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The Bars of Iron
"The Bars of Iron" by means of Ethel M. Dell is a compelling story that weaves together elements of romance, drama, and human resilience. Ethel M. Dell, recognized for her skill in crafting emotionally charged narratives, gives you a tale that explores the complexities of affection and the iconic strength of the human spirit. The narrative unfolds around the character of Juliet Ferrars, a female whose life takes a dramatic flip when her father's financial downfall leads her to simply accept a function as a governess. As she navigates the demanding situations of her new role, Juliet encounters the enigmatic and brooding Martin Lorimer, a man pressured with the aid of his beyond and the metaphorical 'bars of iron' that constrain his heart. The novel takes readers on a journey through the intricacies of human relationships, societal expectancies, and the transformative electricity of love. Ethel M. Dell's storytelling is marked through a keen understanding of human feelings, and he or she explores issues of redemption, sacrifice, and the indomitable nature of the human will. Set towards a backdrop of early twentieth-century England, "The Bars of Iron" is a poignant exploration of the barriers that people assemble round their hearts and the profound effect of breaking loose from those self-imposed constraints.
420 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1916
About the author
Ethel M. Dell
164 books15 followersEthel M. Dell (2 August 1881 – 19 September 1939) was a British writer of over 30 popular romance novels and several short stories from 1911 to 1939.
Ethel May Dell was born on 2 August 1881 in Streatham, a suburb of London, England. Her father was a clerk in the City of London and she had an older sister and brother. Her family was middle class and lived a comfortable life. Ethel Dell was a very shy, quiet girl and was content to be dominated by her family. She began to write stories while very young and many of them were published in popular magazines. Beneath her shy exterior, she had a passionate heart and most of her stories were stories of passion and love set in India and other old British colonial possessions. They were considered to be very racy and her cousins would pull out pencils to try and count up the number of times she used the words: passion, tremble, pant and thrill. Pictures of her are very rare and she was never interviewed by the press.
Ethel Dell worked on a novel for several years, but it was rejected by eight publishers. Finally the publisher T. Fisher Unwin bought the book for their First Novel Library, a series which introduced a writer's first book. This book, entitled The Way of an Eagle, was published in 1911 and by 1915 it had gone through thirty printings.
Her debut novel is very characteristic of Ethel M. Dell's novels. There is a very feminine woman, an alpha male, a setting in India, passion galore liberally mixed with some surprisingly shocking violence and religious sentiments sprinkled throughout.
While readers adored Ethel M. Dell's novels, critics hated them with a passion; but she did not care what the critics thought. She considered herself a good storyteller – nothing more and nothing less. Ethel M. Dell continued to write novels for a number of years. She made quite a lot of money, from £20,000 to £30,000 a year, but remained quiet and almost pathologically shy.
In 1922, Ethel Dell married a soldier, Lieutenant-Colonel Gerald Tahourdin Savage, when she was forty years old, and the marriage was happy. Colonel Savage resigned his commission on his marriage and Ethel Dell became the support of the family. Her husband devoted himself to her and fiercely guarded her privacy. For her part she went on writing, eventually producing about thirty novels and several volumes of short stories. Ethel's married name is recorded as Ethel Mary Savage.
Ethel M. Dell died of cancer on 19 September 1939, at 58.
(from Wikipedia)
Ethel May Dell was born on 2 August 1881 in Streatham, a suburb of London, England. Her father was a clerk in the City of London and she had an older sister and brother. Her family was middle class and lived a comfortable life. Ethel Dell was a very shy, quiet girl and was content to be dominated by her family. She began to write stories while very young and many of them were published in popular magazines. Beneath her shy exterior, she had a passionate heart and most of her stories were stories of passion and love set in India and other old British colonial possessions. They were considered to be very racy and her cousins would pull out pencils to try and count up the number of times she used the words: passion, tremble, pant and thrill. Pictures of her are very rare and she was never interviewed by the press.
Ethel Dell worked on a novel for several years, but it was rejected by eight publishers. Finally the publisher T. Fisher Unwin bought the book for their First Novel Library, a series which introduced a writer's first book. This book, entitled The Way of an Eagle, was published in 1911 and by 1915 it had gone through thirty printings.
Her debut novel is very characteristic of Ethel M. Dell's novels. There is a very feminine woman, an alpha male, a setting in India, passion galore liberally mixed with some surprisingly shocking violence and religious sentiments sprinkled throughout.
While readers adored Ethel M. Dell's novels, critics hated them with a passion; but she did not care what the critics thought. She considered herself a good storyteller – nothing more and nothing less. Ethel M. Dell continued to write novels for a number of years. She made quite a lot of money, from £20,000 to £30,000 a year, but remained quiet and almost pathologically shy.
In 1922, Ethel Dell married a soldier, Lieutenant-Colonel Gerald Tahourdin Savage, when she was forty years old, and the marriage was happy. Colonel Savage resigned his commission on his marriage and Ethel Dell became the support of the family. Her husband devoted himself to her and fiercely guarded her privacy. For her part she went on writing, eventually producing about thirty novels and several volumes of short stories. Ethel's married name is recorded as Ethel Mary Savage.
Ethel M. Dell died of cancer on 19 September 1939, at 58.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 15, 2016
Interesting old prose. Very purple, but fun to read. It's almost like reading another language.
March 28, 2022
Trigger warning for animal abuse.
The book follows the trials and tribulations of Avery Denys. She's a woman who has already dealt with heartbreak in her life and looks like she's headed for more. It is all due to the extreme violence all around her. First is her employer, Reverend Stephen Lorier. He's a narcissistic control freak who hides behind his religion. (I'm doing the Lord's work beating my children!) Up at the big house is Sir Beverley Evesham. He was the only family member left alive to raise his grandson and he did it with a liberal use of a whip. He's the kind of abuser who blames his victim. (Why did you make me hurt you?) So it is no surprise Piers Evesham turns out to be the mentally unstable man that he is. He doesn't know how to solve his problems any other way but with his fists. It's all he's been taught. All these men need some therapy and jail time.
Despite my constant yelling of warnings to her, Avery dares to fall in love with Piers. By the time she realizes the truth it's too late. (Don't look up as GoodReads has a major spoiler in its blurb. What's wrong with you, GoodReads?!) Yes, it's a soap opera but as I've said before, everyone needs a little soap in their reading life.
The book follows the trials and tribulations of Avery Denys. She's a woman who has already dealt with heartbreak in her life and looks like she's headed for more. It is all due to the extreme violence all around her. First is her employer, Reverend Stephen Lorier. He's a narcissistic control freak who hides behind his religion. (I'm doing the Lord's work beating my children!) Up at the big house is Sir Beverley Evesham. He was the only family member left alive to raise his grandson and he did it with a liberal use of a whip. He's the kind of abuser who blames his victim. (Why did you make me hurt you?) So it is no surprise Piers Evesham turns out to be the mentally unstable man that he is. He doesn't know how to solve his problems any other way but with his fists. It's all he's been taught. All these men need some therapy and jail time.
Despite my constant yelling of warnings to her, Avery dares to fall in love with Piers. By the time she realizes the truth it's too late. (Don't look up as GoodReads has a major spoiler in its blurb. What's wrong with you, GoodReads?!) Yes, it's a soap opera but as I've said before, everyone needs a little soap in their reading life.
April 28, 2023
This author just isn’t for me, even though she manages to deliver on happy endings (somehow???). When the hero beats his own dog, the dog that was defending himself when he was attacked by another dog, I was like “peace I’m out ✌🏻” This isn’t for me. I did skim the rest of it because I’m trying to read all the Cartlands, but it was miserable and I wasn’t missing anything.
December 31, 2023
Fantastic Fiction allege this book was co-written by Barbara Cartland - well she would have been a very young age and there is no other source stating this so Fantastic Fiction is wrong, as they often are.
The story was pretty average.
The story was pretty average.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews