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{{Short description|1862 Novel by Mary Elizabeth Braddon}}
{{Infobox book| <!-- See ] or ] -->
{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox book|
| name = Lady Audley's Secret | name = Lady Audley's Secret
| title_orig = | title_orig =
| translator = | translator =
| image = ] | image = Lady Audleys Secret Cover.jpg
| caption = Cover of ''Lady Audley's Secret'' | caption = Cover of ''Lady Audley's Secret''
| author = ] | author = ]
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| country = United Kingdom | country = United Kingdom
| language = English | language = English
| series =
| genre = ] | genre = ]
| publisher = ] | published = 26 May 1862 (])
⚫ | media_type = Print (hardcover)
| release_date = ]
| english_release_date =
⚫ | media_type = Print (])
| pages = 3 vols., 355 | pages = 3 vols., 355
| isbn = 978-0-19-953724-2 | isbn = 978-0-19-953724-2
| preceded_by = The Black Band | preceded_by = ]
| followed_by = John Marchmont's Legacy | followed_by = ]
}} }}


'''''Lady Audley's Secret''''' is a ] by ] published in 1862.<ref name=sutherland>]. "Lady Audley's Secret" in ''The Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction'', 1989.</ref> It was Braddon's most successful and well-known novel. Critic ] (1989) described the work as "the most sensationally successful of all the sensation novels."<ref name=sutherland/> The plot centers on "accidental ]" which was in literary fashion in the early 1860s.<ref name=sutherland/> The plot was summarized by literary critic ] (1982): "Braddon's bigamous heroine deserts her child, pushes husband number one down a well, thinks about poisoning husband number two and sets fire to a hotel in which her other male acquaintances are residing."<ref name=sutherland2/><ref>] (1982). ''Literature of Their Own: British Women Novelists from Brontė to Lessing''</ref> Elements of the novel mirror themes of the real-life ] of June 1860 which gripped the nation for years with headlines.<ref name=summerscale>{{cite book | author=Summerscale, Kate | title=The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Or the murder at Road Hill House | publisher=Bloomsbury | year=2008 | isbn=978-0-7475-8215-1}}. Ppg. 217-18</ref> A follow-up novel '']'' appeared in 1863. There have been three silent film adaptations, one UK television version in 2000, and three minor stage adaptations. '''''Lady Audley's Secret''''' is a ] by ] published on 26 May 1862.<ref name=sutherland>]. "Lady Audley's Secret" in ''The Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction'', 1989.</ref> It was Braddon's most successful and well-known novel. Critic ] (1989) described the work as "the most sensationally successful of all the sensation novels".<ref name=sutherland/> The plot centres on "accidental ]" which was in literary fashion in the early 1860s.<ref name=sutherland/> The plot was summarised by literary critic ] (1982): "Braddon's bigamous heroine deserts her child, pushes husband number one down a well, thinks about poisoning husband number two and sets fire to a hotel in which her other male acquaintances are residing".<ref name=sutherland2/><ref>{{cite book|first=Elaine|last=Showalter|authorlink=Elaine Showalter|date=1977|title=Literature of Their Own: British Women Novelists from Brontė to Lessing|publisher=]|location=Princeton, New Jersey|page=163|ISBN=978-0691063188}}</ref> Elements of the novel mirror themes of the real-life ] of June 1860 which gripped the nation for years.<ref name=summerscale>{{cite book | first=Kate | last=Summerscale | title=The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Or the murder at Road Hill House | publisher=] | location=London, England | year=2008 | isbn=978-0-7475-8215-1 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780747582151 | pages=217–18}}</ref> Braddon's second 'bigamy' novel, '']'', appeared in 1863. Braddon set the story in ], ], inspired by a visit there.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/ingatestone.html |title=History of Ingatestone, Essex |access-date=30 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115080048/http://www.blackmorehistory.co.uk/ingatestone.html |archive-date=15 November 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> There have been three silent film adaptations, one UK television version in 2000, and three minor stage adaptations.


==History== ==History==
''Lady Audley's Secret'' was partially serialized in '']'' magazine July–September 1861, then entirely serialized in '']'' January–December 1862 and once again serialized in '']'' March–August 1863. It was published in 1862 in ] by ].<ref name=sutherland/> ''Lady Audley's Secret'' was partly serialised in '']'' magazine in July–September 1861, then entirely serialised in '']'' in January–December 1862 and once again serialised in '']'' March–August 1863. It was published in 1862 in ] by ].<ref name=sutherland2/>


Braddon initially sold the rights to the Irish publisher ], with whom Braddon also lived and had children. Maxwell published it in his ailing magazine ''Robin Goodfellow'', but Braddon did not labor much writing the final third in less than two weeks. Not until it was published as a three-volume novel by William Tinsley did it become a success and allow Braddon to be financially independent for the remainder of her life. It also enriched her publisher William Tinsley who went on to build a ] at Barnes, 'Audley Lodge', with the profits.<ref name=sutherland2>]. "Braddon" in ''The Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction'', 1989.</ref> Braddon initially sold the rights to the Irish publisher ], with whom Braddon also lived and had children. Maxwell published it in his magazine ''Robin Goodfellow''. Braddon wrote the final third in less than two weeks. It was published as a three-volume novel, and it became a success, allowing Braddon to be financially independent for the rest of her life. It was also a financial success for Tinsley, who went on to build a ] in Barnes, "Audley Lodge", with the profits.<ref name=sutherland2>{{cite book|first=John|last=Sutherland|authorlink=John Sutherland (author)|chapter=Braddon|title=The Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction|publisher=]|location=Stanford, California|ISBN=9780804718424|date=1989}}</ref>


