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The open question, a tale of two temperaments, by Elizabeth Robins (C. E. Raimond) ... 1899 [Leather Bound]
Leather Binding on Spine and Corners with Golden Leaf Printing on round Spine (extra customization on request like complete leather, Golden Screen printing in Front, Color Leather, Colored book etc.) Reprinted in 2018 with the help of original edition published long back [1899]. This book is printed in black & white, sewing binding for longer life, Printed on high quality Paper, re-sized as per Current standards, professionally processed without changing its contents. As these are old books, we processed each page manually and make them readable but in some cases some pages which are blur or missing or black spots. If it is multi volume set, then it is only single volume, if you wish to order a specific or all the volumes you may contact us. We expect that you will understand our compulsion in these books. We found this book important for the readers who want to know more about our old treasure so we brought it back to the shelves. Hope you will like it and give your comments and suggestions. - English, Pages 536. EXTRA 10 DAYS APART FROM THE NORMAL SHIPPING PERIOD WILL BE REQUIRED FOR LEATHER BOUND BOOKS. COMPLETE LEATHER WILL COST YOU EXTRA US$ 25 APART FROM THE LEATHER BOUND BOOKS. {FOLIO EDITION IS ALSO AVAILABLE.} Complete The open question, a tale of two temperaments, by Elizabeth Robins (C. E. Raimond) ... 1899 Robins, Elizabeth, -.
536 pages, Leather Bound
First published January 1, 1898
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About the author
Elizabeth Robins
87 books4 followersElizabeth Robins (August 6, 1862 – May 8, 1952) was an actress, playwright, novelist, and suffragette.
Robins realised her income from acting was not stable enough to carry her. While Robins was busy being a successful actress, she had to leave England to look for her brother in Alaska, who had gone missing. Her experiences searching for her brother led her to write her novels, Magnetic North (written in 1904) and Come and Find Me (1908). Before this, she had written novels such as George Mandeville’s Husband (1894), The New Moon (1895), Below the Salt and Other Stories (1896) and several others under the name of C. E. Raimond. She explained her use of a pseudonym as a means of keeping her acting and writing careers separate but gave it up when the media reported that Robins and Raimond were the same. She enjoyed a long career as a fiction and nonfiction writer.
In her biography of Elizabeth Robins, Staging a Life, Angela John says, “It is possible to trace in Elizabeth’s writing from 1890s onwards an emerging feminist critique, clearly, but only partly, influenced by the psychological realism of Ibsen, which would find most confident expression in 1907 in her justly celebrated novel The Convert”. Robins’ main character, Vida, speaks to “male politicians and social acquaintances”, something very different from what the women of Robins’ time did – something very reminiscent of one of Ibsen’s ‘new women.’ Adapted from this novel is, Elizabeth Robins’ most famous play, Votes for Women! The first play to bring the “street politics of women’s suffrage to the stage”, Votes for Women! led to a flourish of suffrage drama. Elizabeth Robins first attended “open-air meetings of the suffrage union” when the Women’s Social and Political Union moved its headquarters from Manchester to London in 1906. It was then that she “abandoned” the current play she was writing and worked to complete the very first suffrage drama. “The more Robins became immersed in the work, the more she became converted to the cause”.
(from Wikipedia)
Robins realised her income from acting was not stable enough to carry her. While Robins was busy being a successful actress, she had to leave England to look for her brother in Alaska, who had gone missing. Her experiences searching for her brother led her to write her novels, Magnetic North (written in 1904) and Come and Find Me (1908). Before this, she had written novels such as George Mandeville’s Husband (1894), The New Moon (1895), Below the Salt and Other Stories (1896) and several others under the name of C. E. Raimond. She explained her use of a pseudonym as a means of keeping her acting and writing careers separate but gave it up when the media reported that Robins and Raimond were the same. She enjoyed a long career as a fiction and nonfiction writer.
In her biography of Elizabeth Robins, Staging a Life, Angela John says, “It is possible to trace in Elizabeth’s writing from 1890s onwards an emerging feminist critique, clearly, but only partly, influenced by the psychological realism of Ibsen, which would find most confident expression in 1907 in her justly celebrated novel The Convert”. Robins’ main character, Vida, speaks to “male politicians and social acquaintances”, something very different from what the women of Robins’ time did – something very reminiscent of one of Ibsen’s ‘new women.’ Adapted from this novel is, Elizabeth Robins’ most famous play, Votes for Women! The first play to bring the “street politics of women’s suffrage to the stage”, Votes for Women! led to a flourish of suffrage drama. Elizabeth Robins first attended “open-air meetings of the suffrage union” when the Women’s Social and Political Union moved its headquarters from Manchester to London in 1906. It was then that she “abandoned” the current play she was writing and worked to complete the very first suffrage drama. “The more Robins became immersed in the work, the more she became converted to the cause”.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 5, 2012
A somewhat obscure book perhaps. Written in 1898 by Elizabeth Robins as a contemporary tale of a dynasty and a house divided by its past and present; north-south, black-white, rich-poor, male-female, passionate-phlegmatic, faith-unbelief. Each brace providing the author with an opportunity to explore the riches of relationships that thrive on conflict. Perhaps this why she subtitles the book 'A tale of two temperaments'. Slow in pace, complex in language, simple in concept, profound in thought, this is a book that is more easily started than finished. Indeed, I nearly gave up about a third of the way in. I'm glad I persevered.
I chose to read it because my grandfather did so during the first world war. Private Walter Jordan, fighting in the trenches of France, came across this book, and having read it, recommended it to his cousin, Hilda. It was the only book he ever mentioned in a copious correspondence of 40 letters written to her over five years of war.
The profound significance of his recommendation is now clear to me. For the core of this great story is the agony and joy of two young cousins, deeply in love with one another, who face the frank opposition of their family. And this was the fate that befell my grandfather. For he too was deeply in love with his cousin, Hilda. And she with him. Wonderfully, they waited patiently until their families finally came to accept the inevitability of their relationship, and they were finally married in 1931, some 20 years after they first fell in love.
So for me a book well worth reading. For others, I cannot be so sure.
UPDATE. I managed to find an 1899 copy of the book on eBay and discovered that the KIndle version (which is the Gutenberg version) astonishingly lacks the last five sentences of the book! Presumably the transcriber felt that the book finished better with the words of Val;
"It will bring us out at the Golden Gate," she said.
I can now reveal the true ending!
'It will bring us out at the Golden Gate,' she said.
Yaffti seemed to draw a long joyous breath; the white sail bellied in the warm wind.
'Good-bye,' Val called back across the water.
'Good-bye, ma'am.'
Sam Cornish filled his pipe. He watched Yaffti drop down the bay, and sail away into the sunset.
THE END
I chose to read it because my grandfather did so during the first world war. Private Walter Jordan, fighting in the trenches of France, came across this book, and having read it, recommended it to his cousin, Hilda. It was the only book he ever mentioned in a copious correspondence of 40 letters written to her over five years of war.
The profound significance of his recommendation is now clear to me. For the core of this great story is the agony and joy of two young cousins, deeply in love with one another, who face the frank opposition of their family. And this was the fate that befell my grandfather. For he too was deeply in love with his cousin, Hilda. And she with him. Wonderfully, they waited patiently until their families finally came to accept the inevitability of their relationship, and they were finally married in 1931, some 20 years after they first fell in love.
So for me a book well worth reading. For others, I cannot be so sure.
UPDATE. I managed to find an 1899 copy of the book on eBay and discovered that the KIndle version (which is the Gutenberg version) astonishingly lacks the last five sentences of the book! Presumably the transcriber felt that the book finished better with the words of Val;
"It will bring us out at the Golden Gate," she said.
I can now reveal the true ending!
'It will bring us out at the Golden Gate,' she said.
Yaffti seemed to draw a long joyous breath; the white sail bellied in the warm wind.
'Good-bye,' Val called back across the water.
'Good-bye, ma'am.'
Sam Cornish filled his pipe. He watched Yaffti drop down the bay, and sail away into the sunset.
THE END
August 26, 2025
This was published (in 1898) under a pen name, perhaps because of the prominent place the topic of suicide takes in the story. This very capable author's husband committed suicide early in their marriage and this fictional account gives evidence of the telling effect this bereavement had on her thinking. Nevertheless this is a delicious and touching romance novel about two first cousins who find love, wealth and marriage - but who are sure that, because of the dangers of consanguinity, it is not appropriate that she should bear their child. Perhaps an early veiled plea for abortion? The open question at the end is whether the ship in which they sailed into the sunset ever found a safe mooring - and beyond that whether the Christian doctrine of the resurrection applies to this unorthodox couple who have found such happiness as to prefer to sleep forever together in the dust over rising to be "as the angels in heaven". There are certainly some well-developed characters here: John,Ethan and Val Gano and their shared and imperious mother/ Grandmother Gano. There is also some excellent discussion by these characters of U.S.Reconstruction difficulties and the economic, religious and political ideologies then current in both Europe and America. This book is no longer in print so I had to read a scanned version on my phone.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews