Victorian Sensation Novels

[Critteranne]

Can anyone recommend Victorian sensation novels? (See the Wiki entry at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensation_novel.) This was a common genre in the 1860s and 1870s. It was influenced by melodramatic novels; Newgate novels (novels about criminals); and the Gothic novel. William Harrison Ainsworth was one of the famous authors of Newgate novels.

I've read Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon, which is one of the most famous examples. I have some nice copies of Wilkie Collins books (even print copies!), and he's one of the other famous examples of Victorian sensation fiction authors. I'm also trying to read East Lynne by Ellen Wood (who published as Mrs. Henry Wood). But it's a long one!


There are a couple of Dickens novels considered to be sensation novels, but it might depend on who you ask. Some consider "Oliver Twist" to be a Newgate novel because it is about the lives of criminals.

[BookCat]

Wilkie Collins wrote some good sensation novels and would be a great place to begin. Maybe The Woman in White.

For others, take your pick from this list:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/sensation-novels

Not all of the books in this list were written in the Victorian era.

[Critteranne]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Wilkie Collins wrote some good sensation novels and would be a great place to begin. Maybe The Woman in White.

For others, take your pick from this list:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/sensation-novels

Not all of the books in this list were written in the Victorian era.

Thanks!


Right now, I'm reading "Mary Elizabeth Braddon: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction." That will get me in the mood.

[ZodWallop]

I really enjoyed The String of Pearls (adapted to the musical Sweeney Todd). It's from the right time frame (1850) but I don't know if a penny dreadful is the same as a sensation novel.

[Critteranne]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I really enjoyed The String of Pearls (adapted to the musical Sweeney Todd). It's from the right time frame (1850) but I don't know if a penny dreadful is the same as a sensation novel.

According to one of the books I'm reading, Mary Elizabeth Braddon wrote for what she called "halfpenny and penny journals" under a pen name. But this was unusual for that time. (Most of those stories have since been reprinted under her name.)

At the time, the markets were considered separate, with the halfpenny and penny journals considered "below" most people. Sigh.

BTW there is a Mary Elizabeth Braddon Association, and they include a bibliography.

[hildea]

I liked Lady Audley's Secret, and I've read a few Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White is my favourite. Sarah Rees Brennan wrote a hilarious parody of The Woman in White, which I strongly recommend, but note that it's chock full of spoilers. She also wrote a bit about the historical context of a main part of the plot, and about fandom in Collins' time.

KJ Charles is a modern author who has written a very good series in this genre:

Sins of the Cities is written in the spirit of the Victorian sensation novel (plots, shenanigans, murder, mystery, fog, secrets and scandals). It’s London 1873. As one of the worst fogs of the nineteenth century closes in on the city, long-buried secrets are crawling into the light, and dragging all sorts of trouble with them.

The trilogy centres on a group of friends who meet at the Jack and Knave, a club for ladies and gentlemen of unconventional persuasion. Clem Talleyfer is an unassuming lodging-house keeper who just wants a quiet life; Nathaniel Roy is a lawyer turned journalist who likes nothing more than a crusade; Mark Braglewicz is a private enquiry agent and a bit of a tough nut. And all three are about to find themselves dragged into a long-simmering family secret that turns deadly.

[Critteranne]

Originally Posted by hildea

I liked Lady Audley's Secret, and I've read a few Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White is my favourite. Sarah Rees Brennan wrote a hilarious parody of The Woman in White, which I strongly recommend, but note that it's chock full of spoilers. She also wrote a bit about the historical context of a main part of the plot, and about fandom in Collins' time.

KJ Charles is a modern author who has written a very good series in this genre:

Thanks!