Notably for the bigamous nature of the plot, Maxwell himself was married to another woman and thus Braddon was unable to marry him until his wife died in 1874. When it became public that Maxwell and Braddon had been living in an "irregular" arrangement all those years, it caused a minor scandal during which all their servants ].<ref name=sutherland2/> Notably – given the theme of bigamy in the novel's plot – Maxwell himself was married to another woman, and so Braddon was unable to marry him until his wife died in 1874. When it became public that Maxwell and Braddon had been living in an "irregular" arrangement all those years, it caused a minor scandal during which all their servants ].<ref name=sutherland2/>

In 1997 a Wordsworth Limited edition was released with an Introduction by Keith Carabine from the ] in which he states, "In the latter half of the nineteenth century, everyone knew ''Lady Audley’s Secret."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Carabine|first=Keith|title=Lady Audley's Secret: Introduction|publisher=Wordsworth Classes|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|year=1997}}</ref>


== Plot == == Plot ==
The novel opens with the marriage of Lucy Graham, a beautiful, doll-like blonde who enchants almost all who meet her, to Sir Michael Audley, an old, rich, and kind widower, in June 1857. Lucy was a governess for the local doctor, Mr. Dawson. Until her marriage, Lucy was in service with Mrs. Vincent, and besides that very little is known about her past. Around the time of the marriage, Sir Michael’s nephew, barrister Robert Audley, welcomes back to England his old friend, George Talboys, who has returned after three years of gold prospecting in Australia. The novel opens in June 1857 with the marriage of Lucy Graham and Sir Michael Audley. Lucy is a young, beautiful woman who enchants almost all who meet her. Sir Michael is a kindly, wealthy middle-aged widower. Lucy's past is unclear. Prior to marrying Sir Michael she had served as governess for the children of the local doctor, Mr. Dawson, and before that she was in service with Mrs. Vincent. Very little is known about her prior to that. Shortly after the marriage Sir Michael's nephew, the barrister Robert Audley, welcomes his old friend George Talboys back to England.


George is anxious to get news of his wife, Helen, whom he left three years ago when their financial situation became desperate, in the hope of returning to her with Australian gold. He reads in the newspaper that she has died, and, after visiting her home to confirm this, he has a complete breakdown. Robert Audley cares for his friend, and, hoping to distract him, offers to take him to his wealthy uncle’s country manor. George had a child, Georgey, who was left under the care of Lieutenant Maldon, George's father-in-law. Robert and George set off to visit Georgey, and George decides to make Robert little Georgey's guardian and caretaker of 20,000 pounds put into the boy's name. After settling the matter of the boy's guardianship, the two set off to visit Sir Michael. Three years before, though happily married, George's financial situation had been desperate. He left for Australia to seek a fortune in ]. Behind him in England he had left his young wife Helen, whom he is now anxious to get news of. He reads in the newspaper that she has died, and, after visiting her home to confirm this, he becomes despondent. Robert Audley cares for his friend, and, hoping to distract him, offers to take him to his wealthy uncle's country manor. George had a child, Georgey, who was left under the care of Lieutenant Maldon, George's father-in-law. Robert and George set off to visit Georgey, and George decides to make Robert little Georgey's guardian and trustee of £20,000 put into the boy's name. After settling the matter of the boy's guardianship, the two set off to visit Sir Michael.


While at Audley Court, the country manor, Lady Audley avoids meeting with George. When the two seek an audience with the new Lady Audley, she makes many excuses to avoid their visit, but he and Robert are shown a portrait of her by Alicia Audley, Robert’s cousin. George appears greatly struck by the portrait, unbeknownst to Robert (who credits the unfavorable reaction to that evening's storm). Shortly thereafter, George disappears upon a visit to Audley Court, much to Robert’s consternation. Unwilling to believe that George has simply left suddenly and without notice, Robert begins to look into the circumstances around the strange disappearance. While at the country manor Audley Court, Lady Audley avoids meeting George. When the two seek an audience with the new Lady Audley, she makes many excuses and avoids their visits. During her absence a thunder storm confines George and Robert to the interior of Audley Court, and the two are shown a portrait of Lady Audley. Looking back toward his friend, Robert notes that George seems disturbed, and attributes his disturbed mood to the storm. Shortly thereafter George disappears. Robert is perplexed. Unwilling to believe George simply left with no notice, Robert begins to look into the circumstances of his disappearance.


While searching for his friend, Robert begins to take notes of the events as they unfold. His notes indicate the involvement of Lady Audley, much to his chagrin, and he slowly begins to collect evidence against her. One night, he reveals the evidence and notes that George was in possession of many letters that his former wife wrote. Lady Audley immediately sets off to London, where the letters were kept, and Robert follows after her. However, by the time he arrives, he discovers that George's possessions have been broken into with the help of a local locksmith and that the letters have vanished. However, one possession, a book with a note written by George's wife that matches Lady Audley's handwriting, remains. This confirms Robert's suspicion that Lady Audley is implicated in George's disappearance; it also leads Robert to conclude that Lady Audley is actually George's supposedly dead wife. While searching for his friend, Robert takes note of the events surrounding George's disappearance. The name of Lady Audley repeatedly appears in these notes, and much to his distress, the evidence begins to collect against her. One night, he reveals his notes to Lady Audley, including that George was in possession of many letters of his former wife. Lady Audley sets off to London, where the letters were kept. Robert follows after her. However, by the time he arrives, he discovers that George's possessions have been broken into and the letters are missing. One possession, however, remains – a book with a note written by George's wife that matches Lady Audley's handwriting. This confirms Robert's suspicion that Lady Audley is implicated in George's disappearance; it also leads Robert to conclude that Lady Audley is actually George's supposedly dead wife.


Suspecting the worst of Lady Audley and being afraid for little Georgey's life, Robert travels to Lieutenant Maldon's house and demands possession of the boy. Once Robert has Georgey under his control, he places the boy in a school run by Mr. Marchmont. Afterwards, Robert visits George's father, Mr. Harcourt Talboys, and confronts the Squire with his son's death. Mr. Harcourt listens dispassionately to the story. In the course of his visit to the Talboy's manor, Robert is entranced by George’s sister Clara, who looks startlingly like George. Clara’s passion for finding her brother spurs Robert on. Suspecting the worst of Lady Audley and being afraid for little Georgey's life, Robert travels to Lieutenant Maldon's house and demands possession of the boy. Once Robert has Georgey under his control, he places the boy in a school run by Mr. Marchmont. Afterwards, Robert visits George's father, Mr. Harcourt Talboys, and confronts the Squire with his son's death. Harcourt listens dispassionately to the story. In the course of his visit to the Talboys' manor, Robert is entranced by George's sister Clara, who looks startlingly like George. Clara's passion for finding her brother spurs Robert on.


] ]
During February 1859, Robert continues searching for evidence. He receives a notice that his uncle is ill, and he quickly returns to Audley Court. While there, Robert speaks with Mr. Dawson and receives a brief description of all that is known about Lucy's background. He hears that Lucy was employed by Mrs. Vincent at her school since 1852, and, to verify this claim, Robert tracks down Mrs. Vincent, who is in hiding because of debts. According to Miss Tonks, a teacher at Mrs. Vincent's school, Lucy actually arrived at the school in August 1854 and was secretive about her past. Miss Tonks gives Robert a travel box that used to belong to Lucy, and upon examining stickers on the box, Robert discovers both the name Lucy Graham and the name Helen Talboys. In February 1859, Robert continues searching for evidence. He receives a notice that his uncle is ill, and he quickly returns to Audley Court. While there, Robert speaks with Mr. Dawson and receives a brief description of all that is known about Lucy's background. He hears that Lucy was employed by Mrs. Vincent at her school since 1852. To verify this claim, Robert tracks down Mrs. Vincent, who is in hiding because of debts. According to Miss Tonks, a teacher at Mrs. Vincent's school, Lucy actually arrived at the school in August 1854 and was secretive about her past. Miss Tonks gives Robert a travel box that used to belong to Lucy. Upon examining stickers on the box, Robert discovers both the name Lucy Graham and the name Helen Talboys.


Robert realizes that Helen Talboys faked her death before creating her new identity. When Robert confronts Lucy, she tells him that he has no proof, and he leaves to find more evidence, heading to Castle Inn, which is run by Luke Marks. During the night, Lucy forces Luke's wife Phoebe to let her into the inn and Lucy sets the place on fire, with the intention of killing Robert. However, Robert survives and returns to Audley Court and again confronts Lucy. This time, she says she is crazy and confesses her life's story to Robert and Sir Michael, claiming that George abandoned her originally and she had no choice but to abandon her old life and child in order to find another, wealthier husband. Robert realizes that Helen Talboys faked her death before creating her new identity. When Robert confronts Lucy, she tells him that he has no proof. He leaves to find more evidence, heading to Castle Inn, which is run by Luke Marks. During the night, Lucy forces Luke's wife, Phoebe, to let her into the inn, then Lucy sets the place afire to kill Robert. However, Robert survives and returns to Audley Court and again confronts Lucy. This time, she says she is insane and confesses her life's story to Robert and Sir Michael, claiming that George abandoned her originally and she had no choice but to abandon her old life and child to find another, wealthier husband.


Sir Michael is unhappy and leaves with Alicia to travel through Europe. Robert invites a Doctor Mosgrave to make a more astute judgment regarding Lucy's sanity, and he proclaims that she is indeed victim to latent insanity, which overpowers her in times of stress and makes her very dangerous to any and all. Lucy, under the name of Madame Taylor, enters a mental institution located somewhere in Belgium along the route between Brussels and Paris. While being committed, Lucy confesses to Robert that she killed George by pushing him down a deserted well in the garden of Audley Court. Sir Michael is unhappy and leaves with Alicia to travel through Europe. Robert invites a Dr. Mosgrave to make a more astute judgment regarding Lucy's sanity, and he proclaims that she is indeed victim to latent insanity, which overpowers her in times of stress and makes her very dangerous to any and all. Lucy, under the name of Madame Taylor, enters a mental institution located somewhere in Belgium along the route between Brussels and Paris. While being committed, Lucy confesses to Robert that she killed George by pushing him down a deserted well in the garden of Audley Court.


Robert grieves for his friend George until Luke Marks, who was fatally injured in the fire, manages, before dying, to tell Robert that George survived Lady Audley’s attempted murder and that George, with Luke’s help, left with intent of returning to Australia. Robert is overjoyed, and he asks Clara to marry him and go with him to Australia to find George. Clara accepts, but before they set out, George returns and reveals that he actually visited New York instead. The narrative ends with the death of Lucy abroad, Clara and Robert happily married and living in a country cottage with George and his son. Robert's formerly infatuated cousin Alicia marries her once-spurned suitor, Sir Harry Towers, and Audley Court is left abandoned along with all of its unhappy memories. Robert grieves for his friend George until a dying Luke Marks contacts him. Before succumbing to injuries he suffered in the fire, Luke tells Robert that George survived Lady Audley's attempted murder. Luke then helped George escape, with George intending to return to Australia. Robert is overjoyed, and he asks Clara to marry him and go with him to Australia to find George. Clara accepts, but before they set out, George returns and reveals that he actually visited New York instead. The narrative ends with the death of Lucy abroad, and Clara and Robert happily married and living in a country cottage with George and his son. Robert's formerly infatuated cousin Alicia marries her once-spurned suitor, Sir Harry Towers, and Audley Court is left abandoned along with all of its unhappy memories.


