Double Harness

by Anthony Hope

1904. Hope was a barrister who gave up the law after realizing success with his novel The Prisoner of Zenda. The book begins: The house-a large, plain, white building with non architectural pretensions-stood on a high swell of the downs and looked across the valley in which Milldean village lay, and thence over rolling stretches of close turf, till the prospect ended in the gleam of waves and the silver-grey mist that lay over the sea. It was a fine, open, free view. The air was fresh, with a touch of salt in it, and made the heat of the sun more than endurable even welcome and nourishing. Tom Courtland, raising himself from the grass and sitting up straight, gave utterance to what his surroundings declared to be a very natural exclamation: What a bore to leave this and go back to town! See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

436 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

About the author

Prolific English novelist and playwright Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins especially composed adventure. People remember him best only for the book The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) and its sequel Rupert of Hentzau (1898). These works, "minor classics" of English literature, set in the contemporaneous fictional country of Ruritania, spawned the genre, known as Ruritanian romance. Zenda inspired many adaptations, most notably the Hollywood movie of 1937 of the same name.

Reviews

[K.A. Masters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Double Harness is a chilling contrast to Anthony Hope's swashbuckling romances. It provides an intimate look at the institution of marriage, revealing the necessity of collaboration and personal growth required for a marriage to be successful. Confronting topics including child abuse, spousal abuse, infidelity and abortion, this novel is unexpectedly gritty and progressive in its attempt to address issues not normally discussed in other works of turn-of-the-Century literature.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a graduate course in marriage. A very enjoyable and profitable read.