A Modern Mephistopheles: A Novel

by Louisa May Alcott

This chilling tale of lust, deception and greed, first published anonymously in 1877, allowed Alcott the chance to exercise "the lurid style" she believed was her "natural ambition". A novel of psychological complexity that touches on the controversial subjects of sexuality and drug use, A Modern Mephistopheles is a penetrating and powerful study of human evil and its appalling consequences.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, 19th Century, American, Gothic, Romance, Literature

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1877

About the author

Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known for writing the novel Little Women (1868) and its sequels Good Wives (1869), Little Men (1871) and Jo's Boys (1886). Raised in New England by her transcendentalist parents, Abigail May Alcott and Amos Bronson Alcott, she grew up among many well-known intellectuals of the day, including Margaret Fuller, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Alcott's family suffered from financial difficulties, and while she worked to help support the family from an early age, she also sought an outlet in writing. She began to receive critical success for her writing in the 1860s. Early in her career, she sometimes used pen names such as A.M. Barnard, under which she wrote lurid short stories and sensation novels for adults that focused on passion and revenge.
Published in 1868, Little Women is set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts, and is loosely based on Alcott's childhood experiences with her three sisters, Abigail May Alcott Nieriker, Elizabeth Sewall Alcott, and Anna Bronson Alcott Pratt. The novel was well-received at the time and is still popular today among both children and adults. It has been adapted for stage plays, films, and television many times.
Alcott was an abolitionist and a feminist and remained unmarried throughout her life. She also spent her life active in reform movements such as temperance and women's suffrage. She died from a stroke in Boston on March 6, 1888, just two days after her father's death.

Reviews

[Alexis Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Struggling poet/author Felix Canaris is willing to do just about anything to make a name for himself. Also, he's flat broke. So when the wealthy and intimidating Jasper Helwyze comes knocking with a tantalizing offer, Felix doesn't even think twice before trading away his freedom for the fame and comfort he's always wanted. Felix soon chafes under Jasper's dominion, and when the old man's machinations lead him to order Felix to woo and marry the naive and innocent young Gladys, Felix balks. But Felix is reluctant to give up the acclaim and prosperity resulting from Jasper's patronage, and it's not long before Jasper gets his way. Jasper then amuses himself by sending his former lover Olivia to distract the vain and handsome Felix while Jasper occupies himself with the intellectual seduction of the virtuous Gladys. Shenanigans ensue.

Like A Long Fatal Love Chase, this is another of Louisa May Alcott's dark and lurid romances. While the story is not nearly as outlandish as A Long Fatal Love Chase (nary a convent nor an asylum to be found, let alone a secret duke or a besotted priest), it is decidedly more psychologically (and spiritually) complex. (Both books are good, but my love for ridiculous, over-the-top adventure led me to give A Long Fatal Love Chase an additional star. That book is bonkers.)

Wealthy invalid Jasper Helwyze is the villain of the piece. Repeated references to Faust and The Scarlet Letter let us know that we're dealing with some sort of Mephistopheles/Chillingworth mashup. And he lives up to his roles, and his ridiculous name, working tirelessly to utterly dominate those around him for no reason other than his own sadism. His physical weakness seems to make him all the more eager to exercise psychological control over others, destroying and corrupting wherever he can, simply because he can.

With his ex-lover Olivia, who left him when he was injured and now longs for his forgiveness and love, this destructive (and vindictive) control manifests itself in making her his accomplice, forcing her to flirt with Felix so that Jasper can have unfettered access to Gladys. Though Olivia has no taste for the task, she is eager to atone for her past wrongs against Jasper and is willing to do anything that could earn her even the slightest sign of approbation from the man she loves.

With Felix, Jasper initially controls only his comings and goings and his work. But by forcing Felix to pursue Gladys (and even manipulating him into it by plying the boy's vanity and competitive nature), he can forever torture Felix with the knowledge of his compromise--that he wooed a girl who worshiped him out of misbegotten pride and in order to secure his own financial and literary well-being. The full extent of Jasper's hold on Felix is not revealed until the final chapters, and it becomes clear that Jasper's goal was nothing less than the complete corruption of the foolish young poet. Felix has to decide just how much fame means to him, and exactly how much he's willing to give up to get it.

