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Uncle Silas
Perhaps no other writer in the history of English fiction so completely mastered the technique of creating an atmosphere of unrelieved suspense and terror as Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1814-73). This is surely evident in all of his supernatural such superb examples of the English ghost story as "Carmilla," "The Haunted Baronet," "Squire Toby's Will," and others (many available in Dover's Best Ghost Stories of J. S. Le Fanu ). But nowhere is Le Fanu's success as great as in Uncle Silas.
Death prowls the 400-odd pages of this book — in Maud Ruthyn, her father Austin, the grotesque Madame de la Rougierre, in the shadowy suspicion that surrounds Uncle Silas, in the chilly atmosphere at Knowl and the even more haunting terror pervading Bartram-Haugh, in the gloomy night thoughts and somber reflections about death that occur and reoccur. With consummate skill, Le Fanu has truly captured the secret fears and dreads that grip us all.
One of a half dozen or so nineteenth-century novels still read for pleasure rather than as a school exercise, Uncle Silas is the Victorian mystery story par excellence, displaying both Le Fanu's considerable narrative ability and his emotional power. It has remained in print since its first appearance in 1864, has been translated into several languages, and has been filmed in England as The Inheritor. Its longevity and perennial appeal are both well established and well deserved, for as Frederick Shroyer says in his Introduction, "It is one of the most effective, gripping novels of terror … ever written. Today, as in the past, Uncle Silas continues to serve diabolically well to chill the reader's psychic bones."
Despite its continuous popularity, Uncle Silas has of late been virtually unobtainable in America. Now republished by Dover, this chilling Victorian novel will be a welcome treat for all Le Fanu admirers, mystery fans, English majors, and every reader who enjoys a well-told tale.
Death prowls the 400-odd pages of this book — in Maud Ruthyn, her father Austin, the grotesque Madame de la Rougierre, in the shadowy suspicion that surrounds Uncle Silas, in the chilly atmosphere at Knowl and the even more haunting terror pervading Bartram-Haugh, in the gloomy night thoughts and somber reflections about death that occur and reoccur. With consummate skill, Le Fanu has truly captured the secret fears and dreads that grip us all.
One of a half dozen or so nineteenth-century novels still read for pleasure rather than as a school exercise, Uncle Silas is the Victorian mystery story par excellence, displaying both Le Fanu's considerable narrative ability and his emotional power. It has remained in print since its first appearance in 1864, has been translated into several languages, and has been filmed in England as The Inheritor. Its longevity and perennial appeal are both well established and well deserved, for as Frederick Shroyer says in his Introduction, "It is one of the most effective, gripping novels of terror … ever written. Today, as in the past, Uncle Silas continues to serve diabolically well to chill the reader's psychic bones."
Despite its continuous popularity, Uncle Silas has of late been virtually unobtainable in America. Now republished by Dover, this chilling Victorian novel will be a welcome treat for all Le Fanu admirers, mystery fans, English majors, and every reader who enjoys a well-told tale.
436 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1864
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About the author
J. Sheridan Le Fanu
1,368 books1,395 followersJoseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu was an Irish writer of Gothic tales and mystery novels. He was the leading ghost-story writer of the nineteenth century and was central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era. M.R. James described Le Fanu as "absolutely in the first rank as a writer of ghost stories". Three of his best-known works are Uncle Silas, Carmilla and The House by the Churchyard.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 669 reviews
June 17, 2019
Uncle Silas isn’t a great novel, but it does exactly what it sets out to do. It is an effective “novel of sensation” in the tradition of The Woman in White, presenting us with a likable heroine in increasingly perilous situations, leading to a hair-raising—and extremely well-executed—climax.
There are not many thrills in Uncle Silas, but the thrills themselves are indeed thrilling, and Le Fanu knows exactly how to administer them—sometimes by the dollop, occasionally with an eye-dropper—in order to make sure that the reader does not become jaded and is prepared to enjoy every thrill all the way till the end.
One of the reasons Le Fanu succeeds so well is the nature of his villain. Silas does not possess the heroic size—physically or spiritually—of Collins’ Count Fosco. As a matter of fact, he is almost his villainous opposite. (I suspect this might have been La Fanu's intention.) Silas is a small man of small ambitions, a hypocritical sociopath who hides behind the bible, an opium addict and an invalid, and yet in his own quiet way, he is just as dangerous as the Count. If the Count is like an aging lion, then Silas resembles more closely a poisonous spider. Even when his intentions seem benign, we know in our hearts that they are not, and consequently we continue to fear for Maude even in the midst of the comic interludes in the second third of the novel. Even if we cannot see the spider spinning, we know he--and his poisonous bite--is still there.
I don’t think this novel is quite as successful as the best of Le Fanu’s ghost stories (which are masterpieces of the form), but it is nevertheless a superb piece of craftsmanship, an absorbing and enjoyable work.
December 7, 2023
My name is Maud and I’m only 17 and I’m a total feeb, seriously. I’m literally scared of my own shadow! But really, who wouldn’t be? Those things follow you around. And they’re so quiet. What are they up to? I live in a vast stately home because my father has more money than the Bank of Freaking England. I don’t get out much, really what is there to do round here except clog dancing and killing animals, but I have noticed that every man I meet falls at my little dainty feet. I wondered why that might be, and I came to the conclusion it’s probably because of my stunning beauty. So given all of that, what could possibly go wrong? Well, just imagine for a moment that my dear papa should have a stroke and die and because I am under the age of 21 I should then be shunted over to the care of my even more reclusive borderline personality disorder Uncle Silas who is thought to have murdered a man and who is sinking under a mass of accumulated gambling debt piled up years ago before he discovered the more tranquil delights of opium. Surely no harm could befall me in the clutches of such a repulsive individual, to whom it may just have occurred that should I die before I attain control over my staggering wealth he would inherit the lot, or, maybe Plan B, possibly he just might marry me off to his boorish rakehell of a son who looks exactly like Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes. Now read on for another 350 pages.
July 18, 2016
7/5 stars~~~~~~~
This book.........
This is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES RIGHT HERE!!!
There was so much depth and darkness to this book, but it also had so much joy and it was funny! I found my self laughing outloud tons of times!
Then again, this book is TERRIFYING. I was so freaked out while I was reading it!
Along with this amazing plot, the characters were fabulous! Maud, the main character, was so relatable to me
This book.........
This is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES RIGHT HERE!!!
There was so much depth and darkness to this book, but it also had so much joy and it was funny! I found my self laughing outloud tons of times!
Then again, this book is TERRIFYING. I was so freaked out while I was reading it!
Along with this amazing plot, the characters were fabulous! Maud, the main character, was so relatable to me
August 30, 2019
A Victorian gothic tale written in 1864. An orphaned 17 year old girl is sent to live with her Uncle Silas. She has never met him before. Years ago he was an excessive gambler and was accused of murder, and the scandal has never faded. Has Uncle Silas truly became a changed religious man, or is he a greedy man willing to kill to for greed?
Due to the writing style of this time period, there is confusion sometimes on which character is speaking in the narrative. This caused me to reread passages many times.
I liked the beginning and the end, but from the 50% to the 75% it really stalled. I kept avoiding the book. I thought about not finishing, but I finally finished. I think the middle needed some editing, a good bit could have been removed. The ending did work up a good suspenseful feeling. I had to remind myself the protagonist was only 17, and times were different then. I kept thinking I would have acted differently than she did, or handled things differently. I did get tired of her stomping her foot, resembling a 5 year old in the throws of a temper tantrum.
Due to the writing style of this time period, there is confusion sometimes on which character is speaking in the narrative. This caused me to reread passages many times.
I liked the beginning and the end, but from the 50% to the 75% it really stalled. I kept avoiding the book. I thought about not finishing, but I finally finished. I think the middle needed some editing, a good bit could have been removed. The ending did work up a good suspenseful feeling. I had to remind myself the protagonist was only 17, and times were different then. I kept thinking I would have acted differently than she did, or handled things differently. I did get tired of her stomping her foot, resembling a 5 year old in the throws of a temper tantrum.
February 15, 2016
I had such high expectations for this old classic that seemed almost impossible to get my hands on. My idea of a “cozy mystery” is a Gothic/Victorian Era mystery so when this finally became available to me I was thrilled to read it. I loved the sound of the premise: After the death of her father, a 17-year-old heiress is sent to live under her uncle’s care, of whom rumor has it he may or may not have committed a murder. I was concerned for her safety among a whole slew of suspicious characters. The introduction promised this was the perfect read for a cold winter night. But unfortunately a fortnight of cold winter nights just wasn’t cutting it. I did enjoy the richly developed characters and the wonderfully creepy atmosphere the author created. 3 stars for the tension, the sense of foreboding, and the enjoyment of reading it as a buddy read, just wish I could have enjoyed it as much as my friend did.
