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Lady Audley's Secret (Wordsworth Classics) [Paperback]

M.E. Braddon (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 25 Sep 1997 | Series: Wordsworth Classics
This Wordsworth Edition includes an Introduction and Notes by Esther Saxey

The flaxen-haired beauty of the childlike Lady Audley would suggest that she has no secrets. But M.E. Braddon’s classic novel of sensation uncovers the truth about its heroine in a plot involving bigamy, arson and murder. It challenges assumptions about the nature of femininity and investigates the narrow divide between sanity and insanity, using as its focus one of the most fascinating of all Victorian heroines.

Combining elements of the detective novel, the psychological thriller and the romance of upper class life, Lady Audley’s Secret was one of the most popular and successful novels of the nineteenth century and still exerts a powerful hold on readers.

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Product details

  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd; New edition edition (25 Sep 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1853267260
  • ISBN-13: 978-1853267260
  • Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 2 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 40,408 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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› Visit Amazon's M. E. Braddon Page
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Review

* It's gripping stuff...and is relished in every dramatic plot twist by Juliet Stevenson, who enjoys keeping the listener guessing until the final revelation. The Sunday Times --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From the Inside Flap

Weathering critical sarcasm, Lady Audley's Secret (1862) quickly established Mary Elizabeth Braddon as the doyen of Victorian 'sensation' fiction, sharing the honour only with Wilkie Collins.

Addictive, cunningly plotted and certainly sensational, Lady Audley's Secret draws on contemporary theories of insanity to probe mid-Victorian anxiety and the doubts that accompanied the rapid rise of consumer culture.

What is the relationship between Mary Elizabeth Braddon's artful and charming heroine and a governess, a bigamist and a lunatic? Lady Audley's secret is investigated by Robert Dudley, aristocrat turned detective, in a novel that has lost none of its power to disturb and entertain.

'She may boast, without fear of contradiction, in having temporarily succeeded in making the literature of the Kitchen the favourite reading of the Drawing room.'

For more titles in the Penguin Classics range, visit Amazon.co.uk's Penguin Classics Bookstore. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
91 of 93 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book, beautiful heroine. 25 Jan 2006
By Gregory S. Buzwell TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
Mary Elizabeth Braddon wrote some eighty novels of which only a tiny handful remain in print today; and yet, given the terrific quality of Lady Audley's Secret, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a few more of Braddon's books creep back onto the list of acknowledged Victorian classics over the next few years. With stage shows and TV adaptations of sensational Victorian literature doing big business Mary Elizabeth Braddon is ripe for rediscovery. She could certainly write and her female characters in particular are beautifully vivid and well-realised.

Without wishing to give away the admittedly slightly convoluted and twisted plot (but twisted in the best possible fashion!) Lady Audley's Secret concerns the shady and vague past of one Lucy Graham who becomes, on marriage to an elderly baronet, the Lady Audley of the title. Beautiful, intelligent, manipulative and cunning she completely dominates the novel, easily out-shining the various po-faced and rather priggish males who try to uncover her distinctly iffy past and bring her to some sort of justice. Braddon possibly over-cooked the character of Lady Audley, making her so endlessly fascinating that she continually captures the reader's sympathy in spite of behaving in a downright devious, sinister and occasionally murderous fashion. She dominates every scene in which she appears to the extent one actually hopes she gets away with her nefarious activities and that her Nemesis, the rather dreary and humourless Robert Audley - the sort of single issue bore you really wouldn't want to be stuck with at a party - finds himself abandoned and ignored by all concerned.

The novel contains some exquisite set pieces, in particular a scene in which a Pre-Raphelite painting of Lady Audley is discussed in a fashion that actually touches on an idea developed years later by Oscar Wilde in The Picture of Dorian Gray. It seems the artist, in portraying the exquisite beauty of Lady Audley slightly marred by a sinister curl to the lip, has caught the essence, rather than the physical actuality, of his model. Something unconsciously felt, rather than seen, has been given a literal representation.

The plotting is quite leisurely, but even the passages which could be regarded as padding are not without interest and some fine descriptive writing, and the female characters in the book are all considerably more interesting than the males which can on occasion give things a slightly lopsided feel, but taken as a whole it's a wonderful novel which thoroughly deserved the considerable success it achived on its first publication. The critics in the Victorian press were sniffy, but Henry James - who knew a thing or two about fine writing - was a fan. Give it a go. If you like your literature as fragrant as a rose garden in high summer you won't be disappointed.

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55 of 56 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Victorian Gem 9 Nov 2006
By Sarah Durston TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
There is a reason why Thackeray and Dickens were big fans of Mary Elizabeth Braddon. This novel is a Victorian gem!

Lucy Graham is a governess until she strikes it lucky and manages to charm Sir Michael Audley into marrying her. Apart from a tempestuous realtioship with her new step-daughter, Alicia, all is quiet at Audley Court until a visit from Sir Michael's neice and his friend George Tallboys.

George suddenly disappears, but there is more to the disappearance than meets the eye, and what is Lady Audley keeping to herself?

Blackmail, possible murder, arson and one of the greatest villanesses I've ever come across, this book has it all.

Suspend all disbelief and enjoy. Highly recommended.
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31 of 32 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A real page-turner 9 Nov 2000
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
The best thriller of the Victorian age, this is still a real page-turner today. It's well worth reading - you won't be able to put it down!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars Not for me
I'm the kind of person who rarely gives up on a book - the only one that has ever consistently been put down is Moby Dick. But this is another. Not my cup of tea at all! Read more
Published 10 days ago by helenm
5.0 out of 5 stars Quite intriguing my lady. ;)
I found this book to be more than marvellous. Full of intrigue, mystery, lush detail and well written characters. Read more
Published 1 month ago by miss j richardson
5.0 out of 5 stars Do you know what her secret is?
Fantastic. An absolute must to read. It keeps you enthralled right to the end. Tell me, when you finish the story, what is Lady Audley's secret?
Published 1 month ago by Patto
4.0 out of 5 stars Quite good freebie.
It was quite a good read and it kept me reasonably interested. Downloaded as a freebie and I'd recommend it.
Published 1 month ago by Yvonne
4.0 out of 5 stars gripping who dunnit
buy if you like historical romance.
ponderous at times but worth sticking with it.
the end will surprise you though.
Published 1 month ago by Philip Harvey
5.0 out of 5 stars Discovering Braddon
Mary Braddon writes scandalous novels, well they describe events that were scandalous in their time (Victorian era) but not so much now. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Simi Bignall
4.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed this book.
I bought this book by mistake as I don't usually go for historical novels. However, I found it intriguing and generally very good.
Published 2 months ago by Kallen
4.0 out of 5 stars Lady Audley's Secret
I thoroughly enjoyed the story with excellent detailed descriptions of people's characters and environment. Read more
Published 2 months ago by huguette armstrong of Milton Keynes
3.0 out of 5 stars Got a good twist.
I don't really like this kind of story but for people who don't mind stories set in the nineteenth century this is just for them.
Published 2 months ago by megan renshaw
5.0 out of 5 stars Good little story
One of my first kindle books and I really enjoyed the story. It is an easy read and can be put down and gone back to without any trouble. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Ronnie
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