Bessy Rane

Bessy Rane

by Mrs. Henry Wood, Martha Bayless (Introduction)

. . . .She does not suggest that any change in society can overcome the ills of the age, only a stricter adherence to the dictates of the individual conscience. Mrs. North is not evil because of anything that has happened to her, but only because she chooses to be. The trade unions exist, in Mrs. Henry Wood's world, not because workers are badly paid, but simply because workers sometimes become rebellious, seduced by greed and avarice. She never questions that the rules of society should forbid marriage between a member of the gentry and the offspring of a convict, however virtuous the offspring; it goes without saying that social status is more important than character. Although this may make terrible social policy, it also makes for tragic and hence exciting fiction. . . ." -- From Martha Bayless's introduction to Bessy Rane

408 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1870

About the author

Ellen Wood (née Price) was an English novelist, better known as "Mrs Henry Wood". She wrote over 30 novels, many of which (especially East Lynne), enjoyed remarkable popularity. Among the best known of her stories are Danesbury House, Oswald Cray, Mrs. Halliburton's Troubles, The Channings, Lord Oakburn's Daughters and The Shadow of Ashlydyat. For many years, she worked as the proprietor and editor of the Argosy.

Reviews

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly entertaining read, but somewhat lacking in focus. The eponymous Bessy Rane is a relatively minor character in the piece. Mrs Wood’s high moral tone is often in evidence (and often aimed at the working classes) but she glosses over certain crimes and misdemeanours of her protagonists when it suits her narrative. There are elements of the sensation genre in the story but it lacks the page turning pace of her better known works. And the obligatory villain(ess), Mrs North (called “Madam” by everybody including her immediate family) is such a bad tempered, spiteful bitch that it’s hard to believe she can get away with such brattish behaviour