== Analysis and themes == == Analysis and themes ==
''Lady Audley's Secret'' plays on ] anxieties about the domestic sphere. The home was supposed to be a refuge from the dangers of the outside world. However, in the novel, the seemingly perfect domestic lady turns out to be a violent criminal who has not only tried to commit murder but who has also committed bigamy and abandoned her child. This unsettled Victorian readers because it indicated that the concepts of "the perfect lady/mother" and "domestic bliss" were more idealistic than realistic. In addition, anxieties about the increasing urbanization of Britain abound; the city gives Lady Audley the power to change her identity because it renders its citizens effectively anonymous. The small town of Audley is no longer a refuge where everyone knows the life story of every neighbor; the residents of Audley must accept Lucy Graham's account of herself since they have no other information about her past. Other anxieties about unstable identity appear throughout the novel: Robert's relationship with George has homosexual overtones, especially considered in light of his attraction to Clara, George's sister, who is described as looking identical to George. Additionally, Lady Audley's maid, Phoebe, resembles Lady Audley, thus banishing the idea of physical distinction between the upper and lower classes and therefore of any inherent superiority of the former. ''Lady Audley's Secret'' plays on ] anxieties about the ]. The home was supposed to be a refuge from the dangers of the outside world, but in the novel, the seemingly perfect domestic lady turns out to be a violent criminal who has not only tried to commit murder but who has also committed bigamy and abandoned her child. This unsettled Victorian readers because it indicated that the concepts of "the perfect lady/mother" and "domestic bliss" were more idealistic than realistic. In addition, anxieties about the increasing urbanization of Britain abound; the city gives Lady Audley the power to change her identity because it renders its citizens effectively anonymous. The small town of Audley is no longer a refuge where everyone knows the life story of every neighbor; the residents of Audley must accept Lucy Graham's account of herself since they have no other information about her past. Other anxieties about unstable identity appear throughout the novel: Lady Audley's maid, Phoebe, resembles Lady Audley, thus banishing the idea of physical distinction between the upper and lower classes and therefore of any inherent superiority of the former.


''Lady Audley's Secret'' is, furthermore, a story about gender and class, and Lady Audley's objectionable upward mobility—the book is practically a 'how to' guide—suggests a threat to the paradigm of social class. Madness is also a key issue. Lady Audley and others often converse about the meaning of this word, but many readers believe that Lady Audley is not mad. In fact, many critics view Lady Audley's deception as a feminist act in which a woman takes control of the direction of her own life.<ref>See Jennifer M. Woolston's “Lady Audley as the Cunning ‘Other’: An Economic, Sexual, and Criminal Attack on the Victorian Patriarchal Mindset,” English Association of Pennsylvania State Universities (EAPSU) Online, Vol. 5 (Fall 2008). </ref> ''Lady Audley's Secret'' is, furthermore, a story about gender and class, and Lady Audley's objectionable upward mobility suggests a threat to the paradigm of social class. Madness is also a key issue. Lady Audley and others often converse about the meaning of this word, but many readers believe that Lady Audley is not mad. In fact, many critics view Lady Audley's deception as a feminist act in which a woman takes control of the direction of her own life.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Shaqayeq|last=Moqari|title=Representation of Mad Woman in Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon|url=http://www.worldscientificnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/WSN-22-2015-40-54.pdf|journal=World Scientific News|issue=22|date=2015|pages=40–54}}</ref>


The novel mirrors many of the same themes from the real-life ] of June 1860 that gripped the nation with headline news for years.<ref name=summerscale/> The first installment of ''Lady Audley's Secret'' came out almost exactly one year after the Kent murder.<ref name=summerscale/> The novel, like the real-life case, featured a wicked stepmother (and former governess who married a gentleman), a mysterious and brutal murder in a country manor house, a body thrown down a well, and characters fascinated by madness.<ref name=summerscale/> Constance Kent can be seen in many of the female characters in the novel: the murderess Lady Audley, the tomboyish Alicia Audley, the restrained Phoebe Marks, the lonely Clara Talboys.<ref name=summerscale/> ], the detective and case investigator, can be seen in the character of Robert Audley.<ref name=summerscale/> The novel mirrors many of the same themes from the real-life ] of June 1860.<ref name=summerscale/> The first instalment of ''Lady Audley's Secret'' came out almost exactly one year after the Kent murder.<ref name=summerscale/> The novel, like the real-life case, featured a stepmother and former governess, a mysterious and brutal murder in a country manor house, a body thrown down a well, and characters fascinated by madness.<ref name=summerscale/> Constance Kent can be seen in many of the female characters in the novel: the murderess Lady Audley, the tomboyish Alicia Audley, the restrained Phoebe Marks and the lonely Clara Talboys.<ref name=summerscale/> ], the detective and case investigator, can be seen in the character of Robert Audley.<ref name=summerscale/>


==Adaptations== ==Adaptations==
;Films ;Films
* ''Lady Audley's Secret'' 1912 (USA, black and white, silent) * ''Lady Audley's Secret'', 1912 (USA, black and white, silent)
* ''Lady Audley's Secret'' (aka ''Secrets of Society'') 1915 (USA, black and white, silent, directed by Marshall Farnum) * '']'' (aka ''Secrets of Society''), 1915 (USA, black and white, silent, directed by ])
* '']'' 1920 (UK, black and white, silent, directed by Jack Denton) * '']'', 1920 (UK, black and white, silent, directed by ])
* '']'' 2000 (UK, TV, directed by Betsan Morris Evans) * ''Lady Audley's Secret'', 1949 (UK, TV, black and white)
* ''{{ill|Lady Audley's Secret (1978 film)|de|3=Lady Audleys Geheimnis (Film)|lt=Lady Audleys Geheimnis}}'', 1978 (West Germany, TV, directed by Wilhelm Semmelroth)
* ''Lady Audley's Secret'', 2000 (UK, TV, directed by Betsan Morris Evans) – (In the USA part of the '']'' series.)


