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poohbear_nc · 07-31-2021, 03:05 PM

It's time to launch the second selection of the Classics Salon book club - East Lynne, a sensation novel written by Ellen Wood in 1861.

Sensation novels were the most popular genre in Great Britain in the 1860's and 1870's, and were the best sellers of their time. They descended from, and borrowed elements from, earlier melodramatic and Gothic novels. The genre became widely popular after the publication of East Lynne (1861), The Woman in White (1859), and Lady Audley's Secret (1862). Sensation novels allowed authors to consider shocking subject matter (adultery, murder, theft, etc.), within wildly implausible plots often involving mistaken or hidden identities, and with incredible plot twists -- all set within ordinary domestic settings. Literary critics, notably John Ruskin, condemned the public's appetite for such fare, which only added to the genre's notoriety and popularity.

East Lynne was selected for the club read to give modern readers a taste of popular reading in the 19th century, to step away from the Dickens and James titles, and discover what Victorian readers were devouring and clamoring for.

So, dive into the world of Lady Isabel Vane and experience the thrills of a badly lived life.

We had planned to launch the reading of August 1, with discussion commencing on August 15. Feel free to post comments as you read.

07-31-2021, 03:05 PM	#1
poohbear_nc Now what? Posts: 58,996 Karma: 135181808 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Durham, NC Device: Every Kindle Ever Made & To Be Made!	East Lynne by Ellen Wood It's time to launch the second selection of the Classics Salon book club - *East Lynne, a sensation novel written by Ellen Wood in 1861. Sensation novels were the most popular genre in Great Britain in the 1860's and 1870's, and were the best sellers of their time. They descended from, and borrowed elements from, earlier melodramatic and Gothic novels. The genre became widely popular after the publication of East Lynne* (1861), *The Woman in White* (1859), and *Lady Audley's Secret* (1862). Sensation novels allowed authors to consider shocking subject matter (adultery, murder, theft, etc.), within wildly implausible plots often involving mistaken or hidden identities, and with incredible plot twists -- all set within ordinary domestic settings. Literary critics, notably John Ruskin, condemned the public's appetite for such fare, which only added to the genre's notoriety and popularity. East Lynne was selected for the club read to give modern readers a taste of popular reading in the 19th century, to step away from the Dickens and James titles, and discover what Victorian readers were devouring and clamoring for. So, dive into the world of Lady Isabel Vane and experience the thrills of a badly lived life. We had planned to launch the reading of August 1, with discussion commencing on August 15. Feel free to post comments as you read.