Product Description

In the Latin Quarter of Paris, Trilby O'Ferrall - graceful, charming and innocent - is working as an artist's model. Her ingenuous nature makes her the perfect prey for the cruel magnetism of the demonic musician Svengali, under whose spell she falls. Using hypnotic powers Svengali shapes her into a virtuoso singer and soon she becomes Europe's most captivating soprano. But her golden voice, and even her life, will become fatally tied to him. With its thrilling plot and legendary villain, "Trilby" caused a sensation when it appeared in 1894, spawning songs, shoes and, most famously, the Trilby hat. Yet it is also a fascinating portrayal of its times, holding up a mirror to fin de siecle obsessions with sexuality, mesmerism and the occult.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1653309 in Books
• Published on: 1995-02-16
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 5.00" h x 1.00" w x 7.00" l, .61 pounds
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 336 pages

From the Publisher
Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers these extensive materials at a price that competes with the most inexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks have durable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial and scholarly standards.

About the Author
Elaine Showalter is Professor and Chair of the English Department at Princeton University. Her books include The New Feminist Criticism and Sexual Anarchy: Gender and Culture at the Fin de Siecle. George Du Maurier was born in Paris into a bilingual household and spent his childhood shuttling between London, Paris, Boulogne, and Belgium. After studying art in Paris, he made a career in London in journalism and magazine illustration. He joined the staff of Punch and quickly became known for his witty lampoons of high society. Encouraged by his friend Henry James, he wrote his first novel, Peter Ibbetson, in 1891. Trilby (1894), his second novel, became an immense international success, generating a craze - `Trilby-mania' - that went beyond the novel itself. Manufacturers vied to produce Trilby products - from ice-cream to shoes - and a town in Florida named its streets after characters in the book.