;Radio ;Radio
* ''Lady Audley's Secret'' 2009 (UK, BBC Radio 4) * ''Lady Audley's Secret'', 2009 (UK, BBC Radio 4)


;Stage ;Stage
* 1863 (adapted by ], first performed at the Victoria Theatre, London, 1863. Hazlewood also dramatised Braddon's '']'' the same year.<ref>G. C. Boase, Megan A. Stephan, , rev. Megan A. Stephan, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', (accessed 3 December 2011)</ref>) * 1863 – adapted by ], first performed at the Victoria Theatre, London, 1863. Hazlewood also dramatised Braddon's '']'' the same year.<ref>G. C. Boase, Megan A. Stephan, , rev. Megan A. Stephan, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', (accessed 3 December 2011)</ref>
* 1930 Cambridge Festival Theatre a "melodramatized version" of the novel including a "birthday fete and Rustic Ballet, The part of Lady Audley was played by (Dame) Flora Robson and the performance was produced by Tyrone Guthrie. It was preceded by a performance of Morton's Cox and Box. Reference Festival Theatre programmes of 25 January 1930 and 3 February 1930 * 1930 – ]: a "melodramatized version" of the novel including a "birthday fete" and Rustic Ballet. The part of Lady Audley was played by (Dame) ] and the performance was produced by ]. It was preceded by a performance of Morton's '']''.<ref>Festival Theatre programmes of 25 January and 3 February 1930</ref>
* 1971 (Chicago, ], adaptation by ])<ref name="plays"> (1974)</ref> * 1971 – Chicago, ], adaptation by ],<ref name="plays"> (1974)</ref> music by George Goehring, and lyrics by John B. Kuntz.
* 1972 (], Seale adaptation)<ref name="1972debut">Barnes, Clive (4 October 1972). , '']'', Retrieved December 1, 2010 (debuted at Eastdale Playhouse in New York City on October 3, 1972)</ref><ref>http://www.mtishows.com/show_detail.asp?showid=000047</ref> * 1972 – ], Seale adaptation,<ref name="1972debut">Barnes, Clive (4 October 1972). , '']''. Retrieved 1 December 2010 (debuted at Eastdale Playhouse in New York City on 3 October 1972)</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtishows.com/show_detail.asp?showid=000047|title = Lady Audley's Secret|date = 16 September 2015}}</ref> music by George Goehring, and lyrics by John B. Kuntz.


==In popular culture== ==In popular culture==
''Lady Audley's Secret'' is involved in a subplot of '']'', the fourth book in the ] series by ]. Betsy has read it and other books in the same genre, and aspires to write similar works. ''Lady Audley's Secret'' is involved in a subplot of '']'', the fourth book in the ] series by ]. Betsy has read it and other books in the same genre, and aspires to write similar works.

In the Agatha Christie short story ''Greenshaw's Folly'' Miss Greenshaw hides her will in a copy of Lady Audley's Secret remarking it was a "best seller in its day".


== References == == References ==
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{{Reflist}} {{Reflist}}


;Further reading ==Further reading==


* Beller (2012), Anne-Marie, ''Mary Elizabeth Braddon: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction,'' Jefferson, NC: McFarland, ISBN 978-0-7864-3667-5. *{{cite book |last=Beller |year=2012 |first=Anne-Marie |title=Mary Elizabeth Braddon: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction |location=Jefferson, NC |publisher=] |isbn=978-0-7864-3667-5}}
* Cvetkovich (1992), Ann, ''Mixed Feelings: Feminism, Mass Culture and Victorian Sensationalism,'' New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. *{{cite book |last=Cvetkovich |year=1992 |first=Ann |title=Mixed Feelings: Feminism, Mass Culture and Victorian Sensationalism |location=New Brunswick, NJ |publisher=] |isbn=978-0813518572}}
* Diamond (2003), Michael, ''Victorian Sensation'', London: Anthem, ISBN 1-84331-150-X, pp.&nbsp;197–208 *{{cite book |last=Diamond |year=2003 |first=Michael |title=Victorian Sensation |location=London |publisher=Anthem |isbn=1-84331-150-X |pages=197–208}}
* King (2002), Andrew, “Sympathy as Subversion? Reading Lady Audley’s Secret in the Kitchen”, '']'' 7: 60-85. *{{cite journal |last=King |year=2002 |first=Andrew |title=Sympathy as Subversion? Reading ''Lady Audley's Secret'' in the Kitchen |journal=] |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=60–85 |doi=10.3366/jvc.2002.7.1.60}}
* Nemesvari (1995), Richard, ‘Robert Audley’s Secret: Male Homosocial Desire in Lady Audley’s Secret’, ''Studies in the Novel,'' XXVII: 515-28 *{{cite journal |last=Nemesvari |year=1995 |first=Richard |title=Robert Audley's secret: male homosocial desire in ''Lady Audley's Secret'' |journal=Studies in the Novel |volume=XXVII |issue=4 |pages=515–528 |jstor=29533089}}
* Tilley (1995), Elizabeth, ‘Gender and Role-Playing in Lady Audley’s Secret’, in ''Exhibited by Candlelight: Sources and Developments in the Gothic Tradition,'' ed. Valeria Tinkler-Villani and Peter Davidson, with Jane Stevenson, Amsterdam: Rodopi: 197-204. *{{cite book |last=Tilley |year=1995 |first=Elizabeth |chapter=Gender and role-playing in ''Lady Audley's Secret'' |title=Exhibited by Candlelight: Sources and Developments in the Gothic Tradition |editor=Valeria Tinkler-Villani & Peter Davidson, with Jane Stevenson |location=Amsterdam |publisher=Rodopi |pages=197–204 |isbn=9789051838329}}
*{{cite book |last=Tomaiuolo |year=2010 |first=Saverio |title=In Lady Audley's Shadow: Mary Elizabeth Braddon and Victorian Literary Genres |location=Edinburgh |publisher=] |isbn=978-0-7486-4115-4}}
* Wolff (1979), Robert Lee, ''Nineteenth-Century Fiction''. New York.
*{{cite book |last=Wolff |year=1979 |first=Robert Lee |title=Nineteenth-Century Fiction: a Bibliographical Catalogue |publisher=Garland |location=New York}}
* Woolston (2008), Jennifer M. “Lady Audley as the Cunning ‘Other’: An Economic, Sexual, and Criminal Attack on the Victorian Patriarchal Mindset,” ''English Association of Pennsylvania State Universities (EAPSU) Online'', Vol. 5 (Fall 2008). *{{cite journal |last=Woolston |year=2008 |first=Jennifer M. |title=Lady Audley as the cunning 'other': an economic, sexual, and criminal attack on the Victorian patriarchal mindset |journal=English Association of Pennsylvania State Universities (EAPSU) Online |volume=5 <!--|url=http://eapsu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=27-->}}


== External links == == External links ==
* {{StandardEbooks|Standard Ebooks URL=https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/m-e-braddon/lady-audleys-secret}}
⚫ * {{gutenberg|no=8954|name=Lady Audley's Secret}} (ebooks, plain text and HTML)
* {{librivox book | title=Lady Audley's Secret | author=Mary Elizabeth BRADDON}}
⚫ * at ] (scanned books original editions)
⚫ * Miller, Lucasta (9 August 2003). , '']''. Retrieved 1 December 2010
*{{IMDb title|qid=Q127788263|title=Lady Audley's Secret (TV Movie 2000)}}
{{Mary Elizabeth Braddon}}


⚫ ]
⚫ * {{gutenberg|no=8954|name=Lady Audley's Secret}} (plain text and HTML)
]
⚫ * at ] (scanned books original editions)
]
* at GirlEbooks (pdf, pdb and lit formats)
]
⚫ * Miller, Lucasta (9 August 2003). , '']'', Retrieved December 1, 2010

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Latest revision as of 19:42, 24 July 2024

1862 Novel by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Lady Audley's Secret
Cover of Lady Audley's Secret
AuthorMary Elizabeth Braddon
LanguageEnglish
GenreSensation novel
Published26 May 1862 (William Tinsley)
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint (hardcover)
Pages3 vols., 355
ISBN978-0-19-953724-2
Preceded byThe Black Band 
Followed byJohn Marchmont's Legacy 

Lady Audley's Secret is a sensation novel by Mary Elizabeth Braddon published on 26 May 1862. It was Braddon's most successful and well-known novel. Critic John Sutherland (1989) described the work as "the most sensationally successful of all the sensation novels". The plot centres on "accidental bigamy" which was in literary fashion in the early 1860s. The plot was summarised by literary critic Elaine Showalter (1982): "Braddon's bigamous heroine deserts her child, pushes husband number one down a well, thinks about poisoning husband number two and sets fire to a hotel in which her other male acquaintances are residing". Elements of the novel mirror themes of the real-life Constance Kent case of June 1860 which gripped the nation for years. Braddon's second 'bigamy' novel, Aurora Floyd, appeared in 1863. Braddon set the story in Ingatestone Hall, Essex, inspired by a visit there. There have been three silent film adaptations, one UK television version in 2000, and three minor stage adaptations.

History

Lady Audley's Secret was partly serialised in Robin Goodfellow magazine in July–September 1861, then entirely serialised in Sixpenny Magazine in January–December 1862 and once again serialised in The London Journal March–August 1863. It was published in 1862 in three volumes by William Tinsley.

Braddon initially sold the rights to the Irish publisher John Maxwell, with whom Braddon also lived and had children. Maxwell published it in his magazine Robin Goodfellow. Braddon wrote the final third in less than two weeks. It was published as a three-volume novel, and it became a success, allowing Braddon to be financially independent for the rest of her life. It was also a financial success for Tinsley, who went on to build a villa in Barnes, "Audley Lodge", with the profits.

Notably – given the theme of bigamy in the novel's plot – Maxwell himself was married to another woman, and so Braddon was unable to marry him until his wife died in 1874. When it became public that Maxwell and Braddon had been living in an "irregular" arrangement all those years, it caused a minor scandal during which all their servants gave notice.

In 1997 a Wordsworth Limited edition was released with an Introduction by Keith Carabine from the University of Kent in which he states, "In the latter half of the nineteenth century, everyone knew Lady Audley’s Secret."

Plot

The novel opens in June 1857 with the marriage of Lucy Graham and Sir Michael Audley. Lucy is a young, beautiful woman who enchants almost all who meet her. Sir Michael is a kindly, wealthy middle-aged widower. Lucy's past is unclear. Prior to marrying Sir Michael she had served as governess for the children of the local doctor, Mr. Dawson, and before that she was in service with Mrs. Vincent. Very little is known about her prior to that. Shortly after the marriage Sir Michael's nephew, the barrister Robert Audley, welcomes his old friend George Talboys back to England.