May 17, 2018
Are Gothic novels respectable? Let's talk about it. Would this be a good time to sit backwards on my chair? Fuck yes it would, Let's Get Real. I recently read Anthony Trollope's landmark Serious Novel The Way We Live Now, from around the same time to (1875 to Silas's 1864), so let's use that one to compare themes.
- Class, especially the fortune of landed gentry vs. their non-landed relatives: check
- The powerlessness of women to control their own destinies: check
- The quest for power and money, and its corrosive effects on the soul: check
So Gothics are concerned with the same issues as other novels - but they deal with them more hysterically. They take place in a heightened world. They're not meant to be seen as realistic. But that doesn't mean they're less serious.
Okay, look, not many books can stand next to The Way We Live Now, whose best character, Marie Melmotte, turns out to have more agency and strength than we gave her credit for. Poor dear Maud, in this book, spends an awful lot of time being shuttled about helplessly.
What Maud is, though, is she's a perfect example of a Final Girl, who for some reason is associated mainly with slasher films although the Gothic novel totally invented it. The Final Girl is often passive through most of the story; always virginal; and always the last person standing, finally taking action to defeat the monster. (That last bit often comes with a twist.) This is Halloween, Friday the 13th, Mysteries of Udolpho, and Uncle Silas.
It's worthy literature, damsel and all. The hysterical reality of the Gothic (and its trademark squicky parts) can make reading it more fun, while you think about the same real issues brought up in more realistic books. Uncle Silas is one of the better Gothics. It's a terrific example of all its tropes executed well - the spooky old estate here is wonderful, one of the great spooky old estates. There are two great characters, Silas and Madame de la Rougierre. It hangs together and the ending works. It's literature.
- Class, especially the fortune of landed gentry vs. their non-landed relatives: check
- The powerlessness of women to control their own destinies: check
- The quest for power and money, and its corrosive effects on the soul: check
So Gothics are concerned with the same issues as other novels - but they deal with them more hysterically. They take place in a heightened world. They're not meant to be seen as realistic. But that doesn't mean they're less serious.
Okay, look, not many books can stand next to The Way We Live Now, whose best character, Marie Melmotte, turns out to have more agency and strength than we gave her credit for. Poor dear Maud, in this book, spends an awful lot of time being shuttled about helplessly.
What Maud is, though, is she's a perfect example of a Final Girl, who for some reason is associated mainly with slasher films although the Gothic novel totally invented it. The Final Girl is often passive through most of the story; always virginal; and always the last person standing, finally taking action to defeat the monster. (That last bit often comes with a twist.) This is Halloween, Friday the 13th, Mysteries of Udolpho, and Uncle Silas.
It's worthy literature, damsel and all. The hysterical reality of the Gothic (and its trademark squicky parts) can make reading it more fun, while you think about the same real issues brought up in more realistic books. Uncle Silas is one of the better Gothics. It's a terrific example of all its tropes executed well - the spooky old estate here is wonderful, one of the great spooky old estates. There are two great characters, Silas and Madame de la Rougierre. It hangs together and the ending works. It's literature.
March 22, 2015
This is the most frightening book I have ever read. Before I picked this up, I had read some of Le Fanu's short fiction, the ghost stories based on Irish legends, and, of course, CARMILLA. This book, however, is horrifying. Too often, writers and directors of horror regie solely on blood and gore to convey fear. For me, it doesn't work. All it conveys is a love of gory. Such gore might not make me hungry, but it doesn't scare me.
Le Fanu relies on mood and atmosphere to get the job done. He also relies on one other key thing, and it is this that really gets the job of creating the tension and fear. That ingredient is Knowledge. The reader knows, but Maud doesn't, what is going to happen. The reader knows it completely and utterly. Instead of making the book pointless, this knowledge carries the tension and fear. A reader reads in the height of almost panic because of this knowledge. Usually such knowledge doesn't work. The monster is always scarier when we can't see it. Le Fanu found a way to show us and not show us the monster. It's brilliant.
Le Fanu relies on mood and atmosphere to get the job done. He also relies on one other key thing, and it is this that really gets the job of creating the tension and fear. That ingredient is Knowledge. The reader knows, but Maud doesn't, what is going to happen. The reader knows it completely and utterly. Instead of making the book pointless, this knowledge carries the tension and fear. A reader reads in the height of almost panic because of this knowledge. Usually such knowledge doesn't work. The monster is always scarier when we can't see it. Le Fanu found a way to show us and not show us the monster. It's brilliant.
July 20, 2017
Like so many fictional Victorian daughters, Maud Ruthyn adores her father and trusts him completely. (Mother is dead.) Obeying his wishes is her heart's desire. In this she is a complete idiot, because her father is actually a terrible parent. Not only does Austin Ruthyn neglect her, but his will provides that on his death she will go live with his brother Silas, whom Maud has never met, until her majority. Putting the interests of one's child first would dictate that Maud go to live with her middle-aged cousin Monica, who has a lovely house, plenty of money, is fond of Maud, and actually does have her best interests at heart. But Austin is determined to have Maud live with Silas in order to rehabilitate Silas's reputation in the community: Silas was once accused of murdering a guest in his house, wrongly, Austin feels. If everyone sees that Austin has trusted Silas with the well-being of his child, they will stop believing Silas had anything to do with the man's death (which was, in fact, ruled a suicide). If Maud dies before Silas, he inherits the entire Ruthyn estate. What could possibly go wrong?
This novel had one of my now favorite new plot devices, the carriage ride that seemingly goes somewhere but actually goes nowhere. (It goes in an enormous circle, arriving back at its departure point, carriage inhabitants ignorant.) Supposedly Le Fanu got this plot device from something his great uncle Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the playwright, did once.
Someone should do a study of classic novels by male authors with first person female narrators in which the narrators opine about the characteristics of their gender. You get gems like this (Le Fanu via Maud): "So Lady Knollys argued, with feminine energy, and I must confess, with a good deal of the repetition which I have sometimes observed in logicians of my own sex, and she puzzled without satisfying me." Translation: "We ladies need to STFU, can I get an amen?"
Then there was this 8-comma sentence, probably surpassed only by The New Yorker at some point....
"I remember how, when, after we had got, late at night, into bed, I sat up, shivering with horror, in mine, while honest Mary's tranquil breathing told how soundly she slept." I know! If you really tried, you could get a 9th comma in there after "breathing," right?
October 25, 2011
Rating Clarification: 3.5 Stars
I'm happy to report that Uncle Silas has made the cut of classic gothic literature that I've read (and even more important- enjoyed ). Although I'll never have the intellectual reading prowess to make a sustained diet of 19th century literature, I've tried over the years to add more of it into my reading sphere. There is a richness and a depth to it that isn't duplicated in modern literature, IMO. While I can't yet compare it to those giants of gothic literature like The Woman in White or The Mysteries of Udolpho (both of which remain future reads for me), I can say that this novel was personally more enjoyable then Wuthering Heights, but less so then my all time favorite, Jane Eyre. I mean, how could anything beat Jane Eyre?
Uncle Silas has all the hallmarks of a Victorian gothic melodrama:
- A young and impressionable heroine, isolated from the wider world and forced by personal tragedy to make her way through a maze of menacing circumstances.
- Darkly threatening characters who seek emotional and physical destruction of the heroine contrasting with sympathetic characters who may be hiding a dark secret.
- The richly iconic elements of the genre like moldering houses, hints of the supernatural, violent death, subtle sexual overtones, and the BIG.SECRET that will be revealed.
- And of course by the end .
If at times my modern sensibilities railed over a swooning and dithering heroine with her "woe-is-me" attitude and her inability to see the writing on the wall, there were just as many other times that I cheered her spunk and "can-do" attitude, and praised the male writer who would write her so.
This is a well developed and page turning novel at the beginning and in the final 4 chapters. I felt the middle section dragged with material that didn't advance the plot, but that's probably due to my impatience with Victorian literature in general.
I would recommend Uncle Silas to those interested in exploring this period and this genre.
I'm happy to report that Uncle Silas has made the cut of classic gothic literature that I've read (and even more important- enjoyed ). Although I'll never have the intellectual reading prowess to make a sustained diet of 19th century literature, I've tried over the years to add more of it into my reading sphere. There is a richness and a depth to it that isn't duplicated in modern literature, IMO. While I can't yet compare it to those giants of gothic literature like The Woman in White or The Mysteries of Udolpho (both of which remain future reads for me), I can say that this novel was personally more enjoyable then Wuthering Heights, but less so then my all time favorite, Jane Eyre. I mean, how could anything beat Jane Eyre?
Uncle Silas has all the hallmarks of a Victorian gothic melodrama:
- A young and impressionable heroine, isolated from the wider world and forced by personal tragedy to make her way through a maze of menacing circumstances.
- Darkly threatening characters who seek emotional and physical destruction of the heroine contrasting with sympathetic characters who may be hiding a dark secret.
- The richly iconic elements of the genre like moldering houses, hints of the supernatural, violent death, subtle sexual overtones, and the BIG.SECRET that will be revealed.
- And of course by the end .
If at times my modern sensibilities railed over a swooning and dithering heroine with her "woe-is-me" attitude and her inability to see the writing on the wall, there were just as many other times that I cheered her spunk and "can-do" attitude, and praised the male writer who would write her so.
This is a well developed and page turning novel at the beginning and in the final 4 chapters. I felt the middle section dragged with material that didn't advance the plot, but that's probably due to my impatience with Victorian literature in general.
I would recommend Uncle Silas to those interested in exploring this period and this genre.
November 3, 2016
4.5 stars - this was just awesome Victorian fun. Lots of twists and turns. Very atmospheric. I listened to the audio narrated by BJ Harrison. He did a great job. For the first hour or so I had a hard time with a male narrator since the MC, Maud is a young girl but he did the other voices so well and I got used to him as Maud's voice. I do think a talented female narrator might have been a better choice but overall great audio. This book was on my 2016 classics challenge and I am so glad that I got to it.
April 10, 2017
I decided to reread this book a few weeks ago when someone online was asking about a Victorian mystery and this one popped into my head. Well, there's that, plus the fact that many months ago, I'd bought a dvd of the old BBC adaptation of Uncle Silas called "The Dark Angel" and really wanted to watch it, but I wanted to wait until I'd reread the book. I have two different editions: Penguin ( ISBN 9780140437461) and this one from Dover, but I had just finished a Dover reprint of another book and decided to continue the Dover run.
Since I'd already read this novel, I didn't skip the intro this time, and there was a particular paragraph that caught my eye, so much so that I'm putting it in bold print here:
"Well, you now have Uncle Silas in your hands. If you've not read it before, I envy you. You are about to have a first-time reading experience which, I suspect, you will never forget."
That is certainly the truth -- I remember the very first time I read it, sending pages flip flip flipping in my desire to make sure that my beloved, sweet Maud Ruthyn was going to be okay at the end, pounding heart, knotted stomach, and the feeling that everything else could just go to hell for a little while until I finished the book. This time through, since enough years had passed since I'd first read it, I can say that the flip flip flipping, the pounding heart, knotted stomach, and the feeling that everything else could just go to hell for a little while until I finished the book happened all over again. What's changed is that this time, unlike the last time x number of years ago, I got much more of a sense of what lies beneath and how well written this book actually is. Le Fanu is a master of atmosphere and suspense, but he also incorporates so much under the surface of his best work that this book alone has kept scholars talking for over a century.
This post is a huge departure from my norm, since I won't give up a single detail here, nor will I provide even the slightest hints, because first-time readers should stay away from anything about Uncle Silas that will reveal its contents either before or during your reading of this novel. Do so at your own peril: knowing what happens ahead of time will completely lessen the impact that the book will have on you and the fun is in the building of suspense and in getting caught up in its atmosphere as it gets darker and darker and darker, until in its final moments when you can finally let out all of the tension you've been holding inside.
It is and will remain one of my favorite books ever, and I can absolutely recommend it. Unlike my usual practice, I won't go into what lies underneath its surface, but just so you know, there is a LOT happening that careful readers will be able to discern. Honestly, it's killing me to keep quiet about it, but as I said, not a word. Just a couple of things: 1) do not gloss over the role of the Swedenborgian religion here -- it's very, very important, and 2) don't skim through either the descriptions of the landscape or the main houses in this story -- Le Fanu is an absolute master of weaving such details into his work and they only serve to augment what he's trying to do. Other than that, my only advice is to let the book carry you away from the real world and to have tons of fun with it.
more: http://www.oddlyweirdfiction.com/2017...
Since I'd already read this novel, I didn't skip the intro this time, and there was a particular paragraph that caught my eye, so much so that I'm putting it in bold print here:
"Well, you now have Uncle Silas in your hands. If you've not read it before, I envy you. You are about to have a first-time reading experience which, I suspect, you will never forget."
That is certainly the truth -- I remember the very first time I read it, sending pages flip flip flipping in my desire to make sure that my beloved, sweet Maud Ruthyn was going to be okay at the end, pounding heart, knotted stomach, and the feeling that everything else could just go to hell for a little while until I finished the book. This time through, since enough years had passed since I'd first read it, I can say that the flip flip flipping, the pounding heart, knotted stomach, and the feeling that everything else could just go to hell for a little while until I finished the book happened all over again. What's changed is that this time, unlike the last time x number of years ago, I got much more of a sense of what lies beneath and how well written this book actually is. Le Fanu is a master of atmosphere and suspense, but he also incorporates so much under the surface of his best work that this book alone has kept scholars talking for over a century.
This post is a huge departure from my norm, since I won't give up a single detail here, nor will I provide even the slightest hints, because first-time readers should stay away from anything about Uncle Silas that will reveal its contents either before or during your reading of this novel. Do so at your own peril: knowing what happens ahead of time will completely lessen the impact that the book will have on you and the fun is in the building of suspense and in getting caught up in its atmosphere as it gets darker and darker and darker, until in its final moments when you can finally let out all of the tension you've been holding inside.
It is and will remain one of my favorite books ever, and I can absolutely recommend it. Unlike my usual practice, I won't go into what lies underneath its surface, but just so you know, there is a LOT happening that careful readers will be able to discern. Honestly, it's killing me to keep quiet about it, but as I said, not a word. Just a couple of things: 1) do not gloss over the role of the Swedenborgian religion here -- it's very, very important, and 2) don't skim through either the descriptions of the landscape or the main houses in this story -- Le Fanu is an absolute master of weaving such details into his work and they only serve to augment what he's trying to do. Other than that, my only advice is to let the book carry you away from the real world and to have tons of fun with it.
more: http://www.oddlyweirdfiction.com/2017...
October 23, 2017
Maybe 3.5. I very much enjoyed this one. Very creepy, very atmospheric, a complex and interesting story with a curious central protagonist and interesting themes throughout.
January 31, 2022
I thought it interesting to compare Radcliffe gothic to Fanu version. I loved both & how he mentioned her book in his book. Her are romantic with all other aspects & his seems to be more mystery related. Love them both. The man being murdered yet people said it had to be suicide because of being impossible. They were right to be leery of Uncle Silas. So much to think about here, that is why I loved it plus just reading something written in the past I came across the movie "Uncle Silas" in a blog which carries weekly older movies. Whenever I run across a older movie my first question I ask myself, is this a movie based on a book & it was!I had run across Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla which is a vampire short story which I plan on reading next October but really was unaware of his works.This Irish writer's main genre was gothic horror & mystery. He lived during the Victorian era & was the leading ghost story writer of his time. Bram Stoker's Dracula was influenced by Fanu's Carmilla. Uncle Silas is a gothic mystery thriller.The Ruthyns are a prominent family at Knowl. Austyn & Silas Ruthyn are brothers with a scandal that effects the name of Ruthyn. Besides Silas' gambling & rake behavior, he was indicated in a murder at his home yet the impossibility of the murder deemed it a suicide. After Austyn's wife death, he lives in seclusion with his young daughter Maud. There life is akin to hermits except for some servants & Austyn's religious friends. He lives his life trying to clear the family name & all hopes rely on doing this. He enlists his daughter in his quest to clear her uncle's name. She has to decide who & who not to trust. In this story, reforming from the past & living a different lifestyle is it possible?Can you tell by looking at people who is leading the path to goodness & avoiding the evil way in life? If something that is puzzling looks impossible, is it indeed possible if looked at in a different light & mindset?Every time I thought I had the story figured out, it seemed to have a turn which made me rethink what was going to happen. It reach a point near the end that I was sure of all that would play out but still was surprised in the end.
