Guy Deverell

by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Devendra P. Varma (Editor)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1865 edition. Excerpt: ...brought it with me here--and I gave it to him on the day of my arrival.' 'Very heavy, was it?' 'On the contrary, very light.' 'H'm! Thank you, my lord; it is very good of you to converse so long with an old woman such as I.' 'On the contrary, Lady Alice, I am much obliged to you. The fact is, I believe it is better to have mentioned these circumstances. It may, perhaps, prove important that some member of the family should know exactly what took place between me and the late Sir Harry Marlowe during his last illness. You now know everything. I have reminded him, as I thought it right, of the earnest injunction of his father, first with respect to that room, the green chamber; and he tells me that he means to comply with it when his party shall have broken up. And about the other matter, the small box, I mentioned that he should do what is right with it. He asked me if I had seen what the box contained; and on my saying no, he added that he could not tell what his father meant by telling him to do what was right with it--in fact, that he could do nothing with it.' 'Quite an Italian evening!' exclaimed the Bishop, after a pause, rising, and offering his arm to Lady Alice. And so their conference ended. Next day, contrary to her secluded custom, and for the first time, Lady Alice glided feebly into the new library of Marlowe, of which all the guests were free. Quite empty, except of that silent company in Russia leather and gold, in vellum, and other fine suits; all so unobtrusive and quiet; all so obsequiously at her service; all ready to speak their best, their brightest, and wisest thoughts, or to be silent and neglected, and yet never affronted; always alert to serve and speak, or lie quiet. Quite deserted! No, not quit, ?. There, more...

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, 19th Century

414 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Joseph 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.

Reviews

[Brucifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be a disappointing novel from the usually reliable LeFanu. I had high hopes for this one, especially considering that it appeared during the height of the author's "sensation novel" period, only a year or two after his magnificent Uncle Silas. The novel is certainly set up as a suspense novel, complete with the ominous and possibly cursed "green room," the villainous Monsieur Varabierre setting various dark plots into motion, the possibly contestable will, etc. But without giving away any of the book's revelations, nothing much of consequence actually happens. Instead, though LeFanu's dialogue is typically good, we get talk, talk, and more talk. Perhaps it is unfair to expect gothic thrills just because the book jacket (mine is the Dover edition) and description on the back portray it as such, or because the author wrote Uncle Silas and all of those great horror tales. But he does in fact lead the reader to expect something along these lines. As usual, there are a few well-drawn and compelling characters--loved the outspoken old crone Lady Alice--but the end result for me was a very slow read and an overall reaction of "meh." I won't give up on LeFanu, however. Everything else I've read has been great (The Rose and the Key is an underrated must read) so I suspect he was either momentarily uninspired or the "sensations" in this novel just don't translate for modern readers.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started this book with high expectations of a good Gothic romp. It appeared to have the ingredients, but anyone looking for a Gothic ghost story will be mostly disappointed.
The story is a ponderous one of revenge with moments here and there that might come close to being satisfying. The best part of this book is the description of characters and the few moments of humor.

An example is LeFanu's description of the Bishop:
"He was as honest as most men, and better than many Christians. He was a bachelor, and wealthy; but if he had amassed a good deal of public money, he had also displayed a good deal of public spirit, and had done many princely and even some kind actions. His family were not presentable, making a livelihood by unmentionable practices, such as shopkeeping and the like. Still he cut them with moderation, having maintained an affable though clandestine relations with his two maiden aunts, who lived and died in Thames Street, and having twice assisted a nephew, though he declined seeing him who was a skipper of a Russian brig."

I think the book should be read for the characters and not so much expecting a good Gothic story complete with ghostly haunting.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great old novel. It's got everything a fan of old English Gothic mystery could want: very believable characters, set in an huge old English manor house in the countryside, so called hauntings, missing notes, cigars, sherry, brandy, and the list goes on. Though I read this book almost 30 years ago it is definitely worth revisiting. It reads a bit smoother than some of LeFanu's other novels, and allowed me to enter the story with greater ease than, say, The House By the Churchyard or Wylder's Hand. And though I also read another one of his great novels back then, that being Uncle Silas, I haven't tested entry into that one yet.
My next book will be either Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, or a P.D.James mystery. We shall see.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't get into this though I loved Sheridans Carmilla.

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is the secret of the green chamber? And who is Guy Deverell? This is a classic Victorian gothic story that takes place in a grand country house. I appreciated that the young love interests do not take center stage. The characters are well-rounded - struggling between the better and worse angels of the natures, sometimes unable to rise above the personality conflicts that plague interpersonal relationships. The book has a strong Christian sensibility, which I appreciate, but might irritate some readers. I took off a star because some aspects of the story were never fully explained, but it's overall an enjoyable read.

[Nat · Rating 3 out of 5]

An average book from an excellent writer. Sometimes ponderous, sometimes very witty, sometimes rather uninteresting, sometimes atmospheric. Definitely a book of two halves - it still managed to keep me entertained until the end.

[Dee · Rating 2 out of 5]

pretty slow moving. It took me forever to get to where there was some action. Plus it did not help that my free ebook copy had so many typos.