Louisa May Alcott's Behind a Mask is an ingenious study of deception and betrayal, and of the ruthless power of a woman scorned. When demure Scottish governess Jean Muir arrives at a wealthy household, the family couldn't be more thrilled with their new young resident, and find themselves quite beguiled by her grace and beauty. But this surrender to her 'innocent' charms soon sets the men quarrelling for her attention, with the women beside themselves with jealousy. Delighted with her success, Miss Muir sets her sights on the highest prize - but she has only three days to claim victory before the truth, behind her mask, will be exposed.
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""A maverick publisher revives literature with modern touches."
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The lives of women have changed so much that nothing like this could be written now, but apart from the historical interest, once you know the author wrote Little Women and Good Wives – some may think improbably – then this tale becomes irresistible.
The heroine is the figure that plays such a part in nineteenth-century fiction, and well into the twentieth century, the woman with no assets but her talents and, if she is lucky, good looks. She has enough of an education to be a lady. She shades off into the adventuresses of Henry James, Trollope and Oscar Wilde, and at the other end of the spectrum of respectability she is the governess, with Lucy Snow and Jane Eyre. Not one of the family, but not a servant either, she is poor and honest, knowing her place but self-respecting, her virtues surely conspiring against her to make her lot as bad as it can be. To be a governess or a companion – the dread of it darkens pages in books as diverse as Vanity Fair and Daniel Deronda. This governess Miss Muir is not good, she is as amoral as she needs to be: she schemes, she plots, she plans, aided by a battery of accomplishments you are tempted to think must be impossible in one person. But then, if you have nothing but your charms and your talents they must be made the most of.
The heroine is the figure that plays such a part in nineteenth-century fiction, and well into the twentieth century, the woman with no assets but her talents and, if she is lucky, good looks. She has enough of an education to be a lady. She shades off into the adventuresses of Henry James, Trollope and Oscar Wilde, and at the other end of the spectrum of respectability she is the governess, with Lucy Snow and Jane Eyre. Not one of the family, but not a servant either, she is poor and honest, knowing her place but self-respecting, her virtues surely conspiring against her to make her lot as bad as it can be. To be a governess or a companion – the dread of it darkens pages in books as diverse as Vanity Fair and Daniel Deronda. This governess Miss Muir is not good, she is as amoral as she needs to be: she schemes, she plots, she plans, aided by a battery of accomplishments you are tempted to think must be impossible in one person. But then, if you have nothing but your charms and your talents they must be made the most of.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Charliecat
Format:Paperback
We all know Little Women. The squeaky clean, morally upright girls who, with Marmee's help, always do the right thing. Not many people know that Louisa May Alcott published a lot of stories, mostly thrillers, under the name of A.M. Barnard.
Behind the Mask is, perhaps, the most well-known of these and is printed in a rather nice little edition by Hesperus Press.
It is a work of sheer brilliance. It tells the tale of the Coventry family and their new governess Jean Muir. Little do the family know that Jean is not what she seems and she will scheme, deceive and manipulate to get exactly what she wants.
If you like your tales with a bit of edge and you would like to see a different side to Louisa May Alcott then you should read this and revel in it's delicious darkness!
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
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WOAH NELLY!
2 Dec 2001
By Olivia Karns
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
This was an amazing thriller. It kept me reading until the end. I do not usualy like thrillers, but Miss Alcott makes it very interesting, mysterious with the slightest bit of romance. I would highly recomend it.
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