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌spoiler alert ❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌
I was amazed when Maud's father kept the Madame de la Rougierre for his daughter's governess. I was so perplexed by this & could not understand how a father could do this especially if he had opened his eyes and saw through her ways. I was wondering if Maud was his child, but it seemed to be so in the end. He was so clouded by clearing up his family name, that he could not see the evil awaiting his daughter if she was to be dependent on his brother. How a father could be so blind. I liked Dr. Bryerly but was suspicious of him many times. Like I say below in my general review, many times I thought I had the story but then it was different. I thought many times that Uncle Silas was going to do something terrible right of the bat when Maud came but it seems like he was just into a opium addiction. Interesting how the book Opium Eaters was mentioned in this book. I knew a lot of trouble with that drug in that time which is surprising. I first came across opium in Dicken's Edmund Drood. I thought maybe Monica was Maud's mother & Uncle Silas was her father until I noticed he did not care for her & only her money. In the end Monica was just a wonderful person & I especially loved the way she took Milly in to love too! It is funny that Dr. Bryely was ugly & kind of evil looking but kind & the uncle looked to be nicer looking but his kindness if any he has was superficial. His religion you knew right away was just words & no action. His treatment of the girls & his needs being taken care of to his satisfaction. He seemed to care more for his son in being a part of him. Even when he disappointed him he was looking to have him benefit. His son was like him but not polished. It also shows how a person can change of they have desire & guidance. Milly under the loving care of Maud & Monica benefited but even before she had a goodness that could shine through whereas Dudley had many bad examples & inherent meanness. I was so happy that Maud finally saw the danger her way & that her goodness to Meg had a friend for life. I could not understand why Maud saw goodness in her uncle while I saw selfishness & greed. I suppose like her father she wanted it to be. Madame was such a wicked & mean person that seemed insane. I was glad that it ended well but like Maud said it aged her mentally. The trip that brought her back to her Uncles had so much duplicity. It reminded me of Richardson's trip that was so planned to deceive. I thought it interesting to compare Radcliffe gothic to Fanu version. I loved both & how he mentioned her book in his book. Her are romantic with all other aspects & his seems to be more mystery related. Love them both. The man being murdered yet people said it had to be suicide because of being impossible. They were right to be leery of Uncle Silas. So much to think about here, that is why I loved it plus just reading something written in the past I came across the movie "Uncle Silas" in a blog which carries weekly older movies. Whenever I run across a older movie my first question I ask myself, is this a movie based on a book & it was!I had run across Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla which is a vampire short story which I plan on reading next October but really was unaware of his works.This Irish writer's main genre was gothic horror & mystery. He lived during the Victorian era & was the leading ghost story writer of his time. Bram Stoker's Dracula was influenced by Fanu's Carmilla. Uncle Silas is a gothic mystery thriller.The Ruthyns are a prominent family at Knowl. Austyn & Silas Ruthyn are brothers with a scandal that effects the name of Ruthyn. Besides Silas' gambling & rake behavior, he was indicated in a murder at his home yet the impossibility of the murder deemed it a suicide. After Austyn's wife death, he lives in seclusion with his young daughter Maud. There life is akin to hermits except for some servants & Austyn's religious friends. He lives his life trying to clear the family name & all hopes rely on doing this. He enlists his daughter in his quest to clear her uncle's name. She has to decide who & who not to trust. In this story, reforming from the past & living a different lifestyle is it possible?Can you tell by looking at people who is leading the path to goodness & avoiding the evil way in life? If something that is puzzling looks impossible, is it indeed possible if looked at in a different light & mindset?Every time I thought I had the story figured out, it seemed to have a turn which made me rethink what was going to happen. It reach a point near the end that I was sure of all that would play out but still was surprised in the end.
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌spoiler alert ❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌
I was amazed when Maud's father kept the Madame de la Rougierre for his daughter's governess. I was so perplexed by this & could not understand how a father could do this especially if he had opened his eyes and saw through her ways. I was wondering if Maud was his child, but it seemed to be so in the end. He was so clouded by clearing up his family name, that he could not see the evil awaiting his daughter if she was to be dependent on his brother. How a father could be so blind. I liked Dr. Bryerly but was suspicious of him many times. Like I say below in my general review, many times I thought I had the story but then it was different. I thought many times that Uncle Silas was going to do something terrible right of the bat when Maud came but it seems like he was just into a opium addiction. Interesting how the book Opium Eaters was mentioned in this book. I knew a lot of trouble with that drug in that time which is surprising. I first came across opium in Dicken's Edmund Drood. I thought maybe Monica was Maud's mother & Uncle Silas was her father until I noticed he did not care for her & only her money. In the end Monica was just a wonderful person & I especially loved the way she took Milly in to love too! It is funny that Dr. Bryely was ugly & kind of evil looking but kind & the uncle looked to be nicer looking but his kindness if any he has was superficial. His religion you knew right away was just words & no action. His treatment of the girls & his needs being taken care of to his satisfaction. He seemed to care more for his son in being a part of him. Even when he disappointed him he was looking to have him benefit. His son was like him but not polished. It also shows how a person can change of they have desire & guidance. Milly under the loving care of Maud & Monica benefited but even before she had a goodness that could shine through whereas Dudley had many bad examples & inherent meanness. I was so happy that Maud finally saw the danger her way & that her goodness to Meg had a friend for life. I could not understand why Maud saw goodness in her uncle while I saw selfishness & greed. I suppose like her father she wanted it to be. Madame was such a wicked & mean person that seemed insane. I was glad that it ended well but like Maud said it aged her mentally. The trip that brought her back to her Uncles had so much duplicity. It reminded me of Richardson's trip that was so planned to deceive. I thought it interesting to compare Radcliffe gothic to Fanu version. I loved both & how he mentioned her book in his book. Her are romantic with all other aspects & his seems to be more mystery related. Love them both. The man being murdered yet people said it had to be suicide because of being impossible. They were right to be leery of Uncle Silas. So much to think about here, that is why I loved it plus just reading something written in the past I came across the movie "Uncle Silas" in a blog which carries weekly older movies. Whenever I run across a older movie my first question I ask myself, is this a movie based on a book & it was!I had run across Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla which is a vampire short story which I plan on reading next October but really was unaware of his works.This Irish writer's main genre was gothic horror & mystery. He lived during the Victorian era & was the leading ghost story writer of his time. Bram Stoker's Dracula was influenced by Fanu's Carmilla. Uncle Silas is a gothic mystery thriller.The Ruthyns are a prominent family at Knowl. Austyn & Silas Ruthyn are brothers with a scandal that effects the name of Ruthyn. Besides Silas' gambling & rake behavior, he was indicated in a murder at his home yet the impossibility of the murder deemed it a suicide. After Austyn's wife death, he lives in seclusion with his young daughter Maud. There life is akin to hermits except for some servants & Austyn's religious friends. He lives his life trying to clear the family name & all hopes rely on doing this. He enlists his daughter in his quest to clear her uncle's name. She has to decide who & who not to trust. In this story, reforming from the past & living a different lifestyle is it possible?Can you tell by looking at people who is leading the path to goodness & avoiding the evil way in life? If something that is puzzling looks impossible, is it indeed possible if looked at in a different light & mindset?Every time I thought I had the story figured out, it seemed to have a turn which made me rethink what was going to happen. It reach a point near the end that I was sure of all that would play out but still was surprised in the end.
October 8, 2012
I wanted to give this book five stars but I just couldn’t do it. According to my rating system, a five star book is one of the best I have ever read. Uncle Silas is not. Don’t let this mislead you. This book had one of creepiest and most sinister plots in all of Victorian literature but it somehow doesn’t have the complexity of the more famous Gothic masterpiece, The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins.
The story follows a young rich orphaned girl named Maud who is forced to move in with her poor and embarrassed uncle according to her fathers will. This man seems nice enough but there is something mysterious and menacing about this man. Maud soon realized that Uncle Silas is not the nice guy she originally thought. This book is a classic and one of the pioneers of Gothic literature. Recommended.
The story follows a young rich orphaned girl named Maud who is forced to move in with her poor and embarrassed uncle according to her fathers will. This man seems nice enough but there is something mysterious and menacing about this man. Maud soon realized that Uncle Silas is not the nice guy she originally thought. This book is a classic and one of the pioneers of Gothic literature. Recommended.
October 8, 2011
Buddy read with Hannah and Kim.
More detailed discussion at The Readers Review Literature from 1800 to 1910
After her father's death, Maud Ruthyn is sent to live with her Uncle Silas who is follower of the Swedenborggism. In this "religion", people could freely visit heaven and hell, and talk to angels, demons and other spirits (Wikipedia). According to her father's will, she will be forced to live there until her twenty first birthday.
The plot is a truly turmoil of events and emotions where we can follow Maud's struggle for survival against her uncle and her French governess Madame de La Rougierre. On the other hand, she finds some alleys as Milly, Silas' daughter and her cousin Monica.
This book is based in a short story "Passage in The Secret Story of an Irish Countess", which is published in The Purcell Papers Volume 2.
Another curiosity about this book is that the author wrote in the first person as a woman which is not so usual in this kind of book, except for Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.
After finished this book, I'm planning to read Carmilla and In a Glass Darkly
More detailed discussion at The Readers Review Literature from 1800 to 1910
After her father's death, Maud Ruthyn is sent to live with her Uncle Silas who is follower of the Swedenborggism. In this "religion", people could freely visit heaven and hell, and talk to angels, demons and other spirits (Wikipedia). According to her father's will, she will be forced to live there until her twenty first birthday.
The plot is a truly turmoil of events and emotions where we can follow Maud's struggle for survival against her uncle and her French governess Madame de La Rougierre. On the other hand, she finds some alleys as Milly, Silas' daughter and her cousin Monica.
This book is based in a short story "Passage in The Secret Story of an Irish Countess", which is published in The Purcell Papers Volume 2.
Another curiosity about this book is that the author wrote in the first person as a woman which is not so usual in this kind of book, except for Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.
