At the height of her fame—outselling Dickens, Conan Doyle and H.G. Wells combined—Marie Corelli crafted these mesmerizing tales that blend forbidden passion with gothic suspense. From ghostly brides seeking vengeance to artists consumed by obsession, each story pulses with the dark romanticism that made Corelli Victorian Britain's most beloved storyteller.
Step into the gaslit world of Victorian Britain's most beloved storyteller with this haunting collection that masterfully blends forbidden passion and gothic suspense in mesmerizing tales that capture the Victorian imagination at its most decadent and dramatic. From ghostly brides seeking vengeance to artists driven mad by obsession, each story pulses with the dark romanticism that made Corelli the defining voice of her era.
These pages whisper of dying mothers making supernatural bargains, courtesans watching their beauty fade like withering roses, and spectral visitations that reveal the hidden torment of the human heart. Corelli's lush, atmospheric prose transports readers to ballrooms thick with intrigue, lonely country estates shrouded in mystery, and Parisian theaters where love and madness perform their eternal duet.
Her heroines—passionate, complex, and often tragic—embody the struggle between society's rigid expectations and the wild yearnings of the soul.
This collection offers the ideal introduction to Corelli's world, where every love story carries the shadow of the grave, and every happy ending comes tinged with melancholy. Perfect for devotees of Victorian gothic romance, these stories stand beside the Brontës windswept intensity, Le Fanu's tales of the supernatural, and the dark romanticism of Dracula and Jane Eyre.
Discover why millions of Victorian readers cherished these tales—and why modern audiences continue to fall under their spell.