But it is in dealing with Gladys that Jasper finally meets his match. Gladys, who loves her husband unreservedly, despite suspecting that his love for her is no match for her own. Gladys, who happily serves Jasper and keeps him company out of a strong desire to repay him for his generosity to her and a determination not to be indebted to anyone, even as Jasper uses these acts of service as opportunities to sabotage her marriage. Gladys, who steadfastly clings to her faith despite all Jasper's clever attempts to muddle her mind with philosophy and world religions. In the face of all his wiles, she sweetly pleads on behalf of her faith:

Can you say of your faith that it sustained you in sorrow, made you happy in loneliness, saved you from temptation, taught, guided, blessed you day by day with unfailing patience, wisdom, and love? I think you cannot; then why try to take mine away till you can give me a better?

Not too shabby for a naive child. Of course, in her innocence, she can never fully comprehend the extent of his nefarious plans. Indeed, she seems to remain ignorant of his greatest transgression against her--an unusual evening marked by an impromptu amateur theatrical performance and a hefty dose of hashish, of all things.

Her simple naivete is not sustainable, however; some growth is needed is she is ever to be a fully realized woman. To his surprise, Jasper's hashish adventure ends up being the catalyst for Gladys's transformation from innocent child into virtuous woman--a change that renders her irresistible to her husband and his patron. From this moment on, she is much less naive but no less virtuous. Armed only with woman's intuition, love for her husband (now reciprocated), faith, a practical mind, and hope for the future, our plucky heroine takes Jasper head on. Her feminine strength bolsters Felix's own flagging morality, coaxes Olivia out of her slavish obedience. The power-hungry Jasper finds himself ultimately powerless in the face of her simple goodness. There is no swashbuckling showdown--this is a psychological story with a fitting (if less dramatic) climax.

Make no mistake--this is a dark book. But Alcott seems to have very clear ideas about who ultimately wins when good and evil face off. As in A Long Fatal Love Chase, we see that a virtuous woman, though physically defeated by circumstance and evil men, remains uncowed and, in some sense, emerges victorious--a theme that crops up even in Alcott's more lighthearted works (see, e.g., An Old Fashioned Girl, which is, in my opinion, vastly superior to Little Women, mainly because there is no Amy).

Definitely worth a read.

[Veerle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Promising, yet not entirely convinced by this story. Love the characters and how they interact, yet it was hard to get through

[Corinne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Helwyze: All sensationalist literature by Louisa May Alcott has to have a handsome stranger who is obviously Satan. And what a handsome devil I am, to be sure.
Canaris: I am poor. No one cares about my art. Might as well go eat worms.
Helwyze: Naw, stick with me, kid. In exchange for a few provisos that may or may not include your soul, I'm gonna make you a star.
Canaris: Hot dog!
Helwyze: Go marry that chick.
Gladys: I am pure and womanly, with feminine ladylike girlish qualities. Have I mentioned my female spirit?
Canaris: What? But I don't love her.
Helwyze: We'll totally destroy her. It will be hilarious. But if you're going to be ungrateful.....
Canaris: No! I'm grateful! I'll marry her.
Gladys: I can make you good, and make you love me. Men love women who change them.
Canaris: I won us tons of money gambling, baby. Also my writing has made us double rich.
Gladys: GASP! How wicked!
Helwyze: Have some soothing chocolates, Gladys. It's a shame your husband doesn't love you but is still devoted to you every second out of guilt or something, and also is decidedly unwholesome. My sympathies.
Gladys: These are tasty! *passes out*
Helwyze: Just kidding! It's hashish! What a riot!
Olivia: My lover is the meanest. Wake up, Gladys! I want to be your mom, even though you're a grown ass woman. Can I be your mom?
Gladys: *blinks* Mommy?
Canaris: Darling! I love you after all! I can't wait for us to have tons of babies! I'll teach them to play catch and gamble.
Gladys: Olivia can be our baby's grandma!
Olivia: Hold on, what are you trying to say?
Helwyze: Gladys' sweetness has destroyed me! I am suddenly mostly paralyzed.
Gladys: Helwyze's wickedness has destroyed me and my baby! We are fading away to pale and somber death.
Canaris: All this crap and I'm still poor?

The End

[Noce · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ma la Alcott non ha rischiato di morire di autonoia scrivendolo?

