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Running the Gauntlet
This novel is a gripping tale of adventure and romance set in colonial India. The protagonist, a young British officer, must navigate the dangerous politics and treacherous landscape of India in order to win the heart of the woman he loves. The richly-drawn characters and vivid descriptions of India make this a must-read for fans of historical fiction. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
448 pages, Hardcover
Published July 18, 2023
2 people want to read
About the author
Edmund Hodgson Yates
320 books2 followersEdmund Hodgson Yates was a British journalist, novelist and dramatist.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_...
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 21, 2019
Victorian social satire from a minor maestro, nearly forgotten now.
Colonel Laurence Alsager returns to England after a few years on the continent recuperating from a failed love affair, whereupon he immediately falls in love again with a married woman, Lady Mitford.
Her husband Charles is something of a rotter ("a lout, a great, overgrown schoolboy sort of fellow" according to the urbane Alsager) who once forged a check and chases after a dangerous flirt named Laura Hammond, who also happens to be Alsager's ex. The title refers to the social ignominy Lady Mitford has to face being married to such a man and from which Colonel Alsager would like to spare her, purely for platonic reasons, or so he tells himself.
Running the Gauntlet is a gentle satire, the type in which a low comedian can go by the name of Mugger, and a popular restaurant is called Foodle's. When Alsager first returns to his club from self-imposed exile he soon gets back into the spirit of things ("You've done admirably, old fellow," said Laurence. "'Pon my oath I don't think there's hardly any one we know that you haven't had something pleasantly unpleasant to say about.")
Yates was a dab-hand at setting a scene, whether it be the smoking room of a gentleman's club, recreating the business lingo unique to the theatrical world, or sketching the various patrons of the gaming tables in Baden.
The two most striking characters are in support roles. Lizzie Ponsford is a vibrant woman with a bad past masquerading as a governesses, Lord Dollomore a cynical social observer who whispers secrets to his Malacca cane.
In the author's own words, 'every thing was à tort et à travers, as it has been, is, and always shall be, in the great world of London.'
Colonel Laurence Alsager returns to England after a few years on the continent recuperating from a failed love affair, whereupon he immediately falls in love again with a married woman, Lady Mitford.
Her husband Charles is something of a rotter ("a lout, a great, overgrown schoolboy sort of fellow" according to the urbane Alsager) who once forged a check and chases after a dangerous flirt named Laura Hammond, who also happens to be Alsager's ex. The title refers to the social ignominy Lady Mitford has to face being married to such a man and from which Colonel Alsager would like to spare her, purely for platonic reasons, or so he tells himself.
Running the Gauntlet is a gentle satire, the type in which a low comedian can go by the name of Mugger, and a popular restaurant is called Foodle's. When Alsager first returns to his club from self-imposed exile he soon gets back into the spirit of things ("You've done admirably, old fellow," said Laurence. "'Pon my oath I don't think there's hardly any one we know that you haven't had something pleasantly unpleasant to say about.")
Yates was a dab-hand at setting a scene, whether it be the smoking room of a gentleman's club, recreating the business lingo unique to the theatrical world, or sketching the various patrons of the gaming tables in Baden.
The two most striking characters are in support roles. Lizzie Ponsford is a vibrant woman with a bad past masquerading as a governesses, Lord Dollomore a cynical social observer who whispers secrets to his Malacca cane.
In the author's own words, 'every thing was à tort et à travers, as it has been, is, and always shall be, in the great world of London.'
Displaying 1 of 1 review