Three years before, though happily married, George's financial situation had been desperate. He left for Australia to seek a fortune in gold prospecting. Behind him in England he had left his young wife Helen, whom he is now anxious to get news of. He reads in the newspaper that she has died, and, after visiting her home to confirm this, he becomes despondent. Robert Audley cares for his friend, and, hoping to distract him, offers to take him to his wealthy uncle's country manor. George had a child, Georgey, who was left under the care of Lieutenant Maldon, George's father-in-law. Robert and George set off to visit Georgey, and George decides to make Robert little Georgey's guardian and trustee of £20,000 put into the boy's name. After settling the matter of the boy's guardianship, the two set off to visit Sir Michael.

While at the country manor Audley Court, Lady Audley avoids meeting George. When the two seek an audience with the new Lady Audley, she makes many excuses and avoids their visits. During her absence a thunder storm confines George and Robert to the interior of Audley Court, and the two are shown a portrait of Lady Audley. Looking back toward his friend, Robert notes that George seems disturbed, and attributes his disturbed mood to the storm. Shortly thereafter George disappears. Robert is perplexed. Unwilling to believe George simply left with no notice, Robert begins to look into the circumstances of his disappearance.

While searching for his friend, Robert takes note of the events surrounding George's disappearance. The name of Lady Audley repeatedly appears in these notes, and much to his distress, the evidence begins to collect against her. One night, he reveals his notes to Lady Audley, including that George was in possession of many letters of his former wife. Lady Audley sets off to London, where the letters were kept. Robert follows after her. However, by the time he arrives, he discovers that George's possessions have been broken into and the letters are missing. One possession, however, remains – a book with a note written by George's wife that matches Lady Audley's handwriting. This confirms Robert's suspicion that Lady Audley is implicated in George's disappearance; it also leads Robert to conclude that Lady Audley is actually George's supposedly dead wife.

Suspecting the worst of Lady Audley and being afraid for little Georgey's life, Robert travels to Lieutenant Maldon's house and demands possession of the boy. Once Robert has Georgey under his control, he places the boy in a school run by Mr. Marchmont. Afterwards, Robert visits George's father, Mr. Harcourt Talboys, and confronts the Squire with his son's death. Harcourt listens dispassionately to the story. In the course of his visit to the Talboys' manor, Robert is entranced by George's sister Clara, who looks startlingly like George. Clara's passion for finding her brother spurs Robert on.

Confession scene from a serialised magazine version

In February 1859, Robert continues searching for evidence. He receives a notice that his uncle is ill, and he quickly returns to Audley Court. While there, Robert speaks with Mr. Dawson and receives a brief description of all that is known about Lucy's background. He hears that Lucy was employed by Mrs. Vincent at her school since 1852. To verify this claim, Robert tracks down Mrs. Vincent, who is in hiding because of debts. According to Miss Tonks, a teacher at Mrs. Vincent's school, Lucy actually arrived at the school in August 1854 and was secretive about her past. Miss Tonks gives Robert a travel box that used to belong to Lucy. Upon examining stickers on the box, Robert discovers both the name Lucy Graham and the name Helen Talboys.

Robert realizes that Helen Talboys faked her death before creating her new identity. When Robert confronts Lucy, she tells him that he has no proof. He leaves to find more evidence, heading to Castle Inn, which is run by Luke Marks. During the night, Lucy forces Luke's wife, Phoebe, to let her into the inn, then Lucy sets the place afire to kill Robert. However, Robert survives and returns to Audley Court and again confronts Lucy. This time, she says she is insane and confesses her life's story to Robert and Sir Michael, claiming that George abandoned her originally and she had no choice but to abandon her old life and child to find another, wealthier husband.

Sir Michael is unhappy and leaves with Alicia to travel through Europe. Robert invites a Dr. Mosgrave to make a more astute judgment regarding Lucy's sanity, and he proclaims that she is indeed victim to latent insanity, which overpowers her in times of stress and makes her very dangerous to any and all. Lucy, under the name of Madame Taylor, enters a mental institution located somewhere in Belgium along the route between Brussels and Paris. While being committed, Lucy confesses to Robert that she killed George by pushing him down a deserted well in the garden of Audley Court.

Robert grieves for his friend George until a dying Luke Marks contacts him. Before succumbing to injuries he suffered in the fire, Luke tells Robert that George survived Lady Audley's attempted murder. Luke then helped George escape, with George intending to return to Australia. Robert is overjoyed, and he asks Clara to marry him and go with him to Australia to find George. Clara accepts, but before they set out, George returns and reveals that he actually visited New York instead. The narrative ends with the death of Lucy abroad, and Clara and Robert happily married and living in a country cottage with George and his son. Robert's formerly infatuated cousin Alicia marries her once-spurned suitor, Sir Harry Towers, and Audley Court is left abandoned along with all of its unhappy memories.

Analysis and themes

Lady Audley's Secret plays on Victorian anxieties about the domestic sphere. The home was supposed to be a refuge from the dangers of the outside world, but in the novel, the seemingly perfect domestic lady turns out to be a violent criminal who has not only tried to commit murder but who has also committed bigamy and abandoned her child. This unsettled Victorian readers because it indicated that the concepts of "the perfect lady/mother" and "domestic bliss" were more idealistic than realistic. In addition, anxieties about the increasing urbanization of Britain abound; the city gives Lady Audley the power to change her identity because it renders its citizens effectively anonymous. The small town of Audley is no longer a refuge where everyone knows the life story of every neighbor; the residents of Audley must accept Lucy Graham's account of herself since they have no other information about her past. Other anxieties about unstable identity appear throughout the novel: Lady Audley's maid, Phoebe, resembles Lady Audley, thus banishing the idea of physical distinction between the upper and lower classes and therefore of any inherent superiority of the former.

