Name: Lady Audley's Secret
Author: Mary E. Braddon
ISBN: 9780191622205

Lady Audley's Secret

Mary E. Braddon

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Author Description

'it Only Rests With Yourself To Become Lady Audley, And The Mistress Of Audley Court' When Beautiful Young Lucy Graham Accepts The Hand Of Sir Michael Audley, Her Fortune And Her Future Look Secure. But Lady Audley's Past Is Shrouded In Mystery, And To Sir Michael's Nephew Robert, She Is Not All That She Seems. When His Good Friend George Talboys Suddenly Disappears, Robert Is Determined To Find Him, And To Unearth The Truth. His Quest Reveals A Tangled Story Of Lies And Deception, Crime And Intrigue, Whose Sensational Twists Turn The Conventional Picture Of Victorian Womanhood On Its Head. Can Robert's Darkest Suspicions Really Be True? Lady Audley's Secret Was An Immediate Bestseller, And Readers Have Enjoyed Its Thrilling Plot Ever Since Its First Publication In 1862. This New Edition Explores Braddon's Portrait Of Her Scheming Heroine In The Context Of The Nineteenth-century Sensation Novel And The Lively, Often Hostile Debates It Provoked. About The Series: For Over 100 Years Oxford World's Classics Has Made Available The Widest Range Of Literature From Around The Globe. Each Affordable Volume Reflects Oxford's Commitment To Scholarship, Providing The Most Accurate Text Plus A Wealth Of Other Valuable Features, Including Expert Introductions By Leading Authorities, Helpful Notes To Clarify The Text, Up-to-date Bibliographies For Further Study, And Much More.

Menrva's Summary

THE PULSE

When the beautiful Lucy Graham marries the wealthy Sir Michael Audley, she secures a position of privilege that masks a dangerous and hidden past. As Lucy navigates the expectations of her new status, Sir Michael's nephew, Robert Audley, becomes increasingly suspicious of her motives following the mysterious disappearance of his friend, George Talboys. Robert’s investigation forces him to confront the stark contrast between the Victorian ideal of the submissive woman and the reality of Lucy’s calculated survival strategies. The narrative unfolds through a series of revelations that challenge the social order of the nineteenth-century aristocracy.

INSIDE THE PAGES

Use of the sensation novel framework to subvert domestic tropes
Focus on the tension between public reputation and private transgression
Incorporation of mystery elements regarding a sudden disappearance
Exploration of the legal and social constraints placed upon women
Pacing driven by the gradual unmasking of a central deception
Contrast between the protagonist's outward innocence and internal ambition
Examination of the psychological impact of secrets on family dynamics
Integration of gothic atmosphere within a contemporary Victorian setting

THE COLLECTIVE ECHO

Discussion often centers on how the novel effectively utilizes the sensation genre to critique the rigid gender roles of the Victorian era. Readers frequently highlight the character of Lady Audley as a complex figure who defies simple categorization as either a villain or a victim. Critics often note the effectiveness of the pacing, which maintains suspense through the methodical accumulation of evidence by the protagonist's antagonist. The work remains a primary subject of study for those interested in the evolution of crime fiction and the cultural anxieties surrounding the nineteenth-century domestic sphere.

Page Count:
448

Publication Date:
2012-01-01

Publisher:
Oxford University Press

ISBN-10:
0191622206

ISBN-13:
9780191622205

Crime

Fiction

Mystery

classic

Victorian

Gothic