Se fosse un accessorio sarebbe un cammeo di corallo.
Se fosse un luogo sarebbe un boudoir.
Se fosse una figura retorica sarebbe una diallage.
Se fosse un aperitivo, sarebbe analcolico.
Se fosse un animale sarebbe un bradipo in menopausa.

Se fosse una storia come lo è infatti, sarebbe quella che narra di un Lele Mora in versione distinta che assieme ad un improbabile Gina Lollobrigida, decide di indirizzare le sorti di due burattini scelti a caso: una (virtuosa) Nina Moric e un (ingenuo) Fabrizio Corona. La fine della storia rispecchia lo spessore dei protagonisti.

Cara Louisa May Alcott, forse se il tuo libro più famoso è stato "Piccole donne", una ragione in effetti c'era.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had a very different writing style than Little Women, almost fable-esque. This worked well for this kind of story, but I didn't enjoy it as much. I got Dangerous Liaisons and The Picture of Dorian Grey vibes. However, the characters weren't compelling and the ending was disappointing. I listened to the audiobook, which I don't think heightened my reading experience. I still want to read more Alcott in the future, though.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alcott retells the story of Faust with a more gothic, 19th-century sensibility. I was charmed by her writing style particularly since I had only known her body of children's books. This is dark, brooding and deep. In studying Alcott, I learned that this type of book was her true interest and delight; she wrote children's books to make money. She has an eye for the lurid (at least as lurid as possible for her time). I also recommend A Long Fatal Love Chase by her.

[Hannah Landis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very shocking. For like 100 years ago.

[Ali Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was Alcott's Dorian Gray. Her academic, "benefactor and young poet" novel. Can't help but think perhaps she was trying to impress Hawthorne. While the plot was fantastic and I greatly enjoyed the foils of Jasper/Olivia and Felix/Gladys, I feel that some of the potential of this novel was covered by Alcott's at times, painful moral lessons and Christian preaching. While the sexual and "deviant" undertones were there, further exploration of these themes certainly would have elevated the draw of the novel. Overly virtuous but the idea was there.

[June Amelia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

a profoundly sensual and lush sensation novel from the prolific young girl's writer, who moonlightened as a thriller writer. alcott should be even more commended than she is for how well she pulls this off.

[Sally · Rating 2 out of 5]

Imagine the intensity of Hawthorne and the Christian forbearance of Alcott melded together to make this melodramatic tale of a poor writer who is taken up by an older rich man who sees him as a soul to trifle with. There is success and psychological bondage, broken by the pure and lovely Gladys who makes Felix into a man and tames Helwyze before disappearing as these heroines are wont to do. A good twist or two at the end, but way too melodramatic for me.

[Jade Dickinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, didn’t blow me away but I would recommend it! Has a self-aware fairytale vibe that is often referential of older works (see title) and was a great quick read. Not super challenging but full of beautiful quotable lines that result from the drama of strongly motivated archetypal characters.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greed, lust, vanity, drug use and Louisa May Alcott? Yes, the author of "Little Women" grew tired of writing "moral pap for the young," and wrote some adult works with fairly dark content for the 19th century (with some autobiographical elements). The work was initially published anonymously, and due to the relatively controversial content, one can easily guess why; though it was published under Alcott's own name a year after her death. Apparently, Alcott considered this to be her greatest work, a retelling of Goethe's "Faust," one of the great triumphs of literature. This book draws heavily upon Goethe's classic, and also upon Hawthorne's "The Scarlett Letter," with a late-19th century American feminist sensibility. Though the plot and writing seem to be a stretch at times, there are some very fine moments of beautiful writing that make up for these limitations, giving readers a work with some psychological and philosophical complexity.

The novella deals with the plight of Felix Canaris, a 19-year old writer and his Faustian pact with the aptly named Jasper Helwyze. Canaris is "friendless, penniless, and hopeless" and all too readily seduced by the promises Helwyze makes him of literary success. His wife, Gladys, emerges the heroine of the work, and though she meets her own untimely demise, greatly affects the lives of those around her.

While "A Modern Mephistopheles" may not have cemented Alcott's place in literature the way that "Little Women" did, it is, nonetheless, worth a read at least once. It was Alcott's favorite, after all.

[L.J. Longo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not one of Louisa May Alcott's autobiographical novels.

In the introduction of this edition, Jo Falcon talks about Alcott "treating herself" after years of writing "Little Women" and other more decent books. Well, she's treating treating readers too. Even though this book was published in 1877, it's one of the greatest and most sensual thrillers I've ever read. Obviously nothing is explicit, but what is implied is a tale of great depravity and domination. The Faust myth made sexual and believable. Here the Devil is a wealthy man (poignantly human), the soul being sold is an artist's.

It's dark food for thought, still relevant today.

I find it intriguing that Alcott published "A Modern Mephistopheles" anonymously. She was a nurse in the Civil War, a part of the underground railroad, and an early feminist, and yet she feared the work about finding artistic freedom and sexual expression would destroy her reputation.

For me, it only raises Alcott in my estimation. She put the same humanity in her characters here that readers find in her classics for children, the same nuanced understanding of right and wrong, but in "A Modern Mephistopheles" readers will find an adult sensibility.

[Phil Syphe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before reading this I was expecting something as good as, and similar to, "A Long Fatal Love Chase" or some of LMA's superb thrillers; however, this novella is one of few works by Ms Alcott that I found tedious.

I knew beforehand that when "A Modern Mephistopheles" was first published it was part of an anonymous author series and LMA wasn't revealed as the true writer until some years afterwards. At the time people who knew LMA had made comments to her regarding "A Modern Mephistopheles", such as, "I know it can't have been you who wrote it." Indeed, it's *nothing* like LMA, and I don't just mean it differs from her lighter works of fiction; I mean it's a world away from all her darker works too.

I just couldn't get into this. It bored me. Because of my respect for the author I continued to the end, although had it been full-length novel as opposed to a novella, I would've had to give up.

Owing to the occasional flash of interest, plus a decent ending to an otherwise mundane tale, I've rated this two stars instead of one.

[Linda Orvis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lousia May Alcott is one of my pet authors, and I'm almost done with all her books. I've discovered her adult works of fiction. She was a complicated woman! A Modern Mephistopheles, it turns out, was her favorite of all her creations. Be forewarned, if you decide to explore Louisa, that this book is no "Little Women." So far I've read three of the recently discovered adult books she wrote. I rank this one with "A Long and Fatal Love Chase" because of its sexual undertones and subtle message of the unfair treatment of women in the Victorian age. Mephistopheles is also a study of good versus evil. If you do decide to take a chance on this one, be sure to read the Introduction AFTER you finish the book and not before. I hate introductions that give too much of the plot away, which this one does. However, it is well worth reading.

[Cara Wood]

For me the most entertaining parts of this book comes from Alcott's magnificent bon mots of human nature, the narrator's asides that reveal her morality and insight into the true nature of human nature for all it's good, bad and indifferent. While far from modern, Alcott's Modern Mephistopheles is a timeless delight that pits good and evil, old and young, and selfless devotion against selfish manipulation. In contrast to her better known works, Mephistopheles doesn't not end with a happy marriage but instead shows readers the maintenance of one, with heroine Gladys clinging to build and maintain the one she enters into in chapter 5.

[Nancy Inglese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming. I have always been determined to hate Louisa May Alcott, after her Little Women (stale and unprofitable for me), but every time I read one of her more sensational novels, or even a more homely volume like The Rose's Bloom, I am inclined to love her. Beautiful.

[Jenny Preston · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having read, and adored, Little Women, I was intrigued to see this Alcott novel on a free shelf. I'd never heard of it before and was curious. It is so unlike Little Women that quoting one about the other is the only way I can properly respond (from Chapter 34, Friend):
Mr. Bhaer…. said with great disgust, "I wish these papers did not come into the house. They are not for the children to see, nor young people to read. It is not well, and I have no patience with those who make this harm."
"All may not be so bad - only silly, you know, and if there is a demand for it, I don't see any harm in supplying it. Many very respectable people make an honest living out of what are called sensation stories," said Jo.
[…]
"They are trash, and will soon be worse trash if I go on, for each is more sensational than the last."