After finished this book, I'm planning to read Carmilla and In a Glass Darkly
October 28, 2025
I am so excited to have a new favorite classic. Kept my attention, especially at the end. Wonderful characters both good and evil. This is one I can't wait to re-read.
October 23, 2019
A very clever and cunning gothic novel. I wanted to climb into the book and shake poor Maud and help her escape from her wicked uncle and the other pursuers.
October 30, 2022
“I have often wondered since at my own firmness. In that dreadful interview with my uncle I had felt, in the whirl and horror of my mind, on the very point of submitting, just as nervous people are said to throw themselves over precipices through sheer dread of falling.”
Uncle Silas is an overwhelmingly gothic and wonderfully creepy 1864 novel with mystery vibes but at its core it is a psychological thriller. I enjoyed this slow-moving story much more after I switched from reading to an audio book. Georgina Sutton does an excellent job of perfecting the various dialects, especially that of the malevolent French governess that, Maud Ruthyn, the young heiress, violently fears. As the reader follows Maud from her father’s home to that of her Uncle Silas, she meets with colorful and sinister characters. Whom is she to trust for guidance?
Most of the story is about Maud’s maturing and learning to advocate for herself after her father’s death. There’s plenty of suspense leading up to a frantic ending. While I liked the overall story, it could have been trimmed down to improve the pacing.
Uncle Silas is an overwhelmingly gothic and wonderfully creepy 1864 novel with mystery vibes but at its core it is a psychological thriller. I enjoyed this slow-moving story much more after I switched from reading to an audio book. Georgina Sutton does an excellent job of perfecting the various dialects, especially that of the malevolent French governess that, Maud Ruthyn, the young heiress, violently fears. As the reader follows Maud from her father’s home to that of her Uncle Silas, she meets with colorful and sinister characters. Whom is she to trust for guidance?
Most of the story is about Maud’s maturing and learning to advocate for herself after her father’s death. There’s plenty of suspense leading up to a frantic ending. While I liked the overall story, it could have been trimmed down to improve the pacing.
February 18, 2025
Sometimes I wonder if what remains over time is truly the best examples of that period. The dross forgotten and left out and only the pinnacles of achievement passed on to show future generations the greatness of their time. Thinking of this having read Uncle Silas I can only conclude that no it is not the case and it is truly random and unmeritorious.
Gothic is a phrase that is universally understood, in terms of literature, themes, dress, even feel of a thing. It has lasted the test of time and I cannot believe that this dull, insipid novel would have inspired anything that lasted beyond teatime.
The main protagonist is Maud Ruthyn, a late teen and only child of a fabulously wealthy father Austyn. The section where she is living at home with him is very strange. Austyn is a reclusive oddity who claims to care a great deal for his daughter, after all they only have each other in terms of family, and yet bizarrely takes on a strange governess who seems ill-equipped for the job, is an alcoholic and places Maud in uncomfortable situations with strange men. He refuses to dismiss her even after Maud complains about her ill-treatment at the hands of Madame de la Rougierre and she gets her marching orders only after being found rifling through his study drawers. So far so implausible, but not really gothic.
The second section sees this ‘caring’ dad place Maud in the care of her uncle Silas after his death until she comes of age and can inherit the huge fortune. Austyn has not seen his brother in decades and Maud has never clapped eyes on him – mostly because he was accused of murder as a young man. But Austyn thinks a better way to prove he never believed his brother’s guilt than just, you know, writing a letter or paying a visit, is to wait until he is dead and send his daughter to live with a homicidal stranger with the caveat that if she dies before she is of age Silas will inherit her fortune. Truly with dads like that you don’t need malignant uncles.
For most of the rest of the book there is not much suspense or interest. Silas is as odd and distant as Austyn, Madam makes a reappearance and the reader has to wait for the last few pages for anything perilous to happen, and even then its less suspenseful and creepy than sledgehammer in style.
Not a good book, but one thing did interest me. There is a scene in here where Maud is drugged, taken on a trip in a carriage over a few days and winds up kept in a small room which she is told is France but is in fact just a room in Silas’s house. There is a similar scene in The Woman in White and I’m curious to know if this was a thing back then (they were written 4 years apart). Were there stories of men doing this to female family members, did men just think they’d hoodwink their wives into believing they’d taken them on holiday but the hotel did not live up to the brochures promises, or were people just hopelessly poor at knowing their location (no judgment here from someone who could lose their bearings in a loo). Rabbit hole opened.
Gothic is a phrase that is universally understood, in terms of literature, themes, dress, even feel of a thing. It has lasted the test of time and I cannot believe that this dull, insipid novel would have inspired anything that lasted beyond teatime.
The main protagonist is Maud Ruthyn, a late teen and only child of a fabulously wealthy father Austyn. The section where she is living at home with him is very strange. Austyn is a reclusive oddity who claims to care a great deal for his daughter, after all they only have each other in terms of family, and yet bizarrely takes on a strange governess who seems ill-equipped for the job, is an alcoholic and places Maud in uncomfortable situations with strange men. He refuses to dismiss her even after Maud complains about her ill-treatment at the hands of Madame de la Rougierre and she gets her marching orders only after being found rifling through his study drawers. So far so implausible, but not really gothic.
The second section sees this ‘caring’ dad place Maud in the care of her uncle Silas after his death until she comes of age and can inherit the huge fortune. Austyn has not seen his brother in decades and Maud has never clapped eyes on him – mostly because he was accused of murder as a young man. But Austyn thinks a better way to prove he never believed his brother’s guilt than just, you know, writing a letter or paying a visit, is to wait until he is dead and send his daughter to live with a homicidal stranger with the caveat that if she dies before she is of age Silas will inherit her fortune. Truly with dads like that you don’t need malignant uncles.
For most of the rest of the book there is not much suspense or interest. Silas is as odd and distant as Austyn, Madam makes a reappearance and the reader has to wait for the last few pages for anything perilous to happen, and even then its less suspenseful and creepy than sledgehammer in style.
Not a good book, but one thing did interest me. There is a scene in here where Maud is drugged, taken on a trip in a carriage over a few days and winds up kept in a small room which she is told is France but is in fact just a room in Silas’s house. There is a similar scene in The Woman in White and I’m curious to know if this was a thing back then (they were written 4 years apart). Were there stories of men doing this to female family members, did men just think they’d hoodwink their wives into believing they’d taken them on holiday but the hotel did not live up to the brochures promises, or were people just hopelessly poor at knowing their location (no judgment here from someone who could lose their bearings in a loo). Rabbit hole opened.
January 19, 2016
This was a wonderfully engaging read which I have to say was a bit of a surprise. Considering the time period it was written in and the fact that it is a famous 'gothic' horror novel I was braced for fainting and hysterical heroines, supernatural mysteries and a plot improbable enough to make Walpole proud (the author of The Castle of Otranto). I was also listening to an audio reading from librivox and I wasn't expecting to be able to stomach it as I don't have a particularly high opinion of the quality of those recordings.
In all things I was pleasantly surprised. The audio wasn't great but the reader didn't change and I got used to his rather flat delivery. It certainly didn't take away from my enjoyment anyway.
The plot was suitably eerie but relied on atmosphere and psychological means to create the horror rather than supernatural effects or straight out violence and gore. I think this might have been one of the earliest gothic novels to do this and it was extremely effective. Along with the heroine I continually wondered 'who am I able to trust?'. Every persons actions and motives were scrutinised, as, like her, I had nothing other than my own perceptions to guide me.
But the heroine herself was the biggest shock; she wasn't exactly kick arse but she had a definite will of her own and when her back was really against the wall she fought like a tigress to save herself rather than wilting up like a flower in traditional gothic horror style. I'm not saying that there weren't times I didn't want to reach into the pages of the novel and give her a good shake (at one point in particular I thought 'look it would be so easy, all you'd have to do is....) but if she had done so then the book would have been over and it wouldn't have had its dramatically climatic ending. Which was great! I was on the metaphorical edge of my seat over the last few pages, almost holding my breath it was so exciting. I think listening to it on audio made it even more explosive as I couldn't increase the speed at which I read, I could only proceed along at the same torturous pace, heart palpitations be damned.
In all things I was pleasantly surprised. The audio wasn't great but the reader didn't change and I got used to his rather flat delivery. It certainly didn't take away from my enjoyment anyway.
The plot was suitably eerie but relied on atmosphere and psychological means to create the horror rather than supernatural effects or straight out violence and gore. I think this might have been one of the earliest gothic novels to do this and it was extremely effective. Along with the heroine I continually wondered 'who am I able to trust?'. Every persons actions and motives were scrutinised, as, like her, I had nothing other than my own perceptions to guide me.
