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"'He succeeds in inspiring a mysterious terror better than any other writer... It would be a plausible thing to compare the place of Le Fanu in fiction with that of Dore in art.' M. R. James 'The Simenon of the peculiar.' V. S. Pritchett 'A master of mystery and horror.' Dorothy L. Sayers"
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The marriage of Mark and Dorcas was to end generations of rivalry between the Wylder and Brandon families, and establish a new dynasty at the great old house Brandon Hall. But jealous adversaries have other plans. The Wylders and the Brandons share a history of intermarriage, bitter rivalry, villainy and madness. But the wedding of Mark Wylder to his rich and beautiful cousin, Dorcas Brandon, was to inaugurate a harmonious new era at Brandon Hall. But as the ceremony draws near, Mark disappears without trace, leaving Dorcas in shock, and the assembled family in a state of severe agitation. And when Mark's letters arrive back at the hall, postmarked from Europe, the sinister figure of Captain Stanley Lake emerges from the wings to claim Dorcas as his own. First published in 1864, "Wylder's Hand" was one of Sheridan Le Fanu's most popular novels, but has been largely neglected - until now. It is a nerve-jangling tale of jealousy and murder, for fans of the grisly and gripping.
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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Mr Le Fanu's reputation has been enjoying a positive reassessment and comparisons drawn with contemporaries such as Gaboriau and Arthur Machen. As a result I looked forward to this novel and despite a sluggish start I held on to it like a terrier.
It is set out with numerous short chapters often with curious titles eg)'Mr Larkin is Vis-a-Vis with a Concealed Companion'. Despite these appealing bite-size chunks, this book gave me indigestion. The bewildering affairs of the Wylders, Lakes and Brandons left me drawing family trees and repeatedly flipping back and forth.
Using the full gamut of the English language is to be applauded, but when 'they went to bed' becomes, 'The ladies had accomplished their ascension to the upper regions' then maybe it's time to put down the thesaurus. And what does, 'about the time when we were filming the trunks of the old trees with wreaths of lingering perfume', actually mean in English? There are reams of this gubbins and, sadly, I lost my terrier-like grip.
Slow, painful, arcane and over-long. Often written in a disconcerting syntax. It is one of the few crime novels I have read where I nearly missed the 'crime'; but by the end I couldn't care less. This is of historical interest but nothing more.
It is set out with numerous short chapters often with curious titles eg)'Mr Larkin is Vis-a-Vis with a Concealed Companion'. Despite these appealing bite-size chunks, this book gave me indigestion. The bewildering affairs of the Wylders, Lakes and Brandons left me drawing family trees and repeatedly flipping back and forth.
Using the full gamut of the English language is to be applauded, but when 'they went to bed' becomes, 'The ladies had accomplished their ascension to the upper regions' then maybe it's time to put down the thesaurus. And what does, 'about the time when we were filming the trunks of the old trees with wreaths of lingering perfume', actually mean in English? There are reams of this gubbins and, sadly, I lost my terrier-like grip.
Slow, painful, arcane and over-long. Often written in a disconcerting syntax. It is one of the few crime novels I have read where I nearly missed the 'crime'; but by the end I couldn't care less. This is of historical interest but nothing more.
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