A Modern Mephistopheles honestly surprises me in its over the top sensationalism. From Helwyze's soulless manipulation and power plays, to Canaris' willingness to play right back along with him, to Olivia's tragic loyalty and Glady's tragic heroism... Add a dose of heavy handed wordiness and you have a hot mess of a novel. I'm flabbergasted that the same author wrote both books - even more so that this book was published 10 years after Little Women, 6 years after Little Men. It makes me want to find a biography on Alcott's life, which is it's one saving grace. Because of that, this book does not earn a place on my permanent shelves.

[Dalian_Mystica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forse non tutti sanno che Louisa May Alcott, autrice di Piccole donne, avesse un debole per i racconti gotici e ne avesse scritti di diversi. Io l’ho scoperto un paio di anni fa al Book Pride, la fiera degli editori indipendenti che si tiene annualmente a Genova (e, credo, anche in altre città). In questa occasione, mi è caduto l’occhio sul banchetto della Black Dog Edizioni, una CE che non conoscevo ma che mi ha colpita subito per le sue edizioni ricche di illustrazioni. Dopo aver sfogliato diversi libri, ho optato per questo della Alcott, incuriosita dalla sua vena dark.
.
Ho iniziato la lettura influenzata dall’introduzione davvero molto interessante e da tutte le illustrazioni all’interno del libro (specialmente un paio finali). Mi ero fatta l’idea che si trattasse di una storia molto più torbida e peccaminosa di quello che in realtà è. Mi ci ero un po’ illusa, lo ammetto, caricandomi di un hype che alla fine si è un po’ sgonfiato. 😆 la lettura è stata in ogni caso piacevole e non ci sono mai stati tempi morti. Come si può immaginare, non è una storia d’azione ma ci sono diversi momenti di introspezione e dialoghi molto interessanti (in particolare ho apprezzato quelli tra Gladys e Jasper). Le trame dove si mettono in atto dinamiche di manipolazione psicologica e dove qualcuno di intellettualmente più forte esercita un potere emotivo su qualcuno di più debole, mi attirano sempre. Le premesse ricordano molto “le relazioni pericolose” ma, a mio avviso, non è altrettanto coinvolgente dal punto di vista degli intrighi. Il finale, in compenso, mi è piaciuto molto e mi ha sorpresa!
.
Insomma, la definirei più che altro una lettura curiosa e interessante per approfondire un’autrice nota su tutt’altro genere, con il vantaggio di un’edizione cartacea che è un piacere avere in libreria 😁
.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

All of Alcott’s melodramas have a certain style or flavor to them, very heavily influenced by nineteenth century stereotypes. There’s a paternalistic sexism in this book that was repetitive and hard to swallow, and especially annoying coming from feminist Alcott. Lots of calling a grown married woman “child” and that sort of thing. I guess if Alcott were alive today she would have written lurid psychological thrillers under a pen name—or would have only written thrillers and we would have missed out on her better literary contributions of Little Women and Hospital Sketches.

The whole book, unfortunately, seems founded on a bed of sand. The love the “Mephistopheles” character develops for one of the other characters has zero believability. His sudden paralysis at the end comes out of nowhere, and therefore feels like just another of the belabored melodramatic aspects of the book. The big dark secret binding two characters together doesn’t have an ounce of believability or logic to it. A disappointment overall.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed A Modern Mephistopheles by Louisa May Alcott. As the title suggests, the plot is loosely based on Goethe's Faust, Part One, with a human in the stead of the devil. Louisa May Alcott had written this book anonymously, with the intent to disguise her writing style as part of a series from a number of other authors.

I was able to relate to her characters: I could see the humanity and temptations of Felix Canaris (Alcott's Faust), I didn't find Gladys to be saccharine, and I even had some sympathy for Jasper Helwyze (playing the role of the Devil). With Jasper being human, a second woman, Olivia, Alcott was able to create a love-square among the four characters. You could feel the seething emotions within the characters. Although the ending was predictable, I sympathized with the despair and turmoil Felix felt and admit to crying. I was awed by Alcott's abilities at the end.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
Un'indagine attraverso la mente dell'essere umano, un racconto che mette nero su bianco il buono ed il cattivo che coesistono in ognuno di noi. Nessun santo, nessun diavolo, semplicemente esseri umani con pregi e difetti.
La Alcott dà vita a quattro personaggi che inizialmente possono apparire categorizzabili come "manipolatori" o "vittime". Man mano che ci si addentra nella vicenda, ognuno di loro acquisisce nuove sfaccettature che lo priva di ogni etichetta ed è forse questo il bello di questo libro. Drammatico, pieno di emozioni, belle o brutte che siano, sembra di star guardando un quadro di Goya.
A livello stilistico risulta a tratti un po' troppo pomposo e ricco di citazioni classiche che rendono la lettura meno scorrevole e ben più impegnativa, oltre che statica.
Nel complesso, godibile.

[Sonia9673 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un uomo dal carattere altero decide di prendere sotto la sua ala un giovane povero e in disgrazia per suo diletto forgiandone il carattere per allietare le sue giornate, quando il ragazzo non basta più perché gli viene a noia usa il suo sentirsi in debito per fare in modo che sposi una giovane donna, suo nuovo giocattolo.
In un susseguirsi di alti e bassi, di minacce e speranze, di rancori e segreti e un amore incondizionato la loro vita continuerà con rabbia repressa fino ad un tragico epilogo.
Una prova da adulta dell’autrice di Piccole Donne, che sa magistralmente raccontare il narcisismo e il potere che uomini dell’alta società dell’epoca avevano su poveri e donne considerandoli di loro proprietà e per questo pronti a giustificarsi di ogni atto malvagio e manipolatore fatto contro di loro.
Una romanzo che non mi aspettavo ma molto intenso e attuale.

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the classic novels included in the Audible Plus catalogue. A Modern Mephistopheles, which was published under a pseudonym in 1877, sheds some light on Alcott's more famous characters and novels. In Little Women, Jo March wants to write sensationalist novels until her work is critiqued by Professor Bhaer. A Modern Mephistopheles seems like the kind of novel that Jo would have written and suggests those scenes in Little Women were inspired by Alcott's own experiences. Some similarities to The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde but the characters are not as well developed as they could be, especially Gladys.

[Sidney K · Rating 3 out of 5]

A refreshing retelling of the classic Faustian tale but with a feminist twist brought to us by Lousia May Alcott (written under a pseudonym). Gladys proved to be a stronger woman than the helpless Gretchen because the men in Gladys' life were concerned in her intellectual advancement and not just her pure and innocent beauty. The last 3 chapters redeemed the whole book- LMA is very detailed in her writing and her descriptions but that did make it feel like the story was dragging on here and there.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, the overall rating doesn't exactly inspire confidence, but on a prose part: this got absurdly Gothic in a wintery way I needed. And emotionally speaking, from the jump, we are well aware this is a modern Faust/deal with the devil story. But I was not expecting a thought provoking exploration into the dangers/downfall of co-dependency/emotional grooming for both the devil and his pawn. Not because of who wrote this, but rather the length and pulpy umbrella this falls beneath. Shame on me for sleepin' on Alcott's shadow catalogue.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was Alcott's Dorian Gray. Her academic, "benefactor and young poet" novel. Can't help but think perhaps she was trying to impress Hawthorne. While the plot was fantastic and I greatly enjoyed the foils of Jasper/Olivia and Felix/Gladys, I feel that some of the potential of this novel was covered by Alcott's at times, painful moral lessons and Christian preaching. While the sexual and "deviant" undertones were there, further exploration of these themes certainly would have elevated the draw of the novel. Overly virtuous but the idea was there.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a gothic retelling of Faust from Louisa May Alcott. Invalid Jasper Helwyze makes an offer to young poet Felix Canaris that he will eventually come to regret when the lovely and pure hearted Gladys enters the picture. Faust is one of my favorite stories and it was interesting how manipulative Helwyze was. It was tedious in parts even though the novel wasn't very long. I much preferred her other gothic novel A Long Fatal Love Chase.

[Amélie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The description makes it seem like it will be a lot more dark and dirty than it is. Ultimately the story serves to drive home moral messages. I liked how self-aware it seemed to be and seemed to be an exercise in utilising conventional literary techniques. While it wasn’t the most amazing or dynamic piece of literature, it was an entertaining and quick read

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending made it worthwhile, and redeemed the story a bit.

This was still an exercise in deciphering complex sentence structures, accepting that I was missing things due to a lack of familiarity with the other stories referenced throughout, and skipping plenty of description of the lush environments.

Just plainly not my kind of story. Meh.