Lady Audley's Secret is, furthermore, a story about gender and class, and Lady Audley's objectionable upward mobility suggests a threat to the paradigm of social class. Madness is also a key issue. Lady Audley and others often converse about the meaning of this word, but many readers believe that Lady Audley is not mad. In fact, many critics view Lady Audley's deception as a feminist act in which a woman takes control of the direction of her own life.

The novel mirrors many of the same themes from the real-life Constance Kent case of June 1860. The first instalment of Lady Audley's Secret came out almost exactly one year after the Kent murder. The novel, like the real-life case, featured a stepmother and former governess, a mysterious and brutal murder in a country manor house, a body thrown down a well, and characters fascinated by madness. Constance Kent can be seen in many of the female characters in the novel: the murderess Lady Audley, the tomboyish Alicia Audley, the restrained Phoebe Marks and the lonely Clara Talboys. Jack Whicher, the detective and case investigator, can be seen in the character of Robert Audley.

Adaptations

Films
  • Lady Audley's Secret, 1912 (USA, black and white, silent)
  • Lady Audley's Secret (aka Secrets of Society), 1915 (USA, black and white, silent, directed by Marshall Farnum)
  • Lady Audley's Secret, 1920 (UK, black and white, silent, directed by Jack Denton)
  • Lady Audley's Secret, 1949 (UK, TV, black and white)
  • Lady Audleys Geheimnis [de], 1978 (West Germany, TV, directed by Wilhelm Semmelroth)
  • Lady Audley's Secret, 2000 (UK, TV, directed by Betsan Morris Evans) – (In the USA part of the Mystery! series.)
Radio
  • Lady Audley's Secret, 2009 (UK, BBC Radio 4)
Stage

In popular culture

Lady Audley's Secret is involved in a subplot of Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown, the fourth book in the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace. Betsy has read it and other books in the same genre, and aspires to write similar works.

In the Agatha Christie short story Greenshaw's Folly Miss Greenshaw hides her will in a copy of Lady Audley's Secret remarking it was a "best seller in its day".

References

  1. ^ John Sutherland. "Lady Audley's Secret" in The Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction, 1989.
  2. ^ Sutherland, John (1989). "Braddon". The Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. ISBN 9780804718424.
  3. Showalter, Elaine (1977). Literature of Their Own: British Women Novelists from Brontė to Lessing. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 163. ISBN 978-0691063188.
  4. ^ Summerscale, Kate (2008). The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Or the murder at Road Hill House. London, England: Bloomsbury. pp. 217–18. ISBN 978-0-7475-8215-1.
  5. "History of Ingatestone, Essex". Archived from the original on 15 November 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  6. Carabine, Keith (1997). Lady Audley's Secret: Introduction. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Wordsworth Classes.
  7. Moqari, Shaqayeq (2015). "Representation of Mad Woman in Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon" (PDF). World Scientific News (22): 40–54.
  8. G. C. Boase, Megan A. Stephan, "Hazlewood, Colin Henry (1823–1875)", rev. Megan A. Stephan, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, (accessed 3 December 2011)
  9. Festival Theatre programmes of 25 January and 3 February 1930
  10. Introduction to the Dover Edition by Norman Donaldson: Lady Audley's Secret (1974)
  11. Barnes, Clive (4 October 1972). The Stage: 'Lady Audley'; Victorian Musical Is at Eastside Playhouse, The New York Times. Retrieved 1 December 2010 (debuted at Eastdale Playhouse in New York City on 3 October 1972)
  12. "Lady Audley's Secret". 16 September 2015.

Further reading

  • Beller, Anne-Marie (2012). Mary Elizabeth Braddon: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3667-5.
  • Cvetkovich, Ann (1992). Mixed Feelings: Feminism, Mass Culture and Victorian Sensationalism. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0813518572.
  • Diamond, Michael (2003). Victorian Sensation. London: Anthem. pp. 197–208. ISBN 1-84331-150-X.
  • King, Andrew (2002). "Sympathy as Subversion? Reading Lady Audley's Secret in the Kitchen". Journal of Victorian Culture. 7 (1): 60–85. doi:10.3366/jvc.2002.7.1.60.
  • Nemesvari, Richard (1995). "Robert Audley's secret: male homosocial desire in Lady Audley's Secret". Studies in the Novel. XXVII (4): 515–528. JSTOR 29533089.
  • Tilley, Elizabeth (1995). "Gender and role-playing in Lady Audley's Secret". In Valeria Tinkler-Villani & Peter Davidson, with Jane Stevenson (ed.). Exhibited by Candlelight: Sources and Developments in the Gothic Tradition. Amsterdam: Rodopi. pp. 197–204. ISBN 9789051838329.
  • Tomaiuolo, Saverio (2010). In Lady Audley's Shadow: Mary Elizabeth Braddon and Victorian Literary Genres. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-4115-4.
  • Wolff, Robert Lee (1979). Nineteenth-Century Fiction: a Bibliographical Catalogue. New York: Garland.
  • Woolston, Jennifer M. (2008). "Lady Audley as the cunning 'other': an economic, sexual, and criminal attack on the Victorian patriarchal mindset". English Association of Pennsylvania State Universities (EAPSU) Online. 5.

External links

Novels by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Categories: