Uncle Silas

Description

One of the most significant and intriguing Gothic novels of the Victorian period and is enjoyed today as a modern psychological thriller. In UNCLE SILAS (1864) Le Fanu brought up to date Mrs Radcliffe's earlier tales of virtue imprisoned and menacedby unscrupulous schemers. The narrator, Maud Ruthyn, is a 17 year old orphan left in the care of her fearful uncle, Silas. Together with his boorish son and a sinister French governess, Silas plots to kill Maud and claim her fortune. The novel established Le Fanu as a master of horror fiction.

First Sentence

It was winter - that is, about the second week in November - and great gusts were rattling at the windows, and wailing and thundering among our tall trees and ivied chimneys - a very dark night, and a very cheerful fire blazing, a pleasant mixture of good round coal and spluttering dry wood, in a genuine old fireplace, in a sombre old room.

First Sentence

It was winter-that is, about the second week in November-and great gusts were rattling at the windows, and wailing and thundering among our tall trees and ivied chimneys-a very dark night, and a very cheerful fire blazing, a pleasant mixture of good round coal and spluttering dry wood, in a genuine old fireplace, in a sombre old room.

Subjects

Other Editions

• Uncle SilaspaperbackCreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform2016-01-30
• Uncle SilasHardcoverLightyear Pr1992-06-01
• Uncle Silas (Oxford World's Classics)Oxford University Press, USA2000-05-15
• Uncle SilasHardcoverBorgo Press2002-11-01
• Uncle Silas (A Tale of Bartram-Haugh)HardcoverIndyPublish2007-10-12
• Uncle SilaseBookThe Floating Press2009-01-01