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Дженни Вильерс
"Дженни Вильерс" - увлекательная, изящная повесть о трагедии талантливой актрисы очаровывает читателя лиризмом сюжета и яркими колоритными образами героев. История юной особы, рассказанная ее же призраком, трогает сердце маститого режиссера, уже поверившего в исчезновение Театра. А Театр жив, и его ветхие подмостки всегда к услугам прошлого, настоящего и... будущего.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1947
2 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
J.B. Priestley
473 books295 followersJohn Boynton Priestley was an English writer. He was the son of a schoolmaster, and after schooling he worked for a time in the local wool trade. Following the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, Priestley joined the British Army, and was sent to France - in 1915 taking part in the Battle of Loos. After being wounded in 1917 Priestley returned to England for six months; then, after going back to the Western Front he suffered the consequences of a German gas attack, and, treated at Rouen, he was declared unfit for active service and was transferred to the Entertainers Section of the British Army.
When Priestley left the army he studied at Cambridge University, where he completed a degree in Modern History and Political Science. Subsequently he found work as theatre reviewer with the Daily News, and also contributed to the Spectator, the Challenge and Nineteenth Century. His earliest books included The English Comic Characters (1925), The English Novel (1927), and English Humour (1928). His breakthrough came with the immensely popular novel The Good Companions, published in 1929, and Angel Pavement followed in 1930. He emerged, too, as a successful dramatist with such plays as Dangerous Corner (1932), Time and the Conways (1937), When We Are Married (1938) and An Inspector Calls (1947).
The publication of English Journey in 1934 emphasised Priestley's concern for social problems and the welfare of ordinary people.
During the Second World War Priestley became a popular and influential broadcaster with his famous Postscripts that followed the nine o'clock news BBC Radio on Sunday evenings. Starting on 5th June 1940, Priestley built up such a following that after a few months it was estimated that around 40 per cent of the adult population in Britain was listening to the programme.
Some members of the Conservative Party, including Winston Churchill, expressed concern that Priestley might be expressing left-wing views on the programme, and, to his dismay, Priestley was dropped after his talk on 20th October 1940.
After the war Priestley continued his writing, and his work invariably provoked thought, and his views were always expressed in his blunt Yorkshire style.
His prolific output continued right up to his final years, and to the end he remained the great literary all-rounder. His favourite among his books was for many years the novel Bright Day, though he later said he had come to prefer The Image Men.
It should not be overlooked that Priestley was an outstanding essayist, and many of his short pieces best capture his passions and his great talent and his mastery of the English language. He set a fine example for any would-be author.
When Priestley left the army he studied at Cambridge University, where he completed a degree in Modern History and Political Science. Subsequently he found work as theatre reviewer with the Daily News, and also contributed to the Spectator, the Challenge and Nineteenth Century. His earliest books included The English Comic Characters (1925), The English Novel (1927), and English Humour (1928). His breakthrough came with the immensely popular novel The Good Companions, published in 1929, and Angel Pavement followed in 1930. He emerged, too, as a successful dramatist with such plays as Dangerous Corner (1932), Time and the Conways (1937), When We Are Married (1938) and An Inspector Calls (1947).
The publication of English Journey in 1934 emphasised Priestley's concern for social problems and the welfare of ordinary people.
During the Second World War Priestley became a popular and influential broadcaster with his famous Postscripts that followed the nine o'clock news BBC Radio on Sunday evenings. Starting on 5th June 1940, Priestley built up such a following that after a few months it was estimated that around 40 per cent of the adult population in Britain was listening to the programme.
Some members of the Conservative Party, including Winston Churchill, expressed concern that Priestley might be expressing left-wing views on the programme, and, to his dismay, Priestley was dropped after his talk on 20th October 1940.
After the war Priestley continued his writing, and his work invariably provoked thought, and his views were always expressed in his blunt Yorkshire style.
His prolific output continued right up to his final years, and to the end he remained the great literary all-rounder. His favourite among his books was for many years the novel Bright Day, though he later said he had come to prefer The Image Men.
It should not be overlooked that Priestley was an outstanding essayist, and many of his short pieces best capture his passions and his great talent and his mastery of the English language. He set a fine example for any would-be author.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 12, 2017
Now... I am not sure what to make of this novel, really.
I think the main issue I had with this novel was that I went into this novel not nowing anything about the plot and reading the first few pages I was expecting something TOTALLY different, and that route would have interested me a lot more personally: the forever-long debate on whether theatre is dying or not and whether theatre should be used for entertainment or making people face the issues in today's society.
In the end, I learnt to care for the more spiritual elements of the book and learnt to accept that Jenny Villiers's ghost exists and represents everlasting love for theatre... probably the latter thing was it what made me not question the whole magical element. It annoyed me, though, that Cheveril had to go through a vision to make up his mind... this is one of my least favourite tropes ever. I would have liked his change of mind more if it stemmed from a real-life experience.
I have a penchant for melodrama, especially in a romance context, but it was too much for me when it come to Jenny and Julian's relationship. I also found Jenny's timeline to be rushed and their relationship just not executed and realized enough.
I do love the fact that there was great research behind the historic theatre part. With that being said, people not educated on theatre (Shakespeare's work, 19th century practices in English theatre) are not going to get the full experience.
I think the main issue I had with this novel was that I went into this novel not nowing anything about the plot and reading the first few pages I was expecting something TOTALLY different, and that route would have interested me a lot more personally: the forever-long debate on whether theatre is dying or not and whether theatre should be used for entertainment or making people face the issues in today's society.