But the heroine herself was the biggest shock; she wasn't exactly kick arse but she had a definite will of her own and when her back was really against the wall she fought like a tigress to save herself rather than wilting up like a flower in traditional gothic horror style. I'm not saying that there weren't times I didn't want to reach into the pages of the novel and give her a good shake (at one point in particular I thought 'look it would be so easy, all you'd have to do is....) but if she had done so then the book would have been over and it wouldn't have had its dramatically climatic ending. Which was great! I was on the metaphorical edge of my seat over the last few pages, almost holding my breath it was so exciting. I think listening to it on audio made it even more explosive as I couldn't increase the speed at which I read, I could only proceed along at the same torturous pace, heart palpitations be damned.
November 4, 2021
As I have read many of J. Sheridan Le Fanu's ghost and horror fiction in the past, I expected that Uncle Silas would be in the same vein. Although there are two ghosts at Maud Ruthyn's home at Knowl, they are dealt with matter of factly and do not really figure as in a horror story.
What we have is more a tale of an embattled heiress who as a result of bad decisions made by her father, who dies midway through the novel, and then by her guardian Uncle Silas is constantly in danger from various villains who see her as a target because of her inheritance. The most threatening of these is a tall, bony Frenchwoman called Mme de la Rougierre, who is almost laughably witchlike with her heavily accented English. Then there is Dudley Ruthyn, Maud's cousin, who wants to marry her (and her fortune) despite the fact that he is already married.
It's interesting to me to find in so many Victorian English novels these embattled young women of good family who have no power or property and cannot effectively defend themselves and exert control over their own lives.
Where Le Fanu excels is by including a number of really good people who serve as Maud's friends, such as Dr Bryerly, Monica Knollys, Lord Ilbury, Meg, and her cousin Milly. They account for many of the book's lighter moments and prevent the novel from becoming a true Gothic horror tale.
What we have is more a tale of an embattled heiress who as a result of bad decisions made by her father, who dies midway through the novel, and then by her guardian Uncle Silas is constantly in danger from various villains who see her as a target because of her inheritance. The most threatening of these is a tall, bony Frenchwoman called Mme de la Rougierre, who is almost laughably witchlike with her heavily accented English. Then there is Dudley Ruthyn, Maud's cousin, who wants to marry her (and her fortune) despite the fact that he is already married.
It's interesting to me to find in so many Victorian English novels these embattled young women of good family who have no power or property and cannot effectively defend themselves and exert control over their own lives.
Where Le Fanu excels is by including a number of really good people who serve as Maud's friends, such as Dr Bryerly, Monica Knollys, Lord Ilbury, Meg, and her cousin Milly. They account for many of the book's lighter moments and prevent the novel from becoming a true Gothic horror tale.
August 31, 2009
Sheridan Le Fanu was famous for beginning Gothic/Horror.
Uncle Silas was from this genre.
The plot of the novel seems quite simple, Maud Ruthyn is a rich heiress, daughter of an eccentric recluse. He dies and places her in the guardianship of her Uncle Silas. She’s never met Uncle Silas but knows he was disgraced by gossip of suicide or murder that took place in his house. The plot thickens,of course, and it ends up being a spine tingling Gothic story with hints everywhere of the supernatural. I had never read anything else by him but his writing style reminds me somewhat of Wilkie Collins and The Woman in White.
About the Author: Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, the renowned gothic novelist, was born in Dublin in 1814. His vampire novella Carmella is known to have directly influenced Bram Stoker's Dracula, among others. Likewise, Le Fanu's A Chapter in the History of the Tyrone Family is thought to have been a source of inspiration for Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. It is, however, his tales of the supernatural for which he is best remembered.
Uncle Silas was from this genre.
The plot of the novel seems quite simple, Maud Ruthyn is a rich heiress, daughter of an eccentric recluse. He dies and places her in the guardianship of her Uncle Silas. She’s never met Uncle Silas but knows he was disgraced by gossip of suicide or murder that took place in his house. The plot thickens,of course, and it ends up being a spine tingling Gothic story with hints everywhere of the supernatural. I had never read anything else by him but his writing style reminds me somewhat of Wilkie Collins and The Woman in White.
About the Author: Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, the renowned gothic novelist, was born in Dublin in 1814. His vampire novella Carmella is known to have directly influenced Bram Stoker's Dracula, among others. Likewise, Le Fanu's A Chapter in the History of the Tyrone Family is thought to have been a source of inspiration for Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. It is, however, his tales of the supernatural for which he is best remembered.
March 4, 2012
This 19th century novel is considered an icon of Gothic horror. That it is, but it can also be seen as an early model of psychological horror. Le Fanu excels in characterization and in slowly molding his characters into either a standard of virtue as he does for poor little Maude, or a model of villainy as he does for the title character. While the novel occasionally hints of ghosts, there are no supernatural events. It has a lot in common with Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White but is not nearly its equal. Nonetheless, Uncle Silas has plenty of eerie moments and an heroine that would make any staunch young British heiress very proud.
November 14, 2011
This quintessential gothic tale, first serialised in 1864, has its origins in Le Fanu's 1839 short story, "A Passage in the Secret History of an Irish Countess". A first person narrative (with some deviations from this technique) the story takes place in 1845, when the teenage narrator, Maud Ruthyn, is sent to live with her guardian - the mysterious Uncle Silas - upon the death of her father. The central mystery in the novel is whether Uncle Silas is the innocent man Maud's father believed him to be, or whether he is a murderer who may now want to get his handare s on Maud's fortune, by whatever means are available to him.
The required elements of a gothic novel are all present: an innocent teenage heiress, sinister villains and a gloomy mansion in poor repair, complete with dark corridors and surly servants. There is suspense and some genuinely creepy moments. However, a few factors stop this tale from being all it could be. Firstly, it is clear that the narrative is a memoir, written some years after the events of the novel take place. The reader therefore knows that whatever threat Maud faced, she survived apparently unscathed. This somewhat dilutes the effect of the novel's most suspenseful moments. Secondly, while the opening and closing sections are very strong, the action in the middle of the novel drags and it is difficult to maintain interest in the heroine's fate. Thirdly, Maud is not a particularly sympathetic character. She has all of the annoying snobbery of a Victorian female of her class, without any great degree of charm or intelligence. In fact, there were times I wanted to slap her. There is only so much crying, fainting, foot-stamping and overlooking the bleeding obvious that I can take.
This was the first work by Le Fanu that I have read and I am interested in reading more. He was an influential writer in his time and has been influential on mystery and thriller writers since. Dorothy L. Sayers, for example, was a fan. However, my enjoyment of the novel was adversely affected by two factors. To fit in with a group read schedule, I read it too slowly to maintain a high level of interest. In addition, during the period I was reading it, I also listened to an audiobook of Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White. Uncle Silas suffers in comparison. While it includes gothic elements (and has a number of flaws), The Woman in White has a much more complex plot and considerably more sophisticated characterisation. In addition, although it has a rather annoying heroine, The Woman in White does at least have one very superior female character - the truly wonderful Marian Halcombe. None of the female characters in this novel come anywhere close to her brilliance.
Recommended for those with an interest in Victorian writers and the evolution of gothic fiction, this novel may not appeal very much to other readers.
June 1, 2024
3,5 ⭐
I had high expectations for this one since I always enjoyed Le Fanu's short stories.
However, Uncle Silas sadly fell a bit flat for me.
The way he was described, I anticipated the titular antagonist to be a blend between a Mr. Rochester and an Ann Radcliffe Gothic villain. This was not how he turned out to be.
I also found the supernatural elements unsatisfying as well as some plot points, as they ultimately led nowhere. The novel would have benefitted from being shorter.
What was really interesting however, is the depiction of Silas' daughter, Milly, who was really free-spirited and not at all what you would expect of a Victorian girl and Lady Knollys, Maud's (the narrator's) cousin who was an assertive independent woman. I also liked how the author weaved some Celtic elements into his story.
I had high expectations for this one since I always enjoyed Le Fanu's short stories.
However, Uncle Silas sadly fell a bit flat for me.
The way he was described, I anticipated the titular antagonist to be a blend between a Mr. Rochester and an Ann Radcliffe Gothic villain. This was not how he turned out to be.
I also found the supernatural elements unsatisfying as well as some plot points, as they ultimately led nowhere. The novel would have benefitted from being shorter.
What was really interesting however, is the depiction of Silas' daughter, Milly, who was really free-spirited and not at all what you would expect of a Victorian girl and Lady Knollys, Maud's (the narrator's) cousin who was an assertive independent woman. I also liked how the author weaved some Celtic elements into his story.
January 29, 2025
This totally met all my gothic needs. The atmosphere and mood are dark and there was a thrilling ending. The story kept me on edge, but I do think it was a little long there in about Volume 3. Le Fanu has wonderful writing and I enjoyed that it was in first person. I got all the creepy vibes from the governess and kept wondering if Uncle Silas was sinister or slimy or what. This is a great gothic mystery!
