Trilby

by George du Maurier

Other authorsElaine Showalter (Editor), Dennis Denisoff (Contributor)

Paperback, 1998

Status

Available

Call number

823.8

Genres

General Fiction

All Topics

Fiction

Collection

Your library

Publication

Oxford University Press, USA (1998), Edition: 1st THUS, Paperback, 368 pages

Description

Classic Literature. Fiction. HTML: Gothic horror fans and historical fiction lovers alike will fall in love with Trilby, an 1894 novel by George du Maurier. One of the most popular fictional works of its era, the novel follows a group of three artists living in the French countryside who encounter a mysterious and mesmerizing character named Svengali. A chilling read that will satisfy even the most sophisticated horror fan..

User reviews

LibraryThing member sholt2001

After reading this book, I did some research and given its cultural impact, I'm surprised it's not better known. In addition to being the source of the Svengali character and the phrase "in the all together", it inspired the plot of The Phantom of the Opera and the stage version's costuming gave us

the Trilby hat. The novel itself is quite droll. It is much more episodic than what is to be expected from its lasting legacy, with the best known aspect only making up about a quarter of its length. The rest of the story is entertaining as well, illustrating well the subcultural of Parisian artists in the mid- to late-1800's. The style is very droll, with the narrator seeming to be a contemporary, occasionally speaking in first person, but never involved in the present action. There are somewhat large chunks of text in untranslated French, but I didn't find it an obstacle to understanding the plot. The original illustrations by the author in my copy are charming.

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LibraryThing member neurodrew

Trilby
George du Maurier
Osgood McIlvaine, London 1895
January 23, 2017
At one of our music sessions I had mentioned Svengali, and Sidney, knew the book and that it was the rage in the early part of the 20th century. I acquired a fine copy of a signed first edition (quarter leather), for about $200),

but read this on the airplane to Taiwan as a Kindle edition. The book originally appeared as a magazine serial, and in parts one can sense du Maurier filling out the word count with his philosophizing and asides. Trilby is a girl of humble origins, working as a painter's model, who befriends three Englishman who are living in the Latin Quarter in Paris learning to paint. "Little Billee", the youngest, falls in love with her, but is prevented from marrying her by his mother, who thought she was not a lady. She runs away to avoid Billee, and falls under Svengali's spell. When hypnotized she could sing beautifully, but when Svengali dies she sickens, and dies by the end of the book, as does Billee from heartbreak. Taffy and the Laird are the other friends, who witness all the tragedy, along with Gecko, Svengali's violin protege, Dodor and Zouzou, two French dragoons carousing in the Latin quarter, and other memorable characters. The book is illustrated by du Maurier with pen and ink drawings.

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LibraryThing member StevenJohnTait

I read this because it is mentioned in Tender is the Night Published in 1894, it drags on and I did not enjoy it past the first 100 pages. I skimmed the last 20. Might appeal to those interested in period pieces and the restrictive nature of social class in 1800's UK/Paris

LibraryThing member nx74defiant

It is a mixed bag. There is the antisemitism. The characters switch to untranslated French in parts. Some parts are enjoyable, some parts are boring.
It is funny how the main character Trilby is not widely known today. Svengali is the one who is well know. Svengali is only a small part until we get

near the end. But he is the one who has captured popular culture.

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