Other editions of book The Lost Stradivarius

The Lost Stradivarius (1895), by J. Meade Falkner, is a short novel of ghosts and the evil that can be invested in an object, in this case an extremely fine Stradivarius violin. After finding the violin of the title in a hidden compartment in his college rooms, the protagonist, a wealthy young heir, becomes increasingly secretive as well as obsessed by a particular piece of music, which seems to have the power to call up the ghost of its previous owner. Roaming from England to Italy, the story involves family love, lordly depravity, and the tragedy of obsession, all conveyed in a "high" serious tone not uncommon in late Victorian literature.

While practicing his violin at Oxford, John Maltravers notices a strange phenomenon: whenever a certain tune is played a mysterious presence seems to enter the room. Maltravers becomes increasingly unsettled, until he makes a startling discovery - tucked away in a hidden cupboard is a priceless Stradivarius! Obsessed with this treasure, he becomes increasingly withdrawn, unaware of the sinister hold this perfect violin is beginning to take over him.

The Lost Stradivarius (1895), by John Falkner, is a short novel of ghosts and the evil that can be invested in an object, in this case an extremely fine Stradivarius violin. After finding the violin of the title in a hidden compartment in his college rooms, the protagonist, a wealthy young heir, becomes increasingly secretive as well as obsessed by a particular piece of music, which seems to have the power to call up the ghost of its previous owner. Roaming from England to Italy, the story involves family love, lordly depravity, and the tragedy of obsession, all conveyed in a "high" serious tone not uncommon in late Victorian literature. Preceding M.R. James's ghost stories by several years, it has been called the novel James might have written, had he written novels.

A story of ghosts and the evil that can be in an object, in this case an extremely fine Stradivarius violin. After finding the violin in a hidden compartment in his college rooms, a wealthy young heir becomes increasingly secretive as well as obsessed by a particular piece of music, which seems to have the power to call up the ghost of the violin's previous owner. Roaming from England to Italy, the story involves family love, lordly depravity, and the tragedy of obsession...

The Lost Stradivarius (1895), by J. Meade Falkner, is a short novel of ghosts and the evil that can be invested in an object, in this case an extremely fine Stradivarius violin. After finding the violin of the title in a hidden compartment in his college rooms, the protagonist, a wealthy young heir, becomes increasingly secretive as well as obsessed by a particular piece of music, which seems to have the power to call up the ghost of its previous owner. Roaming from England to Italy, the story involves family love, lordly depravity, and the tragedy of obsession, all conveyed in a "high" serious tone not uncommon in late Victorian literature. Preceding M.R. James's ghost stories by several years, it has been called the novel James might have written, had he written novels.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

The Lost Stradivarius by J. Meade Falkner, is a novel of ghosts and the evil that can be invested in an object, in this case an extremely fine Stradivarius violin. After finding the violin of the title in a hidden compartment in his college rooms, the protagonist, a wealthy young heir, becomes increasingly secretive as well as obsessed by a particular piece of music, which seems to have the power to call up the ghost of its previous owner. Roaming from England to Italy, the story involves family love, lordly depravity, and the tragedy of obsession, all conveyed in a "high" serious tone not uncommon in late Victorian literature.

While studying at Oxford, John Maltravers, a talented musician, notices a strange phenomenon: his playing a certain air on his violin brings an invisible guest to his room. The ghostly visits become more frequent, until he eventually sees the figure of a man sitting and listening to his playing. His subsequent discovery of an old Stradivarius violin hidden in a secret cupboard in his room, while improving his skill as a musician, seems to cause a change in his character. As his violin playing becomes an obsession he is drawn away from his old values, his family and even his faith, towards more sinister interests. The tale of the possession of a young man by the restless spirit of an eighteenth century necromancer, "The Lost Stradivarius" is a classic work of supernatural literature. “The Lost Stradivarius is sometimes described as the novel that MR James never wrote. There are similarities, but to make such a comparison diminishes Falkner's achievement. It is, in fact, a good deal better than James (who I greatly admire). The characters are more rounded, the set pieces more frightening, and the principal themes more ambitious. Much of the narrative is underpinned by Neo-Platonist mystical philosophy and Falkner explores late 19th-century preoccupations such as the relationship between beauty and morality. Music is crucial to the plot, treated not merely as organised sound but as a means of opening channels between our world and the supernatural.” -F R Tallis, The Independent, July 12, 2013 “Mr. Falkner is a master of the art of suspense, and relies for his most impressive effects on the exercise of a discreet reticence. If, however, he stimulates the imagination by his artistic omissions, he is indefatigable in the patient elaboration of details which go to the creation of the environment and atmosphere by which his dramatis personae are affected. “ -The Spectator, Volume 91, July 4, 1903 “A downright mystical story, ingeniously constructed, cleverly written, and liberally permeated by the supernatural element” – Daily Telegraph “Narrated with much literary skill, and in a vein that has not been worked so well since ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ thrilled us so delightfully.” -Illustrated London News