October 21, 2020
My knowledge of this writer is more connected with his ghost stories, so it was with interest that I picked up this novel which fits into the genre of Victorian suspense or 'sensation' novels as it seems they were known at the time of publication, the 1860s. The sensation novel apparently took over from the earlier gothic - instead of the supernatural as a threat, the danger comes from human beings, though the setting of a gloomy old house with mysterious locked rooms etc is very gothic in inspiration. Similarly so is the central theme of a young heiress, orphaned and placed into the care of her peculiar Uncle, the Silas of the title.
Set in the early 1840s, it is clear that the narrator, Maud, is writing a memoir of her early life (though at the end it transpires that she is not the elderly woman that her interjections indicate, but instead a young mother). This early indication that the narrator survives does flatten a great deal of the possible suspense throughout, and is not a spoiler as it is foregrounded and reoccurs as a reminder throughout.
I had a few problems with the novel. A main one is that Maud, the viewpoint character through whom the reader experiences the story, is rather irritating. When not dithering and being indecisive, she stamps her foot with anger like a small child. Her only bouts of firmness are, by her own admission, when she is annoyed, and she comments throughout on the weakness of women's mental powers - considering this is by a male author, it reflects the prejudice of the time but is irritating that we are expected to take it at face value as a woman's opinion of her own gender. Especially as the other main positive female character is her much more likeable older cousin Monica, a person of sense, humour and decisiveness, who sadly is not seen much in the later part of the novel.
Monica and a male character who becomes the active executor of the will of Maud's father try to open Maud's eyes to what is really going on and to help her, but she denies it to the point of stupidity until very late in the book. It is maddening that when offered various opportunities to escape she self-sabotages, either by trusting Silas or by lapsing into total apathy. Meanwhile it is clear to the reader that Maud's own father was neglectful and lacking in real affection for her: at one point, he debates aloud in front of her whether to confide in her about something very important, remarking that it is a pity she is a girl. This is a world in which women literally have no control over their own property unless they are widows and are manipulated at best or imprisoned at worst.
The underlying background to the novel is the religious sect of Swedenborgianism to which Silas effects to subscribe and to which Maud's father may have had some leanings. But really I found it immaterial, as the real point is the possible hypocrisy of Silas - is he, or is he not, really a reformed character who has abandoned the dissipation of his youth which culminated in gambling debts, a disastrous marriage and the suspicion of being involved in the seeming suicide in his house of a man to whom he owed a large sum of money. The portrayal of Silas does move beyond the stereotype, to show a man who is genuinely disturbing in his effect on others and leaves those around him off balance.
A more minor problem I had with the novel is the large amount of Derbyshire dialect and French dialect, both of which are represented not just by word choice but by phonetic spellings and apostrophes etc making it not easy to follow at times. The various villains, with the exception of Silas, are mainly stereotypes. In the case of the French governess with her facial muggings this becomes so extreme that it veers into unbelievable caricature. Also there is a continuity error at one point where Mary Quince, Maud's maid, is suddenly mentioned as having the bedroom next to hers on a visit to Monica (and why are so many people in this book given names beginning with 'M'?) but is not mentioned elsewhere on that visit, and then greets Maud on her return home with news of what has happened in the meantime. But more annoying was the prominence given to a scene
This edition had an introductory essay which I soon left till after finishing the novel as it started off with some spoilers. But I found the rest of it a sort of Pseud's Corner (Private Eye) effort at a vague and amorphous analysis of Swedenborgianism in the novel. I can see that settings and people are reflected to some extent: possibly Maud's childhood home is Heaven and the house where Silas lives is Hell, but more to the point Maud's father Austin and his younger brother Silas are not Jekyll and Hyde opposites but both cut from the same cloth. So I don't really think it works as a theory.
Given that this was a novel of Victorian suspense, the obvious comparison is with Wilkie Collins' "The Woman in White" which has also been credited as the first modern detective novel. I certainly enjoyed that book much more, but compared to this it has a much more complex plot and a very engaging female character. So given my various reservations with the present book, I can only award a 3 star rating.
Set in the early 1840s, it is clear that the narrator, Maud, is writing a memoir of her early life (though at the end it transpires that she is not the elderly woman that her interjections indicate, but instead a young mother). This early indication that the narrator survives does flatten a great deal of the possible suspense throughout, and is not a spoiler as it is foregrounded and reoccurs as a reminder throughout.
I had a few problems with the novel. A main one is that Maud, the viewpoint character through whom the reader experiences the story, is rather irritating. When not dithering and being indecisive, she stamps her foot with anger like a small child. Her only bouts of firmness are, by her own admission, when she is annoyed, and she comments throughout on the weakness of women's mental powers - considering this is by a male author, it reflects the prejudice of the time but is irritating that we are expected to take it at face value as a woman's opinion of her own gender. Especially as the other main positive female character is her much more likeable older cousin Monica, a person of sense, humour and decisiveness, who sadly is not seen much in the later part of the novel.
Monica and a male character who becomes the active executor of the will of Maud's father try to open Maud's eyes to what is really going on and to help her, but she denies it to the point of stupidity until very late in the book. It is maddening that when offered various opportunities to escape she self-sabotages, either by trusting Silas or by lapsing into total apathy. Meanwhile it is clear to the reader that Maud's own father was neglectful and lacking in real affection for her: at one point, he debates aloud in front of her whether to confide in her about something very important, remarking that it is a pity she is a girl. This is a world in which women literally have no control over their own property unless they are widows and are manipulated at best or imprisoned at worst.
The underlying background to the novel is the religious sect of Swedenborgianism to which Silas effects to subscribe and to which Maud's father may have had some leanings. But really I found it immaterial, as the real point is the possible hypocrisy of Silas - is he, or is he not, really a reformed character who has abandoned the dissipation of his youth which culminated in gambling debts, a disastrous marriage and the suspicion of being involved in the seeming suicide in his house of a man to whom he owed a large sum of money. The portrayal of Silas does move beyond the stereotype, to show a man who is genuinely disturbing in his effect on others and leaves those around him off balance.
A more minor problem I had with the novel is the large amount of Derbyshire dialect and French dialect, both of which are represented not just by word choice but by phonetic spellings and apostrophes etc making it not easy to follow at times. The various villains, with the exception of Silas, are mainly stereotypes. In the case of the French governess with her facial muggings this becomes so extreme that it veers into unbelievable caricature. Also there is a continuity error at one point where Mary Quince, Maud's maid, is suddenly mentioned as having the bedroom next to hers on a visit to Monica (and why are so many people in this book given names beginning with 'M'?) but is not mentioned elsewhere on that visit, and then greets Maud on her return home with news of what has happened in the meantime. But more annoying was the prominence given to a scene
This edition had an introductory essay which I soon left till after finishing the novel as it started off with some spoilers. But I found the rest of it a sort of Pseud's Corner (Private Eye) effort at a vague and amorphous analysis of Swedenborgianism in the novel. I can see that settings and people are reflected to some extent: possibly Maud's childhood home is Heaven and the house where Silas lives is Hell, but more to the point Maud's father Austin and his younger brother Silas are not Jekyll and Hyde opposites but both cut from the same cloth. So I don't really think it works as a theory.
Given that this was a novel of Victorian suspense, the obvious comparison is with Wilkie Collins' "The Woman in White" which has also been credited as the first modern detective novel. I certainly enjoyed that book much more, but compared to this it has a much more complex plot and a very engaging female character. So given my various reservations with the present book, I can only award a 3 star rating.
March 18, 2013
A masterly specimen of the sensation novel
Although in his foreword J.S. Le Fanu remonstrates against “Uncle Silas” (1864) being classified as a sensation novel, claiming rather to be inspired by the great and noble writings of Sir Walter Scott, this novel is actually one of the best examples of the kind of fiction so vehemently rejected by Le Fanu.
The sensation novel, having its heyday in the 1860s and 1870s, focuses on dark and heinous crimes such as murder, abduction, or rape, and on themes like lunacy, and sinister family secrets, placing them – unlike the classical gothic novel – not into a romantic and remote, but into a familiar and contemporary setting. It can therefore be said that sensation novels are forerunners of our present-day detective stories.
“Uncle Silas” deals with Maud Ruthyn, who is the heiress to an immense fortune and who lives together with her recluse of a father, Austin Ruthyn, in a vast old mansion. The family reputation suffered considerably from Austin’s brother Silas. A rake and a gambler, he finally got married to a woman of lower rank and, finding himself reduced to abject poverty, he eventually incurred the suspicion of having murdered a man he had invited into his house in order to get hold of this man’s money. As years went by, Uncle Silas seemed to have reformed his ways and taken refuge to religion. His brother, intending to prove that he never doubted Silas’s innocence with regard to the murder charge, announces his will to place Maud as a ward under his brother’s guardianship after his death.
