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The Lure of the Mask
Harrison Fisher dustjacket art and illustrations. A novel of some intrigue concerning Americans among the royal and leisure class of Europe. Basis for the 1925 American Film production starring Harold Lockwood, Irving Cummings, and Elsie Jane Wilson.
401 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1908
About the author
Harold MacGrath
312 books8 followersHarold MacGrath (September 4, 1871 - October 30, 1932) was a bestselling American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter.
Also known occasionally as Harold McGrath, he was born in Syracuse, New York. As a young man, he worked as a reporter and columnist on the Syracuse Herald newspaper until the late 1890s when he published his first novel, a romance titled Arms and the Woman. According to the New York Times, his next book, The Puppet Crown, was the No.7 bestselling book in the United States for all of 1901. From that point on, MacGrath wrote novels for the mass market about love, adventure, mystery, spies, and the like at an average rate of more than one a year. He would have three more of his books that were among the top ten bestselling books of the year. At the same time, he penned a number of short stories for major American magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal, and Red Book magazine. Several of MacGrath's novels were serialized in these magazines and contributing to them was something he would continue to do until his death in 1932.
In 1912, Harold MacGrath became one of the first nationally-known authors to write directly for the movies when he was hired by the American Film Company to do the screenplay for a short film in the Western genre titled The Vengeance That Failed. MacGrath had eighteen of his forty novels and three of his short stories made into films plus he wrote the story for another four motion pictures. And, three of his books were also made into Broadway plays. One of the many films made from MacGrath's writings was the 1913 serial The Adventures of Kathlyn starring Kathlyn Williams. While writing the thirteen episodes he simultaneously wrote the book that was published immediately after the December 29, 1913, premiere of the first episode of the serial so as to be in book stores during the screening of the entire thirteen episodes.
Also known occasionally as Harold McGrath, he was born in Syracuse, New York. As a young man, he worked as a reporter and columnist on the Syracuse Herald newspaper until the late 1890s when he published his first novel, a romance titled Arms and the Woman. According to the New York Times, his next book, The Puppet Crown, was the No.7 bestselling book in the United States for all of 1901. From that point on, MacGrath wrote novels for the mass market about love, adventure, mystery, spies, and the like at an average rate of more than one a year. He would have three more of his books that were among the top ten bestselling books of the year. At the same time, he penned a number of short stories for major American magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal, and Red Book magazine. Several of MacGrath's novels were serialized in these magazines and contributing to them was something he would continue to do until his death in 1932.
In 1912, Harold MacGrath became one of the first nationally-known authors to write directly for the movies when he was hired by the American Film Company to do the screenplay for a short film in the Western genre titled The Vengeance That Failed. MacGrath had eighteen of his forty novels and three of his short stories made into films plus he wrote the story for another four motion pictures. And, three of his books were also made into Broadway plays. One of the many films made from MacGrath's writings was the 1913 serial The Adventures of Kathlyn starring Kathlyn Williams. While writing the thirteen episodes he simultaneously wrote the book that was published immediately after the December 29, 1913, premiere of the first episode of the serial so as to be in book stores during the screening of the entire thirteen episodes.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 12, 2021
I'm a contrary person. It was a very negative review of this book that made me want to read it. Harold MacGrath isn't Tolstoy but he isn't bad either, most of his books are a solid three stars for me. This book is more romance than mystery which strikes a change for him. It IS about a hundred pages too long, in my opinion.
The story begins one night when Hilliard hears a woman singing in Italian under his window. He is so enraptured that he runs outside to find her but is unsuccessful. In desperation he turns to the agony columns and surprisingly gets a response. They agree to meet under one condition: he is blindfolded on leaving his lodgings and entering hers. On arriving he finds her masked. The next day she disappears. Who is she? And why the subterfuge?
Their paths next cross in Italy where she is in the company of a traveling musical company. When the musical nosedives and the company is out of work, she invites the group to an empty villa owned by a friend of hers, a princess. And this is where the mystery develops.
There is a a scarred military man, an old Italian with a grudge, and a fancy ball planned at the villa by no one in the company...
The story begins one night when Hilliard hears a woman singing in Italian under his window. He is so enraptured that he runs outside to find her but is unsuccessful. In desperation he turns to the agony columns and surprisingly gets a response. They agree to meet under one condition: he is blindfolded on leaving his lodgings and entering hers. On arriving he finds her masked. The next day she disappears. Who is she? And why the subterfuge?
Their paths next cross in Italy where she is in the company of a traveling musical company. When the musical nosedives and the company is out of work, she invites the group to an empty villa owned by a friend of hers, a princess. And this is where the mystery develops.
There is a a scarred military man, an old Italian with a grudge, and a fancy ball planned at the villa by no one in the company...
September 23, 2014
This is one of the worst books I've ever read.* I picked it up at a $.25 book sale because I liked the title and I'm a sucker for old books.
But there are good old books and there are bad old books and this one is one of the latter. It was the most melodramatic, ridiculous, sappy, insta-lovey thing I have ever read and I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy.
ETA: I forgot to mention the extreme predictability. I guessed the rest of the book at about page 30 and I was right about all of it. I'm not a person who guesses the end every time either.
*I read the first half and then the end.
But there are good old books and there are bad old books and this one is one of the latter. It was the most melodramatic, ridiculous, sappy, insta-lovey thing I have ever read and I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy.
ETA: I forgot to mention the extreme predictability. I guessed the rest of the book at about page 30 and I was right about all of it. I'm not a person who guesses the end every time either.
*I read the first half and then the end.
April 26, 2013
Romance, mystery, Italy travelogue and a delightful perspective on early 1900 romance written by a man. Surprising the strength of the woman given the time period in which this book was written. Jack
February 20, 2016
A lovely read. Did not know what I was getting into and much about the author. The story the characters the places all magically written and developed. A wonderful read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews