to the bottom of things. Mystery, mayhem, madness and despair: Lady Audley's Secret is the gripping and suspenseful novel that has been branded 'the most sensationally successful of all the sensation novels'.

‘A Sensation Novel’ - Classic Books - Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon - Lady Audley's Secret is a sensation novel by Mary Elizabeth Braddon published in 1862. It was Braddon's most successful and well-known novel. Critic John Sutherland (1989) described the work as "the most sensationally successful of all the sensation novels". The plot centres on "accidental bigamy" which was in literary fashion in the early 1860s. The plot was summarised by literary critic Elaine Showalter (1982): "Braddon's bigamous heroine deserts her child, pushes husband number one down a well, thinks about poisoning husband number two and sets fire to a hotel in which her other male acquaintances are residing". Elements of the novel mirror themes of the real-life Constance Kent case of June 1860 which gripped the nation for years. A follow-up novel, Aurora Floyd, appeared in 1863. Braddon set the story in Ingatestone Hall, Essex, inspired by a visit there. There have been three silent film adaptations, one UK television version in 2000, and three minor stage adaptations.

Written in 1862 by the considerably talented sensation novelist Mary Elizabeth Braddon, "Lady Audley's Secret" is a story revolving around Robert Audley, a man determined to find out the cause of his friend George Talboys' death. As the mystery unfolds, Robert meets his uncle's wife, Lucy Audley, who he suspects of keeping secrets. With his friend's son in questionable safety and lies, deception, and treachery closing in around him, Robert must uncover all that has been hidden while finding himself in increasing peril. A bestseller in Victorian England despite its scandalously immoral content, "Lady Audley's Secret" addresses the domestic anxieties, gender and class conflicts, and consequences of industrialization of an era, ultimately creating a heroine as remarkable as she was threatening in her time.

This is a reproduction of the original artefact. Generally these books are created from careful scans of the original. This allows us to preserve the book accurately and present it in the way the author intended. Since the original versions are generally quite old, there may occasionally be certain imperfections within these reproductions. We're happy to make these classics available again for future generations to enjoy!

Lady Audley's Secret is a sensation novel by Mary Elizabeth Braddon published in 1862. It was Braddon's most successful and well-known novel. Critic John Sutherland (1989) described the work as "the most sensationally successful of all the sensation novels". The plot centres on "accidental bigamy" which was in literary fashion in the early 1860s. The plot was summarised by literary critic Elaine Showalter (1982): "Braddon's bigamous heroine deserts her child, pushes husband number one down a well, thinks about poisoning husband number two and sets fire to a hotel in which her other male acquaintances are residing". Elements of the novel mirror themes of the real-life Constance Kent case of June 1860 which gripped the nation for years. A follow-up novel, Aurora Floyd, appeared in 1863. Braddon set the story in Ingatestone Hall, Essex, inspired by a visit there. There have been three silent film adaptations, one UK television version in 2000, and three minor stage adaptations.

This early work by Mary Elizabeth Braddon was originally published in 1905 and we are now republishing it with a brand new biography of the author. 'The Rose of Life' is one of Braddon's novels in the sensation literature genre. Mary Elizabeth Braddon was born in Soho, London, England in 1835. She was educated privately in England and France, and at the age of just nineteen was offered a commission by a local printer to produce a serial novel "combining the humour of Dickens with the plot and construction of G. P. R. Reynolds" What emerged was Three Times dead, or The Secret of the Heath, which was published five years later under the title The Trail of the Serpent (1861). For the rest of her life, Braddon was an extremely prolific writer, producing more than eighty novels, while also finding time to write and act in a number of stage plays.

This early work by Mary Elizabeth Braddon was originally published in 1863 and we are now republishing it with a brand new biography of the author. 'Eleanor's Victory' is one of Braddon's novels in the sensation literature genre. Mary Elizabeth Braddon was born in Soho, London, England in 1835. She was educated privately in England and France, and at the age of just nineteen was offered a commission by a local printer to produce a serial novel "combining the humour of Dickens with the plot and construction of G. P. R. Reynolds" What emerged was Three Times dead, or The Secret of the Heath, which was published five years later under the title The Trail of the Serpent (1861). For the rest of her life, Braddon was an extremely prolific writer, producing more than eighty novels, while also finding time to write and act in a number of stage plays.