In the end, I learnt to care for the more spiritual elements of the book and learnt to accept that Jenny Villiers's ghost exists and represents everlasting love for theatre... probably the latter thing was it what made me not question the whole magical element. It annoyed me, though, that Cheveril had to go through a vision to make up his mind... this is one of my least favourite tropes ever. I would have liked his change of mind more if it stemmed from a real-life experience.
I have a penchant for melodrama, especially in a romance context, but it was too much for me when it come to Jenny and Julian's relationship. I also found Jenny's timeline to be rushed and their relationship just not executed and realized enough.
I do love the fact that there was great research behind the historic theatre part. With that being said, people not educated on theatre (Shakespeare's work, 19th century practices in English theatre) are not going to get the full experience.
December 21, 2011
Priestley's 1933 comic novella "Albert goes through" seems like something of a dry run for this wonderful book. Like the earlier book this concerns an accidental overdose that causes visions, however Jenny Villiers is a far better and much deeper work. A playwright has grown bitter and disillusioned his new play is being tried out in a small country theatre. The local doctor prescribes him a drug which he accidentally overdoses on and he sees a vision of a tragedy that happened in that very theatre a hundred years previously. This changes his view of life. All Priestley's love for the theatre is here, the book is short, but just the right length. Priestley picked this out as one of his favourites of his own work, it's not hard to see why.
January 7, 2025
A supernatural mystery about a play-write who, becoming fascinated with an actress who lived one hundred years before, travels back in time to discover the circumstances of her death.
This book turned out to be far more touching, poignant and sentimental than I anticipated and I loved every second of it!
The time travel is beautifully executed here. Priestley perfectly captures that feeling of missing a time you never lived in, or missing something that was never yours. It’s that uncanny dreamlike atmosphere of wandering through an old building that feels familiar even though you’ve never been there before.
He makes you feel like time is nothing at all, that every moment in history is still happening, even as we move further away from it.
I love Priestley’s writing style. It’s clear and unpretentious, poetic and intelligent. His characters are so well written, we experience the story from inside their minds, thinking and feeling as they do.
Although the mystery is interesting, it is merely a backdrop for a character study. It’s a story for those with delicate hearts. For those whose lives are a tragedy and those who examine the tragedies of the past in hopes of preventing tragedies in the future.
This book turned out to be far more touching, poignant and sentimental than I anticipated and I loved every second of it!
The time travel is beautifully executed here. Priestley perfectly captures that feeling of missing a time you never lived in, or missing something that was never yours. It’s that uncanny dreamlike atmosphere of wandering through an old building that feels familiar even though you’ve never been there before.
He makes you feel like time is nothing at all, that every moment in history is still happening, even as we move further away from it.
I love Priestley’s writing style. It’s clear and unpretentious, poetic and intelligent. His characters are so well written, we experience the story from inside their minds, thinking and feeling as they do.
Although the mystery is interesting, it is merely a backdrop for a character study. It’s a story for those with delicate hearts. For those whose lives are a tragedy and those who examine the tragedies of the past in hopes of preventing tragedies in the future.
February 12, 2026
ერთი შეხედვით ბანალური ისტორიაა, თუმცა აქ მთავარი გმირი არც დეპრესიაში ჩავარდნილი დრამატურგია და არც წარსულიდან დაბრუნებული მსახიობის სული. ცენტრალური ფიგურა თეატრია, რომელიც ხანშიშესულთათვის მუდამ კვდება, მაგრამ ხელახლა ცოცხლდება მათთვის, ვინც ძველებს ცვლის. ეს მისი სისუსტე კი არა, ძალაა. ის ცოცხლობს - ნამდვილად ცოცხლობს და არა უბრალოდ არსებობს. კაცობრიობასავითაა - კვდომა და განახლება მისი ხვედრია.
P.S. თბილისშიც გვაქვს ორი თეატრი, რომელმაც მრავალი თაობა (როგორც შემოქმედებითი ჯგუფების, ისე მაყურებლების სახით) გამოიცვალა. საინტერესოა, როდესაც ფარდა იხურება, მაყურებლები ტოვებენ დარბაზს და ირგვლივ წყვდიანი ისადგურებს, აქაც გამოდიან წარსულის აჩრდილები? ))
P.S. თბილისშიც გვაქვს ორი თეატრი, რომელმაც მრავალი თაობა (როგორც შემოქმედებითი ჯგუფების, ისე მაყურებლების სახით) გამოიცვალა. საინტერესოა, როდესაც ფარდა იხურება, მაყურებლები ტოვებენ დარბაზს და ირგვლივ წყვდიანი ისადგურებს, აქაც გამოდიან წარსულის აჩრდილები? ))
January 8, 2021
Дещо магічна оповідь, що перебуває на межі дійсності й уяви, справжнього і потойбічного. Мені дуже сподобалось. Одразу після захотілось повернутись до інших творів, де театр грає важливу роль в оповіді.
March 3, 2021
A different kind of ghost story, well written and a pleasure to read, as with all of Priestley's books. His consistently hopeful outlook makes his books great reading during this dreary pandemic.
November 27, 2016
Така собі "різдвяна історія Скруджа" - тільки без Різдва. Магію Різдва заміняє магія Театру. Більш лірична ніж історія Діккенса, більш романтична і... більш трагічна. Але для мене все ж є не розкритою така швидка переміна у головному персонажі.
March 3, 2013
a very weak book...
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews