The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

Our moderator's choice for February is The Sorrows of Satan; or, The Strange Experience of One Geoffrey Tempest, Millionaire by Marie Corelli .

Please post any information about the book or author in this thread.

Here is the blurb from the back of the Oxford World's Classics edition that I am using:

London, 1895, and the Devil is on the loose. He is searching for someone morally strong enough to resist temptation, but there seems little chance he will succeed. Britain is all but totally corrupt.
The aristocracy is financially and spiritually bankrupt; church leaders no longer believe in God; Victorian idealism has been banished from literature and life; and sexual morality is being undermined by the pernicious doctrines of the 'New Woman'. Everything and everyone is up for sale, and it takes a special kind of moral courage to resist the Devil's seductions.

I have ordered a copy of this and plan to join you.

Great!

I wasn't going to read this, but the blurb sounds very fun! (it's all the fault of those uppity women!) Interesting to compare with Liaisons Dangereuses, also.

This book is available through Gutenberg so ebooks should be cheap or free.

That's good to know, Robin.

I have an app on my iPad called Megareader. It cost a few dollars originally, but allows instant downloads of anything from Gutenberg and several similar sources - all free, of course. Sometimes they even have the original illustrations. I used it for Dickens and Trollope because I could enlarge the print, and for many of the lesser-known classics that aren't readily available. It includes books in multiple languages as well.

I had never heard of Marie Corelli until earlier this month when I read Angel by Elizabeth Taylor the story of the life of a woman who became a best-selling author in her teens. The character of Angel is allegedly based on Marie Corelli, although critics have mentioned other popular writers of that time that Taylor may have also used as inspiration for the character of Angel.
From the GR discussions of Angel and articles on Corelli I ended up reading, I had the impression that Corelli's story will be over-the-top popular trash, not what I usually read. But, as it is older trash, I was interested but unsure about taking the time to read Corelli.
If I'm ever to read her though, it would sure be timely to do so now, soon after reading Angel. So I will see how my reading load for February is and whether I'm up for this type of book. I may join especially as I have no interest in re-reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall having read it in January of 2018. Reading Corelli with this GR group might be fun.
EDIT: I just bought a cheapie Kindle so I'm in too.

You've got me curious, Brian!

I read the brief one page author bio in the edition I'm reading, and there weren't any facts, just conjectures. Apparently Marie made her life story fiction as well. She sounds like one of a kind!

Brian wrote: "From the GR discussions of Angel and articles on Corelli I ended up reading, I had the impression that Corelli's story will be over-the-top popular trash."

Sold! :)

Corelli's Time Line-part 1

1855- Mary (Minnie) Mackay born illegitimately in London. Father is
Charles Mackay, journalist and song-writer, mother is Mary Mills

1861- on the death of his first wife, Mackay marries Mary, but immediately goes to America, leaving her and their daughter alone in London

1865- Mackay returns and they live together for the first time in a house in Surrey. Minnie has a solitary, bookish childhood, taught by a series of governesses

1869- attends a convent school in either France or Italy. At age 15 writes plays that are sometimes performed at her school

1873- hoping to have a career in journalism or music

1876-her mother dies. Her friend Bertha Vyer moves in to help run the house. The two women remain close companions for the rest of their lives.

1883- her father is paralyses after a heart attack. Minnie and Bertha move with him to London, where they are joined by Eric Mackay, Charles' son by his first marriage. Eric attempts a career in literature.

1884 - Marie Corelli makes her debut at a piano recital in London. Her pseudonym is taken from the Italian composer Aracangelo Corelli. Her chance of a career in music soon fades.

Waiting for my book to arrive

I was able to get an ebook from hoopla through my library.

I’m overloaded with group reads for February so I may be late to the party.

No worries, Abigail. You can start whenever you are ready..

I hope I'm not late to join in. Found an audiobook and thought I could squeeze in.

There's lots of time, Piyangie. We're only in Week 2 of 7.

I'll be joining in a few weeks too, Piyangie, so you won't be the last to come to the party.

Brian wrote: "I'll be joining in a few weeks too, Piyangie, so you won't be the last to come to the party."

Haha. :) Thanks, Brian. Good to know that. :)

Rosemarie wrote: "There's lots of time, Piyangie. We're only in Week 2 of 7."

I kept on seeing notifications for this discussion for some time now and surmised that I'm late. :) I should have checked out the reading schedule! Today seems to be one of those "brain malfunctioning" days! :)

We all have those days!

My book finally arrived. Will be starting it shortly

Great!