After Austin Ruthyn has died of a heart attack, his last will is effected, and Maud comes to live at Bartram-Haugh in Derbyshire, the mansion allotted to Uncle Silas. This transaction causes much dismay among Maud’s cousin Monica and Dr. Bryerly, a friend of her father’s, because they still believe that Silas had a hand in the sudden death of his guest all those years ago.
Unfortunately Silas Ruthyn has never mended his ways and still stands in need of money so that at first he tries to marry his ward to his son Dudley, but, this plan failing, he does not shirk from meaner plans to take possession of the family fortune, availing himself of the services of Maud’s former governess Mme de la Rougierre and of other blackguards.
The novel has a very straightforward plot and uses a limited set of characters, which makes it very suspenseful. Le Fanu’s descriptions of empty and abandoned mansions, dark nights and, above all, the demonic Uncle Silas, who never leaves his chamber and, vampire-like, seems to thrive on the fear with which he inspires Maud, make this novel an extremely beautiful treat. The few characters that there are are depicted very graphically, especially the evil, grotesque Mme de la Rougierre, Maud’s nemesis, and Maud’s boorish cousin Dudley.
Le Fanu chose to write his story with Maud as a first-person-narrator, which has the advantage of creating a nightmarish atmosphere, because Maud has a strangely incoherent way of telling things at times, leaving empty spaces in the narrative thread which have to be filled up later. On the other hand, Le Fanu is stuck with Maud’s point of view, which makes it necessary for him to have other characters tell her about certain episodes essential to the narrative – this creates a rather awkward effect.
Another shortcoming of the novel is the naivety of the heroine, who really is artificially blind to the net that is spun around her. In other situations, however, Maud is very energetic and self-confided, which ranks her way above some unbearably childlike heroines of Dickens’s.
But for all these little critical points I can fully recommend “Uncle Silas” because of its dense and eerie atmosphere, the magnificent drawing of its characters and the suspense the novel creates.
Although in his foreword J.S. Le Fanu remonstrates against “Uncle Silas” (1864) being classified as a sensation novel, claiming rather to be inspired by the great and noble writings of Sir Walter Scott, this novel is actually one of the best examples of the kind of fiction so vehemently rejected by Le Fanu.
The sensation novel, having its heyday in the 1860s and 1870s, focuses on dark and heinous crimes such as murder, abduction, or rape, and on themes like lunacy, and sinister family secrets, placing them – unlike the classical gothic novel – not into a romantic and remote, but into a familiar and contemporary setting. It can therefore be said that sensation novels are forerunners of our present-day detective stories.
“Uncle Silas” deals with Maud Ruthyn, who is the heiress to an immense fortune and who lives together with her recluse of a father, Austin Ruthyn, in a vast old mansion. The family reputation suffered considerably from Austin’s brother Silas. A rake and a gambler, he finally got married to a woman of lower rank and, finding himself reduced to abject poverty, he eventually incurred the suspicion of having murdered a man he had invited into his house in order to get hold of this man’s money. As years went by, Uncle Silas seemed to have reformed his ways and taken refuge to religion. His brother, intending to prove that he never doubted Silas’s innocence with regard to the murder charge, announces his will to place Maud as a ward under his brother’s guardianship after his death.
After Austin Ruthyn has died of a heart attack, his last will is effected, and Maud comes to live at Bartram-Haugh in Derbyshire, the mansion allotted to Uncle Silas. This transaction causes much dismay among Maud’s cousin Monica and Dr. Bryerly, a friend of her father’s, because they still believe that Silas had a hand in the sudden death of his guest all those years ago.
Unfortunately Silas Ruthyn has never mended his ways and still stands in need of money so that at first he tries to marry his ward to his son Dudley, but, this plan failing, he does not shirk from meaner plans to take possession of the family fortune, availing himself of the services of Maud’s former governess Mme de la Rougierre and of other blackguards.
The novel has a very straightforward plot and uses a limited set of characters, which makes it very suspenseful. Le Fanu’s descriptions of empty and abandoned mansions, dark nights and, above all, the demonic Uncle Silas, who never leaves his chamber and, vampire-like, seems to thrive on the fear with which he inspires Maud, make this novel an extremely beautiful treat. The few characters that there are are depicted very graphically, especially the evil, grotesque Mme de la Rougierre, Maud’s nemesis, and Maud’s boorish cousin Dudley.
Le Fanu chose to write his story with Maud as a first-person-narrator, which has the advantage of creating a nightmarish atmosphere, because Maud has a strangely incoherent way of telling things at times, leaving empty spaces in the narrative thread which have to be filled up later. On the other hand, Le Fanu is stuck with Maud’s point of view, which makes it necessary for him to have other characters tell her about certain episodes essential to the narrative – this creates a rather awkward effect.
Another shortcoming of the novel is the naivety of the heroine, who really is artificially blind to the net that is spun around her. In other situations, however, Maud is very energetic and self-confided, which ranks her way above some unbearably childlike heroines of Dickens’s.
But for all these little critical points I can fully recommend “Uncle Silas” because of its dense and eerie atmosphere, the magnificent drawing of its characters and the suspense the novel creates.
December 19, 2017
"Oh, Death, king of terrors! The body quakes and the spirit faints before thee. It is vain, with hands clasped over our eyes, to scream our reclamation; the horrible image will not be excluded."
This is a horror novel that relies all its beauty on the one genre I hold dearest to my heart; Realism. Here you will find no ghosts or ghouls, no, merely the horrendous and bold cruelty of mankind.
Maud is a young girl whose father dies and she is left under the care of her uncle, Silas. Already before this event takes place it has been made perfectly clear this novel is not just your average costume drama from the 1800s. The heavy air of ominous events hangs over the pages and the era of the story only adds to that feel.
Maud is a wonderful protagonist with her naivité and innocence all intact with just a tiny amount of hysteria suitable for a protagonist of said era. Poor Milly and the ever-lovely Lady Knollys are wonderful characters who play off Maud's strengths and weaknesses equally and at the same time become little stars of this story in their own right.
The story itself could be described as slow but I would rather say entwining. It follows a path that is not intented purely for thrill's sake but rather as a well constructed novel that while entertaining and descriptive also delivers thrills-a-plenty. Victorian Gothic is a perfect genre for it; it has all the grace and beauty of Lady Knollys and all the dark and eerie of Uncle Silas.
This is a horror novel that relies all its beauty on the one genre I hold dearest to my heart; Realism. Here you will find no ghosts or ghouls, no, merely the horrendous and bold cruelty of mankind.
Maud is a young girl whose father dies and she is left under the care of her uncle, Silas. Already before this event takes place it has been made perfectly clear this novel is not just your average costume drama from the 1800s. The heavy air of ominous events hangs over the pages and the era of the story only adds to that feel.
Maud is a wonderful protagonist with her naivité and innocence all intact with just a tiny amount of hysteria suitable for a protagonist of said era. Poor Milly and the ever-lovely Lady Knollys are wonderful characters who play off Maud's strengths and weaknesses equally and at the same time become little stars of this story in their own right.
The story itself could be described as slow but I would rather say entwining. It follows a path that is not intented purely for thrill's sake but rather as a well constructed novel that while entertaining and descriptive also delivers thrills-a-plenty. Victorian Gothic is a perfect genre for it; it has all the grace and beauty of Lady Knollys and all the dark and eerie of Uncle Silas.
September 26, 2011
I thought it was just the perfect read for those nights when it is dark and gloomy. I loved the easy flow and direction that this story took. The writing kept me engaged for the entire time and really did keep me guessing about Uncle Silas until the end. Was he a good guy or was he something sinister? was the inevitable question and depending on where you were in this book, your opinion could change. I like being "kept on one's toes" while reading a novel
Mr Le Fanu created a true Victorian novel with its timid yet bright young heroine as well as people surrounding her that you were never quite sure of. He gave just enough information and then seemed in many cases to "pull out the rug" from your way of thinking. His characters possessed all that righteous indignation, upper crust type thinking, and just that bit at times of whimsy. I liked/loathed them all and felt them to be believable and ever so seeing themselves as righteous and of course always looking out for our wealthy , beautiful heroine, Maud.
So, if you are in the mood for a dark yet enjoyable gothic tale, this book could be right up your alley. One has to love the cover of that very intimidating lady. To find out who she is, perhaps you will need to read this book for it is not our heroine.
Mr Le Fanu created a true Victorian novel with its timid yet bright young heroine as well as people surrounding her that you were never quite sure of. He gave just enough information and then seemed in many cases to "pull out the rug" from your way of thinking. His characters possessed all that righteous indignation, upper crust type thinking, and just that bit at times of whimsy. I liked/loathed them all and felt them to be believable and ever so seeing themselves as righteous and of course always looking out for our wealthy , beautiful heroine, Maud.
So, if you are in the mood for a dark yet enjoyable gothic tale, this book could be right up your alley. One has to love the cover of that very intimidating lady. To find out who she is, perhaps you will need to read this book for it is not our heroine.
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