Sensation Drama 1860 1880

This pioneering edition provides access to some of the most popular plays of the nineteenth century.

This pioneering edition provides access to some of the most popular plays of the nineteenth century.

Modern Murders is the first comprehensive study of murder representations during the turn of the century, drawing on previously neglected archival material to explore the intellectual, cultural, and artistic contexts of the period. Most studies view the abundance of murder representations throughout the nineteenth century as an indicator of a supposedly typical Victorian appetite for sensation and melodrama. Modern Murders, however, demonstrates the turn of the century's backlash against melodramatic and sensational representations of murder and reads them as an important component in the struggles for better aesthetic standards in art and entertainment, and as a dominant feature in the debates on mass culture. Through a plethora of visual and written texts, representations of fictional and actual "real life" murders, and "high" and "popular" forms of writing, the volume considers the importance of murder in the elite claim to cultural authority versus its perception of plebian taste, in the context of the democratization of culture. This book will be of value to scholars and graduate students in a variety of research areas, as well as general readers interested in the role of murder as a central trope in modern art and culture.

A new scholarly edition of a major late-Victorian scientific romance novelMarie Corelli's A Romance of Two Worlds is regarded as one of the most culturally important Victorian bestsellers. This critical edition offers instructive access to this multifaceted but still largely underappreciated novel that is a key text for scholars and students of late-Victorian women's writing. It also raises urgent questions about a wide array of textual and cultural concerns, especially the form and function of the Victorian 'bestseller'.Key FeaturesContains a thorough critical and analytical introduction, annotations and appendicesProvides context and underlines the aesthetic significance of Corelli's supernatural romanceEngages with the full range of secondary scholarship on this neglected late-Victorian author

Agriculture and the Land brings together previously uncollected essays on the changing conditions of agriculture and rural life in the 1870s and 1880s. These items, many of which are unknown to researchers, were first published in leading periodicals of the time and offer new insight into the trajectory and timeframe of Jefferies' career. The material offers fresh perspectives on the economics and politics of agriculture, the condition of the agricultural labourer, the use of steam power, the land question, education and changing farming practices.

A scholarly edition of a neglected and provocative masterpiece of the fin-de-siecle avant-gardeOffers a comprehensive analysis and interpretation of Crackanthorpe's first volume of short storiesContextualizes the volume in terms of Crackanthorpe's other work, in terms of contemporary writers and fin-de-sicle culture and society in Britain and EuropeIncludes two non-fiction pieces by Crackanthorpe, which he published in Albemarle and The Yellow Book in 1892 and 1894Contains an uncollected short story "e;The Haseltons,"e; which Crackanthorpe published in The Yellow Book in 1894 Hubert Crackanthorpe was a skilful and technically innovative English realist/naturalist writer. This edition of his powerful first collection of short stories features a carefully contextualised introduction to the author and his work. Providing a detailed analysis of his short stories, David Malcolm situates the author within the fin-de-sicle culture and society in Britain and Europe. Appendices contain additional works that reflect Crackanthorpe's perspective on fiction and contemporary literary trends.

First scholarly edition of a neglected, hugely popular best-sellerKey FeaturesFirst scholarly edition of forgotten late Victorian classic of rural life and sensation fictionComprehensive selection of contemporary reviews and commentariesCarefully contextualized introduction to the novel and its authorMaxwell Gray tells the sensational story of an ambitious clergyman, who accidentally kills the father of a woman he has made pregnant, and then allows his closest friend to be convicted of the murder. The best-seller was subsequently filmed three times (1914, 1915, 1934) and presents fascinating insights into the forgotten world of late Victorian rural life. Including a carefully contextualised introduction to the novel and its author, this edition also provides a comprehensive selection of contemporary reviews and commentaries.

First scholarly edition of a bestselling historical novelExplores the socio-political themes of the novel and deemed as relevant today as they were over 200 years agoSituates work in the genealogy of the historical novel and examines its literary and cultural influenceScholarly annotations clarify the historical context: the French Revolution, the related war in Poland, and Britain's response to Polish refugees in the 1790sPublished in 1803, Thaddeus of Warsaw is a beguiling romance that also exposes the hardships faced by migrants in Britain two hundred years ago. Jane Porter tells the story of a dashing Polish refugee, Thaddeus Sobieski, who must escape hostilities in his homeland. In London he faces poverty and prejudice, but his courage and goodness bring him to the attention of a circle of women who, in a surprising role reversal, either aid or woo him. He must also solve the mystery of his birth by discovering and confronting the British father who abandoned him.A carefully contextualised introduction to the novel and its author situates the work in the genealogy of the historical novel, examining its literary and cultural influence. Supporting materials include contemporary reviews, poems on Poland and correspondence regarding the novel's early success.