Lady Audley's Secret

Written by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Narrated by Beverley Crick

When beautiful young Lucy Graham accepts the hand of Sir Michael Audley, her fortune and her future look secure. But Lady Audley's past is shrouded in mystery, and Sir Michael's nephew Robert has vague forebodings. When Robert's good friend George Talboys suddenly disappears, he is determined to find him, and to unearth the truth. His quest reveals a tangled story of lies and deception, crime and intrigue, whose sensational twists turn the conventional picture of Victorian womanhood on its head. Can Robert's darkest suspicions really be true? A publishing sensation in its day, Lady Audley's Secret is a thrilling novel of deception and villainy in which the golden-haired heroine is not at all what she seems. But it is not just a pot-boiler. Indeed, Mary Elizabeth Braddon's terrific plot touches on many contemporary social concerns, including class, madness, and the separate roles of men and women. Lyn Pykett's introduction illuminates Braddon's fascinating tale of bigamy, murder, impersonation, and blackmail in the context of the nineteenth-century sensation novel and Braddon's immensely successful career. Throughout the book, thorough notes elucidate literary and historical allusions and shed light on the social mores of the day. In addition, the book includes an up-to-date bibliography and a full chronology of Braddon's life and work. Lady Audley's Secret was an immediate bestseller, and readers have enjoyed its thrilling plot ever since its first publication in 1862. This marvelous new edition introduces Braddon's portrait of her scheming heroine to a new generation of readers. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 28, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490693835

Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1835–1915) was an English novelist and actress during the Victorian era. Although raised by a single mother, Braddon was educated at private institutions where she honed her creative skills. As a young woman, she worked as a theater actress to support herself and her family. When interest faded, she shifted to writing and produced her most notable work Lady Audley's Secret. It was one of more than 80 novels Braddon wrote of the course of an expansive career.

Reviews for Lady Audley's Secret

[anniemod · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An old man who had given up all hope for love falls in love and marries a governess who seems to have no history. A young man comes back from Australia, having made his fortune, just to learn that his wife had died just a little time ago. If you cannot see where this story is going, you just had not read enough books (or watched enough movies). Surprisingly enough, that turns out NOT to be the big secret of the novel - and that's part of the charm of the novel. And just when you think that the novel will be all about unmasking the young Lady Audley (or her successful attempt in hiding her secrets), a man disappears, presumed killed - and she seems to be in the center of that mystery as well. As the book progress she manages to get herself into more and more situations which at least hint of her having even worse secrets. The big problem of course is that if anyone accuses of anything, it is her husband who will suffer - so the nephew who decides to try to get to the bottom of the murder, needs to connect every single dot in his story before he can even try to articulate his suspicions. And off he goes - pulling and digging and trying to convince himself that he is really right - except that he is restrained by both the Victorian era norms and the mundane - no Sherlock Holmesesian ability to ignore everything else in this novel. Meanwhile our villain is living the life she always wanted - cherished, getting anything she wants and pretending to be the perfect wife. Braddon's style can appear almost sluggish to a modern reader - but the action never stops. Every incident leads to something new, building the case against the pretty Lucy (who may appear innocent but we can see her true colors early on in some of the actions which noone else in the house sees). And somewhere among all that, even a love story manages to develop. The introduction in the Penguin edition by Jenny Bourne Taylor and Russell Crofts is very useful in getting some of the ideas and the importance of certain facts which you just may know nothing about (and there are also some notes). It also does things properly by warning the reader before the spoilers start so one can choose if they want to read it at the start or come back later (immediately after that warning, the big secret is revealed and pretty much the whole action and all surprises are laid out so if one decide to continue reading the introduction despite the warning, they cannot blame anyone but themselves). I really enjoyed this novel - there were times when I wish Braddon had allowed some of her characters to talk to each other and it got a bit tiresome in some parts to have everyone crying out all the time instead of just talking but those are just quibbles. It may not have the control of the language that Dickens and some of the other Victorians have but it is nevertheless fun to read.

[thorold_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The title of this novel is probably one of the biggest understatements in fiction: the demure, unassuming little Lady Audley has secrets the way other people have hot dinners. Only a few pages into the novel, the reader has already been given enough hints to understand that she's guilty of just about every crime on the Victorian statute books, with the possible exceptions of piracy on the high seas and the sale of ecclesiastical offices. And those only because she hasn't got around to them yet.Miss Braddon takes us through the unmasking of this ringleted supervillain with huge amounts of energy and with her tongue firmly in her cheek. No character is ever allowed to get very far with a moralistic soliloquy or with reflecting darkly on the evils of the world without being interrupted by some thoroughly mundane consideration, like the landlady coming in with the shaving-water or the cabbie asking for his fare. Even when the hero (finally) goes down on his knees to his girl, the reader is distracted from the young man's eloquent proposal by the creaking of joints... Braddon obviously really enjoyed what she did, as well as making money out of it. The writing is anything but "literary": like most of us, Braddon clearly believes that clichés were put into the world to save us time and effort, and she uses them liberally. No-one says anything remotely clever or original, and the descriptions of people and places are routine and instantly forgettable. But, despite that, it's always clear, efficient and eminently readable. Everything works to advance the story in the direction she intends it to go, and we stick with her, eager to find out how it's all going to end. And there are all those dry little comments dropped in along the way to undermine any pretence at moral seriousness. Whatever we may think about the Victorians, Miss Braddon makes it clear that at least one of them wasn't having any of that nonsense...

[edwinbcn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lady Audley's secret was serialized between 1861-2, and then published in novel form. The novel has all the characteristics of a who-dunnit, although I think to most readers the culprit of the story will be evident from early on, as in fact the title reveals. The power of the story is to keep readers excited and interested. In the first place, of course, there is the focal point of interest, to find out what exactly Lucy Graham is hiding, and this turns out to be quite a lot. The concealment is in fact very clever, much too clever for an apparently little lamb she is supposed to be.I first read this novel in a new "Pocket Penguin Classic" edition without an introduction, and later read the introduction by Jenny Bourne Taylor and Russell Croft to the Penguin Classics edition, and must say that introduction was pretty useless, especially its slant on supposed women roles and homosexual undercurrent. That all seems far-fetched to me.The opening paragraphs are kind of striking, with an odd description of the age-old manor, where everything seems a bit broken and out of joint. The novel might well be a warning to the elderly rich, not to be dazed and dazzled by a 'blondie' into a late-age marriage. The metaphor of being blind is persistent, blinded by love, befuddled by appearance, and at a deeper level, deceit.One possible theme seems to be the idea of making a new beginning, which bleakly seems to suggest that such new beginnings should be sought overseas, not at home, as Audley Manor may perhaps be a metaphor for England.Lady Audley's secret is a very entertaining read, that I would surely recommend.

[erinclark_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I started this book I had no idea that it was written in 1862! I was just amazed at the use of language and how flowery and detailed it was. This was a great read with lots of plot twists and high drama. I loved that the author threw in some of the most popular writers of the day into the verbiage, especially Wilkie Collins whose work I love. Highly recommended indeed;)

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic mystery in the vein of Rebecca. The titular secret doesn't remain a mystery for long, but the writing pulls you in and the characters make you invested. In the beginning, Lucy's marriage is announced and a man named George returns from Australia with a new fortune. As their paths cross and everyone's histories are revealed, greed and selfishness cause pain. “The Eastern potentate who declared that women were at the bottom of all mischief, should have gone a little further and seen why it is so. It is because women are never lazy. They don’t know what it is to be quiet. They are Semiramides, and Cleopatras, and Joan of Arcs, Queen Elizabeths, and Catharine the Seconds, and they riot in battle, and murder, and clamour, and desperation. If they can’t agitate the universe and play at ball with hemispheres, they’ll make mountains of warfare and vexation out of domestic molehills; and social storms in household teacups. Forbid them to hold forth upon the freedom of nations and the wrongs of mankind, and they’ll quarrel with Mrs Jones about the shape of a mantle or the character of a small maid-servant. To call them the weaker sex is to utter a hideous mockery. They are the stronger sex, the nosier, the more persevering, the most self-assertive sex.”“He forgot that love, which is a madness, and a scourge, and a fever, and a delusion, and a snare, is also a mystery, and very imperfectly understood by everyone except the individual sufferer who writhes under its tortures.”

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Victorian novelist Mary Elizabeth Braddon is little known today, but in her time she was a prolific writer of sensation novels, a la Wilkie Collins, and this is this is her best known novel. I really enjoyed it and it contains a heady mix of powerful themes, bigamy, changes of identity, treachery, murder, revenge, insanity and domestic abuse. That said, like many Victorian novels, the characters are rather one dimensional and sometimes hard to distinguish, especially the female ones. Atmospherically written, on the strength of this, and some of her short ghost stories I have read in various collections over the years, I would read more novels by Braddon.

[griffin22 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I suppose I was expecting something more Jane-Austen-y from a classic (despite the name) but this was quite sensational and melodramatic. Murder and bigamy (or is it polyandry when it's a woman?) and madness. Interesting.

[treehorse-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite Victorian melodramas.

[browner56 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am by no means an expert, but I have read enough Victorian-era novels (e.g., Bronte, Dickens, Conrad, Conan Doyle), to have a feel for what you can expect from the genre: romantic but realistic portrayals of hard-working people, who persevere to rise above obstacles and, more often than not, prosper in the end. Although that basic recipe changed over the years (as in satirical classics like Thackeray’s Vanity Fair), authors of that time seemed intent on delivering a moral message to their readers. It is interesting then that a provocative sub-genre of Victorian literature called “sensation fiction” enjoyed a brief run of success in the middle of this period. Sensation novels distinguished themselves by focusing on themes expressly designed to shock the audience, such as murder, adultery, blackmail, bigamy, arson, mental illness, theft and forgery, and so on. In some ways, these books were the precursors to the mysteries and thrillers that remain popular today. M. E. Braddon’s Lady’s Audley’s Secret is widely regarded as one of the most prominent examples of this form.That background is useful when evaluating this novel because I found it to be more interesting for its historical context than for anything about its plot. In the story, a common young woman with a mysterious past marries a wealthy and considerably older widower, thus becoming Lady Audley. When the best friend of Robert Audley, who is Lord Audley’s nephew, disappears after meeting Lady Audley, foul play is suspected immediately. Robert Audley then spends the rest of the tale trying to find out what happened to his friend, an endeavor that requires uncovering the secrets of his step-aunt’s past. Although Braddon’s writing is engaging, none of what happens is particularly shocking by modern standards, with but a few predictable twists and turns in the plot. Further, the depth of the story does not justify the book’s length; depending on the version you select, the novel is around 500 pages long, whereas it could easily have been at least 150 pages shorter. Still, reading Lady’s Audley’s Secret was an enjoyable enough experience and I certainly learned something about the fiction of the era in the process.

[amerynth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Both of my book sites recommended I read Mary Elizabeth Braddon's "Lady Audley's Secret" -- and I can totally see why. Victorian mystery literature, billed as being in the vein of Wilkie Collins -- clearly right up my alley. I wasn't disappointed, I enjoyed this book a lot.In this novel, Lucy Graham, is a governess who marries up and improves her circumstances to become Lady Audley. Her nephew by marriage, Robert Audley, visits the area with a new friend, who promptly disappears. Robert is determined to find out what happened to his friend, which brings him digging to determine what secrets is new aunt is hiding.The mystery itself isn't really all that interesting -- there aren't a ton of twists and turns here. But the characters are interesting and it's enjoyable enough to see where desperate circumstances take them. This was a pretty fun read overall.

[etxgardener · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yikes! What a book! Who said the Victorians led prim and proper lives? This romance/thriller has everything: bigamy, attempted murder, arson,theft and madness. What's not to like?The novel opens with the marriage of beautiful Lucy Graham to Sir Michael Audley, a middle-aged, rich widower. Lucy, n orphan, has been a governess for the local doctor, Mr. Dawson prior to her marriage. At the aame time, Sir Michael's nephew, Robert Audley, welcomes his old friend George Talboys back to England, after striking it rich in the gold fields of Ausatralia.George is anxious to get news of his wife, Helen, whom he left with their infant son, Georgy, when their financial situation became desperate, to seek gold in Australia. However, 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. While at Audley Court, the new Lady Audley avoids meeting with George. She makes many excuses to avoid their visit, but he and Robert are shown a portrait of her by Alicia Audley, Robert's cousin, and George appears greatly struck by the portrait. Shortly thereafter, George disappears during a visit to Audley Court. Unwilling to believe that George has simply left suddenly and without notice, Robert begins to look into the circumstances around the strange disappearance.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. He traces her life back to the time when George leaves for Australia And builds a damning case against his uncle's wife. Finally, while interviewing her employers before she became governess, Robert obtains 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.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 the husband of Lucy's former maid. During the night 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 insane and confesses her life's story to Robert and Sir Michael, along with the fact that she killed George by pushing him down a dry well in the garden.Sir Michael embarrassed as well as heartbroken, leaves Audley for Europe while Robert instally Lucy in a French sanitarium where she will be out of the way. And like any good soap opera, George isn't dead after all. He just broke his arm in the fall into the well & was rescued by the proprietor of the Castle Inn, so smiles all around.Published in 1862, this book has never been out of print and I can see why. Even with its somewhat florid 19th Century language (and the fact that the reader will figure out "the secret" almost immediately), this is a page turner & still is a great beach read.

[kaitanya64 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great Victorian "sensation" novel, with a mystery involving a beautiful, evil heroine, an amateur detective, romance, palatial mansion setting etc. It is a shorter and faster read than is typical of Victorian novels (really it's moving out of the Victorian genre in style even if not in time period). I loved it.

[libbromus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I very nearly quit on this about a quarter of the way through. I just didn't care about any of the characters. I'm happy to have stuck it out, though, because it really got quite compelling. After a while, the characters began to be more keenly developed and real. This was an audible "read" for me and I have to say Juliet Stevenson is a master narrator. I look forward to hearing more of her productions. It's not my sort of book, but I liked it after all. I think it could make a riveting movie or mini series with some great character opportunities. I wonder if it's ever been cinemized?

[laurie.schultz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought I had this book all figured out before I even started it. It surprised me from start to finish with twists and turns. The author does a wonderful job of detailing the conflicts and relationships among the characters. I would recommend this to my friends.

[smiler69 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A large rambling mansion surrounded by beautiful gardens, a beautiful young woman brilliantly wedded who hides secrets which she must keep at all costs... this novel has all the ingredients of a Gothic extravaganza. When Sir Michael Audley takes Lucy Graham, a humble governess of great beauty as his wife, everyone in the town of Audley is enchanted by the match. Sir Michael has been a sad widower for so many years, and now has found true love with a woman who manages to delight everyone she meets with her great charm, good graces, and china doll perfect good looks. Sir Michael's nephew, the young Robert Audley is fascinated by Lucy much like everyone else, but when his best friend George Talboys recently arrived from a long stay in Australia goes missing after having visited Audley Court, he begins suspecting that something is afoul and decides to pry into Lucy's mysteriously blank past. A very satisfying adventure, though I must admit the mystery aspect offered me no great surprises as I had put the pieces together from the first few chapters. All the same, the way in which the characters evolve and the story itself is put together offered plenty of satisfaction. Another touch of Gothic thrills worked into the tale is the presence of a portrait of Lady Audley painted by a Pre-Raphaëlite artist that shows a side of Lucy that only the artist seems to have noticed. The portrait plays a crucial role in the story, but the almost surreal appeal of the painting also brought to mind The Picture of Dorian Gray, which may or may not have been influenced by Lady Audley, but which certainly shares a complexity of themes with it's precursor. Heartily recommended.

[thatotter-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Recommended only if you're into Victorian sensation novels. Some lovely descriptions (especially of Audley Court in the first chapter), and the protagonist is amusing in his haplessness. However, overall...OMG, I found this an annoying hot mess.

[26kathryn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. It seemed a bit slow going in places, but the story is worth sticking with. There are lots of twists and turns in the plot, and even though I guessed a few things correctly there were still some other surprises along the way. Lots of atmospheric descriptions and good characterisation. Excellent story and to be honest, a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride!

[veracite · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Engaging read.

[michellech_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've read my fill of mystery/suspense stories and I must say that this was one of the better ones, in my opinion. Although it was published in the mid 1800's, the story line still felt fresh. Lots of build- up and even midway through I was not knowing where we would go next. I don't want to say too much, as to what happens, as "the secret" is the primary focus of the novel.

What I can say is that I was kept guessing throughout. There was one point in the book where I thought something was going to happen and I had to hold my breath and keep turning pages. My guess was wrong, which I was happy to see.

The main characters were diverse and Lady Audley was portrayed perfectly; I would loved to see a photo of her. She is described as being incredibly beautiful, childish and doll-like, Robert Audley who plays the detective reminded me of a young Bruce Willis, laid-back, witty and forever the bachelor.

This was a very enjoyable, quick read and I will be checking out more of Braddon's work. I can imagine that this novel made her hugely popular at the time of it's release.

[bnewcomer-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this rather more than I expected when I first picked it up. The pacing is generally good (with only one or two stumbles), and the mystery(/ies) continue to build throughout the story, even as there seem to be resolutions in sight. Many of the characters are as they seem, but not what they seem... A rollicking good read, with at times curiously good turns of phrase.

[zumbanista · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although a contemporary of both Dickens and Trollope, I found M.E. Braddon’s “sensation novel” an easy read compared to those two authors, whose works I also enjoy.The book is full of vivid descriptions, hidden identities, secrets and conspiracies hinted at. Young Robert Audley is a laconic and highly unlikely detective.With its gothic foreboding, the plot is telegraphed, and possibly, readers may find the novel too slow for our era of fast-paced mysteries.I enjoyed the book, but felt things might have been wound up a little faster towards the end. Recommended for all lovers of Victorian literature.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Upon his return from the gold fields of Australia,, George Talboys runs into his old friend, Robert Audley. Talboys can think of nothing but his reunion with the wife and child he left behind, and he is devastated to learn of his wife's death just days before his arrival. Audley takes his grieving friend under his wing, and he invites Talboys to go with him to visit the family estate. Robert's widowed uncle has recently married a much younger woman, and Robert has yet to meet his new aunt, who seems strangely reluctant to meet him. Then his friend George disappears, and Robert feels compelled to solve the mystery.This book is similar to many of the recently-written historical mysteries I've read, and in some ways it seems fresher. I particularly enjoyed spotting Braddon's references to contemporary culture and events like the U.S. Civil War. I was surprised by the book's religious content. Biblical language and allusions are sprinkled throughout the novel. I liked the way Braddon built suspense as Robert became more and more suspicious of Lady Audley's behavior. I was slightly disappointed by the ending, and I wish that Braddon had resolved things a little differently. Lady Audley's Secret reads a lot like a Wilkie Collins novel, and it's a book that every fan of historical mysteries needs to read at some point.

[meldridge_18 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really enjoyed this book. It is a typical classic, and the "sensational" matter described is tame by our standards, but still enjoyable.

[travis1259 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lady Audley's Secret provided me hours of enjoyment. I only wonder why I haven't read this Victorian novel before. After wading through Wuthering Heights, my choice was not to read another novel of that period right now. That's one of the reasons I was so pleasantly surprised. The novel charms on several dimensions. Mary Braddon uses her powers of description to place you squarely in the middle of Audley Court and the rambling house built and added onto over many generations with its massive and, at times frightening gardens. In addition, she keeps the novel moving with a full gamut of characters from good to bad and in-between. All of this results in a book that's bound to keep you turning pages.Although the mystery of the book is not up to that of Wilkie's best, it still does allow you to ponder exactly what did transpire and how. For anyone a fan of this genre , this book is a must. I still can't believe that I was not lead to read this book years ago. It's a winner by far.

[lahochstetler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a delightful Victorian Gothic novel, full of suspense and intrigue. Braddon's book has all of the elements of a good Victorian suspense tale: a country estate inhabited by the landed gentry, a pining lover, and a Victorian lady who is not what she seems. George Talboys arrives home from Australia to discover his wife has died. Robert Audley, seeing his friend mad with grief, brings George to Audley Court, his uncle's country estate. It is at Audley Court that Talboys mysteriously vanishes. As Robert investigates his friend's disappearance, it becomes clear that the prime suspect is the lady of the court, Robert's new aunt, Lady Audley. Beautiful and child-like, the fact that Lady Audley may be a cold-blooded murderer adds a particularly horrifying twist for a Victorian readership. Anyone who thinks that the Victorians couldn't produce a page-turner should have a look at this book. Braddon effectively creates a dark and suspenseful atmosphere. While she relies on particularly Victorian conventions to do this, such as stressing Lady Audley's hyper-femininity, the result is still sufficiently gripping, even for the modern reader.

[atimco-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lady Audley's Secret, first published in 1862, is a sensationalist Victorian thriller and Mary Elizabeth Braddon's most famous novel. Braddon was a contemporary of Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens, and while Lady Audley's Secret is not quite up to the standard of Collins' best work, it is a respectable addition to the genre of Victorian potboilers. Despite — or perhaps because of — its scandalous content, it was extremely popular when it was published and remains a favorite with many readers today.Robert Audley is a lethargic barrister whose wealthy uncle Sir Michael Audley has recently married a young governess named Lucy Graham. Robert has heard much of the new Lady Audley's beauty and winning ways, and decides to pay his uncle and adult cousin Alicia a visit. He brings his friend George Talboys, who has lately returned from Australia's gold fields only to learn that his wife Helen just died. While they are at Audley Court, George mysteriously disappears. Robert is certain that George was murdered, but why would anyone want to kill the disconsolate widower? Though naturally of an indolent temperament, Robert finds himself spurred into action on behalf of his friend. But as he digs into the past of his new aunt, Robert realizes that there can be no happy ending, even if justice is served.The mystery isn't really what you think... the culprit and the crime are pretty clear from the start, and Braddon takes only the most basic and obligatory precautions to shield the identity of the criminal from the reader as the story unfolds. But there is a twist that I wasn't expecting. I'll just say that the scene in which it is revealed is reminiscent of Collins in a particularly melodramatic mood.Lady Audley is a fairly well-written character, though she lacks the menace of Austen's Lady Susan Vernon. At the end the doctor describes her as having the cunning of madness with the intelligence of sanity, a dangerous combination. I found Braddon's view of women to be somewhat obscure. Several of her female characters in this story are inveterate plotters; some are clever with the luck of impulse and emotion; some are honest and true; some are passionate and compelling. I was struck with Braddon's description of the bitter quarrels between women; at one point Robert muses "how eager these women are to betray one another!" I can see why some critics read a feminist subtext into the story, but it's hard to believe that Braddon herself would condone Lady Audley's actions in the name of women's liberation. And some of the other feminist ideas, that the book is all about caged female sexuality and such, seem a bit eisegetical to me.What is a Victorian novel without its digressions? Braddon is very conscious of hers and adds them in with a flourish. For the most part they were well written in themselves, but somehow didn't mesh seamlessly with the story. They could have been excised from the story with no disruption to the flow of the narrative, and I don't think the same could be said of the digressive flights of similar authors. I'm not advocating their omission, just noting how noticeable they were in the pattern of the story.Lady Audley's Secret is sensational not just for the suspense but also for its inversion of so many Victorian ideals about the angelically beautiful mistress of the home. While I did not love it, I found it fairly enjoyable. I'll probably look for more of Braddon's many novels.

[eleanor_eader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Robert Audley, not the most highly motivated individual, finds himself investigating the disappearance of his friend, George Talboys, who is somehow linked to Robert’s aunt, the charming and beautiful – not to mention recent - Lady Audley. Almost universally adored, particularly by her doting husband, Lady Audley has a past that she is desperate to keep from her interfering step-nephew. Robert is an unusual romantic hero, in that he is not the least inclined to be romantic, or to move himself to great emotion or action; until, that is, he finds the puzzle of his friend’s disappearance taking on a sinister aspect. I enjoyed him, and Braddon’s other characters, enormously; her writing ranges from slightly preachy, to tongue-in-cheek, to deliciously wry - which vacillating makes it hard to rate this as ‘perfect’, but I was duly entertained and intrigued. The majority of the plot is too projected to be regarded a ‘mystery’, although we await enough important details to keep us hanging on; the real point was, I think, the scandal and, although I didn’t expect to be much moved by it, I discovered that I was actually upset on Lord Audley’s behalf, and therefore more involved in it than I expected.**spoiler warning on*** If there’s a flaw for me, it’s more era-induced than anything else; for all the importance attached to this novel regarding its highlighting of female roles at the time, there’s all this ‘poor Georging’ in the wake of his disappearance, ignoring the conduct that drove his wife to act on her shallow, greedy instincts - he abandoned her and their son on the spur of the moment, to seek his fortune overseas, without discussing it with her first, or staying in contact afterwards, and all the emphasis is on how noble he was for coming home to her. Given Braddon’s (hopefully) ironic narrative on the subject of femininity, I would have expected a shot or two over the bow of the good ship misogynist on this point, too… or perhaps it was just too subtle for me. **spoiler warning off***This is certainly one of the more entertaining classic-fiction mysteries I’ve read recently, though. The moral distress incited by the scandal may be subdued by societal evolution, but there’s definitely remnant enough to propel the reader along with Robert Audley. I’ll probably look out for more of her novels and stories, although reviews seem to indicate that this is Braddon’s defining work.

[adonisguilfoyle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There are three ways to read this book: directly, as a Victorian sensation novel; historically, as a contemporary account of the language, society and literary tastes of another era; or as a feminist diatribe about the physical and legal oppression of women in the 1850s. I began in the first camp, yet could definitely appreciate the social injustice of the time Mary Braddon was writing about by the end, and thoroughly enjoyed the story!Lady Audley is not a feminist heroine, or even a worthy villainess/black widow figure - compared to Beatrice Lacey in Philippa Gregory's 'Wideacre', or Du Maurier's Rebecca, she's barely even wicked! She is just selfish and cold-hearted, driven not by passion but by greed, and perpetrating the same wrongs that she accuses others of - and even when she raises herself above the poverty she was born into, she is not content. I didn't feel one whit of sympathy for her, or admire her audacity and cunning - perhaps because she was but poorly drawn as an antagonist. I'm sure Braddon was being bitterly ironic in painting the 'poor little woman' as a 'childlike' caricature of the Victorian 'angel in the house', replete with golden hair, wide blue eyes and a laugh like the 'peal of silvery bells', who blames her misdeeds on a fit of womanly hysteria, but not even the contrast of a sociopathic alter ego was enough to hold my interest in her pretty ways and constant rambling soliloquies. I love 'femmes fatales' and bewitching heroines, but Lady Audley is neither.Robert Audley, however, is a gem! He's a delightful if rather slapdash detective, raised out of his normal torpor as a barrister by name and professional flaneur by the disappearance of his friend, George Talboys. Granted, he does become a little wearisome during his monomaniacal quest for justice, and his habit of confiding in Lady Audley as a device to move the action along can be infuriating, but the matching of wits is engrossing to follow, despite the anticlimax of the outcome (I was hoping for a switch of identities, or an escape from punishment, but no - justice is served, and happy endings all round!) Read as it is, 'Lady Audley's Secret' is an entertaining light read (especially when divested of all introductions and footnotes in the attractive and highly readable Pocket Penguin Classics edition), full of the usual tropes of Victorian novels - gothic settings, melodrama, repressed sensuality, madness and death. Robert Audley is a dashing hero, and his cousin Alicia is an ascerbic yet attractive Marian Halcombe foil for his moody obsessions and nice-but-dim personality. There are some lush descriptions of Audley Court and Robert's bachelor pad in the city (stocked with French novels, canaries and stray dogs - make of that what you will), as well as an atmospheric application of storms, dark nights and fire. The social context of the novel is worth considering - wives were basically the possessions of their husbands, with limited respectable alternatives for living independently - but reading the story and not the subtext is much more fun!

[lauralkeet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When Sir Michael Audley married former governess Lucy Graham, it caused quite a stir in his family. His new wife was closer in age to his adult daughter Alicia, and his nephew Robert was captivated by Lady Audley's beauty. Robert is a London barrister (although he doesn't appear to actually do any work), and one day he runs into an old friend, George Talboys, recently returned from three years in Australia. George is shocked to learn that his wife passed away just a few days before his arrival in England, and turns to Robert for support. Robert takes George to Audley Court, his uncle's estate, in the hopes that spending time in the countryside will lift his spirits. A few days later, George disappears without a trace. Robert embarks upon an investigation that takes him from Essex to Southampton, and then to Yorkshire, as he collects and assembles the puzzle pieces of George's life.This book can be enjoyed on two different levels. First, as a mystery and period piece, it is delightful. There's a huge old mansion with elaborate gardens and secret passageways (modeled, I suspect, on Audley End House in Essex), characters with similar features who can easily be mistaken for one another, and servants who are able to gain the upper hand over the gentry. Braddon employs considerable wit in her writing. She uses a talkative child to show key plot details, just as children often let family secrets slip. She describes even the most ancillary characters and situations with great detail and a touch of humor, such as this description of a landlady living in "dreary" Yorkshire:Mrs. Barkamb, a comfortable matron of about sixty years of age, was sitting in an arm-chair before a bright fire burning in a grate that was resplendent with newly-polished black lead. An elderly terrier, whose black-and-tan coat was thickly sprinkled with grey, reposed in Mrs. Barkamb's lap. Every object in the quiet sitting-room had an elderly aspect; that aspect of simple comfort and precision which is the outward evidence of inward repose."I should like to live here," Robert thought, "and watch the grey sea slowly rolling over the grey sand under the still grey sky. I should like to live here, and tell the beads upon my rosary, and repent and rest."He seated himself in the arm-chair opposite Mrs. Barkamb, at that lady's invitation, and placed his hat upon the ground. The elderly terrier descended from his mistress's lap to bark at and otherwise take objection to this hat. (p. 212)Then, after I finished the book, I read Jennifer Uglow's introduction to my Virago Modern Classics edition, published in 1985. The introduction highlights themes and deeper meanings, including the changing role of women in 1850s society. Uglow wrote, "Beneath the zestful, witty melodrama Lady Audley's Secret is a novel about men's fear of women's power, and about their efforts to destroy that power by denying female sexuality, by caging women in theories of reason and madness, by depriving them of education and careers, by burying them in stifling marriages and choking them with the ideology of the happy home." Armed with this insight, I retraced the events in Lady Audley's Secret and derived even more meaning and enjoyment from this book.

[carmelitasita29 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thoroughly enjoyed this Victorian mystery by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. It has everything one wants in a mystery - murder, secrets, madness, and twists galore. I loved the character of Robert Audley and found him to be quite charming. It was remarkable how much Ms. Braddon harped on the character of women in this novel in contrast to men, but it is a product of the times it was written in. I highly recommend it.