Fatal Moments

The Introduction states (p.8): "In the following pages you will meet people who weren't ready for their moment, and you will see the terrible tragedy that ensued. But you will also meet those who were ready, and you will learn why." Each chapter is preceded by an excerpt from the New American Standard Bible and is followed by a series of discussion questions.

The Rise and Fall of the Femme Fatale: From Gothic Ghosts to Victorian Vamps explores the femme fatale’s careerin nineteenth-century British literature. It traces her evolution—and devolution—formally, historically, and ideologically through a selection of plays, poems, novels, and personal correspondence. Considering well-known fatal women alongside more obscure ones, The Rise and Fall of the Femme Fatale sheds new light on emerging notions of gender, sexuality, and power throughout the long nineteenth century. By placing the fatal woman in a still developing literary and cultural narrative, this study examines how the femme fatale adapts over time, reflecting popular tastes and socio-economic landscapes.