Twilight Stories Rhoda Broughton 9781523754724 Books
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Rhoda Broughton (29 November 1840 – 5 June 1920) was a Welsh novelist and short story writer. Her early novels earned her a reputation for sensationalism which caused her later and stronger work to be neglected by serious critics, though she was described as a queen of the circulating libraries. Somerset Maugham, in his short story "The Round Dozen" (1924, also known as "The Ardent Bigamist") observes "I remember Miss Broughton telling me once that when she was young people said her books were fast and when she was old they said they were slow, and it was very hard since she had written exactly the same sort of book for forty years." Rhoda Broughton never married, and some critics assume that a disappointed attachment was the impulse that made her try her pen instead of some other literary work like that of Mrs. Thackeray Ritchie. Much of her life she spent with her sister Mrs. Eleanor Newcome until the latter's death in Richmond in 1895. She therefore somehow stands in the tradition of great lady novelists like Maria Edgeworth, Jane Austen or Susan Ferrier. But there are other merits that cause her to be placed in such high company. In his article on her Richard C. Tobias calls her " the leading woman novelist in England between the death of George Eliot and the beginning of Virginia Woolf's career." He compares her work with other novelists of the time and concludes that hers reaches a much higher quality. Indeed her works of the 1890s and the early 20th century are fine novels and good fun to read.
Twilight Stories Rhoda Broughton 9781523754724 Books
I was particularly impressed with the five stories in this collection from 1873. "The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth" makes excellent use of the epistolary mode of storytelling. A series of witty letters exchanged between two society ladies gradually darkens to reach a creepy and shocking conclusion. This is without question one of the most deliberately ambiguous yet still satisfying ghost stories I've ever read. Aficionados of gothic fiction and fans of classic 'haunted house' stories will be very impressed with just how confidently Broughton 'drops the mic' at the story's conclusion. Her decision not to provide certain details might frustrate some readers but it makes the story all the more frightening and memorable as a result. A true masterpiece.I also very much enjoyed the subtle creepiness of "The Man With The Nose" (another effectively ambiguous tale) and the rather bitter ironic twist of "Behold It Was A Dream." "Poor Pretty Bobby" also stood out as a tender yet tragic story of young love with one very cool and chilling scene. The last of the five stories, "Under The Cloak," is not a supernatural tale but a clever and interesting story concerning an unforgettable late night journey by train.
Broughton's prose is very readable and fast paced. She has a great gift for dialogue and her characters are well-developed and likable. There's plenty of subtle humor and wit in the stories but it is by no means disruptive. Her style seems more modern and I was surprised by how violent "Behold It Was A Dream" was for the 1870s. The setups and explorations of the supernatural are very effective. "Twilight Stories" is an absolute must read for fans of classic supernatural Victorian fiction.
For completists, the edition edited by Marilyn Wood for Paul Watkins Publishing is the best choice if you want to add all of Broughton's ghost and mystery stories to you collection. There are 7 additional stories that were published in various periodicals after 1873. But if you're just after the very best of Broughton's ghost stories, the edition of "Twilight Stories" published by Victorian Secrets is the best option.
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Twilight Stories Rhoda Broughton 9781523754724 Books Reviews
People who scoff at ghosts and prophetic dreams may think better of it after reading Broughton's chilling Victorian tales.
Rhoda Broughton has a wonderful talent for putting sensible, likeable people into scary situations. A correspondence between two lively matrons leads to tragedy in a haunted house. The night train to Paris threatens to end in murder. The nightmare of a child-like bride comes true. In fact, dreams have an almost Freudian weightiness in Broughton's stories, the lurking place of ghostly visitors and predators.
There are just five pieces in this slender volume. But Broughton is a very fine prose stylist, and every story is a gem, rich in character development and psychological nuance. I also enjoyed the stories for their charming glimpses into bygone fashions and customs.
The Victorians were fascinated by occult phenomena, and collections of weird tales like this one were immensely popular.
Twilight Stories was originally published under the title Tales for Christmas Eve (1873). No doubt the holidays with their cozy family gatherings were ideal for reading terrifying tales out loud by the fire.
Earlier the stories appeared in Temple Bar magazine, one of the leading literary magazines in Victorian London. Broughton's fiction held its own in company with works by Charles Dickens, Willie Collins and Mrs. Braddon.
This edition of Twilight Stories is nicely produced by Victorian Secrets, a British publisher doing a great service by reviving forgotten Victorian literary treasures. The introduction by Emma Liggins is excellent.
If you're like me, after you've devoured the usual Victorians, you want more. Rhoda Broughton is a delightful find.
I was particularly impressed with the five stories in this collection from 1873. "The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth" makes excellent use of the epistolary mode of storytelling. A series of witty letters exchanged between two society ladies gradually darkens to reach a creepy and shocking conclusion. This is without question one of the most deliberately ambiguous yet still satisfying ghost stories I've ever read. Aficionados of gothic fiction and fans of classic 'haunted house' stories will be very impressed with just how confidently Broughton 'drops the mic' at the story's conclusion. Her decision not to provide certain details might frustrate some readers but it makes the story all the more frightening and memorable as a result. A true masterpiece.
I also very much enjoyed the subtle creepiness of "The Man With The Nose" (another effectively ambiguous tale) and the rather bitter ironic twist of "Behold It Was A Dream." "Poor Pretty Bobby" also stood out as a tender yet tragic story of young love with one very cool and chilling scene. The last of the five stories, "Under The Cloak," is not a supernatural tale but a clever and interesting story concerning an unforgettable late night journey by train.
Broughton's prose is very readable and fast paced. She has a great gift for dialogue and her characters are well-developed and likable. There's plenty of subtle humor and wit in the stories but it is by no means disruptive. Her style seems more modern and I was surprised by how violent "Behold It Was A Dream" was for the 1870s. The setups and explorations of the supernatural are very effective. "Twilight Stories" is an absolute must read for fans of classic supernatural Victorian fiction.
For completists, the edition edited by Marilyn Wood for Paul Watkins Publishing is the best choice if you want to add all of Broughton's ghost and mystery stories to you collection. There are 7 additional stories that were published in various periodicals after 1873. But if you're just after the very best of Broughton's ghost stories, the edition of "Twilight Stories" published by Victorian Secrets is the best option.
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