Wednesday 9 October 2013

Read in 2013 - 38: The Mysterious Key

The full title of this novelette by Louisa May Alcott is "The Mysterious Key and What it Opened". It was published in 1867 and sold as a "dime novel". Dime novels were popular fiction in the 1860s, aimed at and made affordable to young working-class people. They were offered at newsstands and in dry-goods stores. The Library of Congress lists "The Mysterious Key" among the "books that shaped America" - you can read more about that here.

Of course, most of you will be familiar with Louisa May Alcott through her well-known "Little Women", but she wrote loads more. 
This novelette tells the story of the Trevlyn family and their dark secret that, when it comes to light, threatens their very existence.

There is romance, love, drama and (obviously) mystery in it, and it is both fast-paced and indulgent at the same time. Some of it (the romance bit) is rather obvious, but at some other aspects of the story I couldn't have guessed had not the author revealed it all at the end.

The language is typical for that time, with long sentences but words easy enough to understand (this was, after all, aimed at an audience with not that much formal education). To give you an example, let me quote one paragraph:
As she spoke to herself she rose, glided noiselessly through the hall, entered a small closet built in the thickness of the wall, and, bending to the keyhole of a narrow door, listened with a half-smile on her lips at the trespass she was committing. A murmur of voices met her ear. Her husband spoke oftenest, and suddenly some word of his dashed the smile from her face as if with a blow. She started, shrank, and shivered, bending lower with set teeth, white cheeks, and panic-stricken heart. Paler and paler grew her lips, wilder and wilder her eyes, fainter and fainter her breath, till, with a long sigh, a vain effort to save herself, she sank prone upon the threshold of the door, as if struck down by death. 
Mine was the free kindle edition and did not look like the original cover pictured here. It was a short read, one that I enjoyed on the train to and from work and one that did not engage my mind while I was not reading it. Recommended for a spot of light old-fashioned entertainment.

More about Louisa May Alcott can be found here

Only two more posts and it will be post # 500 on this blog! I'm afraid it will nothing more exciting than just another book review, but I hope you'll bear with me nonetheless.

16 comments:

  1. Interesting. I have never read Little Women (which is unlikely to surprise anyone) and certainly was not aware of any other of the author's books. Very oddly your review has intrigued me!

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    1. I have not read that many of Alcott's books myself, but the one I most liked has a very simple title: "Work". I can highly recommend it.

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  2. In high school, i explored some of her lesser known writings, but i hadn't seen this one. It's one i will make time for.

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    1. It is short enough, you'll finish it within a few hours. Have you read "Work"? That's my favourite Alcott book.

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  3. Little Women has been on my Favourites list since my early teens. I've read that whole series but I don't think anything else by Louisa Alcott. I think I have a few more downloaded on my Kindle though - and now I have just added this one as well! :)

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    1. You'll probably like this one, Monica, although it is nothing like the "Little Women" series.

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  4. A most descriptive extract from the book! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. You are welcome, Paul. I did try to give an idea of the book's atmosphere without telling too much.

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  5. I'm interested to read this....I wonder if it is like the pot boilers she had Jo writing in LIttle Women and if this was originally published under her own name...I will try to get it on my kindle.........BTW, your mother's beautiful socks arrived yesterday! I already emailed her to tell her how perfect they are!

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    1. Thank you for letting me know about the socks, Kristi!
      Never thought about this story as to having been published under a different name. I am sure you'll find it as a free download at the Kindle shop.

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  6. Well, maybe it was written under her own name, judging by the picture. But then I'm surprised I never heard of it.

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    1. Maybe it is too short; it is not a "full" book's length.

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  7. She was such an interesting woman, too. I read her biography once. I loved "Little Woman" as a child although I didn't enjoy the follow ups so much. I haven't read anything else of hers.

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    1. I really recommend "Work".
      Yes, she did have an interesting mind and lead an interesting life. I haven't read a full biography about her, but a summarized one that I found online.

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  8. I've never read this book by her, only Little Women. You said you prefer pasta di mandorle to cannoli. I like pasta di mandorle in cookies only but not in those marzipan fruits, they're pretty to look at but I don't like to eat them.

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    1. The funny thing is, I don't like Marzipan at all! But I do love the pasta di mandorle cookies.

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