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The Two Emilys
Although Sophia Lee is best known for her historical romance about the fictive daughters of Mary, Queen of Scots, The Recess (1783-85), her The Two Emilys (1798) is a fast-paced novel of vengeance and triumph that equally showcases her talents.
In The Two Emilys, masquerade, an earthquake, bigamy, insanity, blackmail, and duels serve the demonic Emily Fitzallen in her drive for revenge on her counterpart and the novel's heroine. Emily Arden, and the man over whom they do battle, the Marquis of Lenox. Will the good Emily or the evil one prevail? Featuring a wild, improbable plot and action that ranges from Ireland and Scotland to Switzerland and Italy, The Two Emilys remains an unpredictable and thrilling Gothic tale.
First published as part of Canterbury Tales, Sophia Lee's collaboration with her sister Harriet, The Two Emilys has been out of print for more than 150 years. It returns to print in a scholarly edition, introduced and annotated by Julie Shaffer, and featuring a wealth of additional materials, including contemporary reviews of the novel, excerpts from related eighteenth century works, a detailed bibliography, and more.
In The Two Emilys, masquerade, an earthquake, bigamy, insanity, blackmail, and duels serve the demonic Emily Fitzallen in her drive for revenge on her counterpart and the novel's heroine. Emily Arden, and the man over whom they do battle, the Marquis of Lenox. Will the good Emily or the evil one prevail? Featuring a wild, improbable plot and action that ranges from Ireland and Scotland to Switzerland and Italy, The Two Emilys remains an unpredictable and thrilling Gothic tale.
First published as part of Canterbury Tales, Sophia Lee's collaboration with her sister Harriet, The Two Emilys has been out of print for more than 150 years. It returns to print in a scholarly edition, introduced and annotated by Julie Shaffer, and featuring a wealth of additional materials, including contemporary reviews of the novel, excerpts from related eighteenth century works, a detailed bibliography, and more.
328 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1798
2 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Sophia Lee
133 books7 followersShe was the daughter of John Lee (died 1781), actor and theatrical manager, and was born in London. Her first piece, The Chapter of Accidents, a three-act opera based on Denis Diderot's Le père de famille, was produced by George Colman the Elder at the Haymarket Theatre on 5 August 1780 and was an immediate success.
When her father died in 1781, Lee spent the proceeds of the opera on establishing a school at Bath, where she made a home for her sisters Anne and Harriet. Her novel The Recess, or a Tale of other Times (1783) was a historical romance; and the play Almeyda, Queen of Grenada (1796) was a long tragedy in blank verse, which opened at Drury Lane on 20 April 1796 but ran for only four nights. The Recess can also be regarded as a formative work of the original Gothic, echoing and pre-dating themes from other contemporary Gothic writers.
With her sister Harriet Lee she wrote a series of Canterbury Tales (1797). Other works included The Life of a Lover (1804) and Ormond; or the Debauchee (1810). She died at her house near Clifton, Bristol on 13 March 1824.
When her father died in 1781, Lee spent the proceeds of the opera on establishing a school at Bath, where she made a home for her sisters Anne and Harriet. Her novel The Recess, or a Tale of other Times (1783) was a historical romance; and the play Almeyda, Queen of Grenada (1796) was a long tragedy in blank verse, which opened at Drury Lane on 20 April 1796 but ran for only four nights. The Recess can also be regarded as a formative work of the original Gothic, echoing and pre-dating themes from other contemporary Gothic writers.
With her sister Harriet Lee she wrote a series of Canterbury Tales (1797). Other works included The Life of a Lover (1804) and Ormond; or the Debauchee (1810). She died at her house near Clifton, Bristol on 13 March 1824.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 24, 2011
I must confess that, while I love the idea of early gothic novels, and while I have collected some intriguing titles, they are something I very rarely pick up to read.
I love the idea, but I need a little push to make me read. The Gothic Literature Classics Circuit Tour was just the push I needed.
I pulled out a lovely Valancourt Books edition of The Two Emilys by Sophia Lee.
A novel that was a huge success in 1798. An author described as ‘the mother of the gothic novel’ by Ann Radcliffe. And yet a book that was out of print for nearly two centuries.
Of course I was curious.
The story begins with Sir Edward Arden. A proud man, but a man with a good heart who would always do his duty. And so, when he was called to do his duty at the battle of Culloden, he set out to make provision for this two children: a son and a daughter.
It was with great reluctance that he took them to court, and left them in the care of his sister, Lady Lettingham. He knew that his sister would do her best for the children, but he also knew that she had been corrupted by the dubious values of the court.
Sure enough his children grew up to be beautiful, charming, and dissolute.
But both made good marriages, and to the son was born a daughter and to the daughter was born a son.
And so two of the three principals – the beautiful and virtuous Emily Arden, and the handsome and dashing Edward of Lennox – were on the stage.
All four parents hoped that the two would make a match, but of course it wasn’t going to be that simple.
Not in a gothic novel! Not after a mere ten pages! The story had moved swiftly and it wasn’t going to stop for anything!
Emily Arden was an heiress, expected to inherit a fortune from her grandmother. But her grandmother had a ward, Emily Fitzallen, and she was plotting to capture both the fortune and the marquis.
The third principal was on the stage!
From now on I shall refer to Good Emily and Evil Emily. That is how their creator portrays them, Emily Arden fair and simpering and Emily Fitzallen dark and glowering, and it does make things rather easier to follow.
When her grandmother dies Good Emily inherits her fortune and Evil Emily swears that she will have her revenge. And her Marquis.
All manner of events unfold.
The action moves from Ireland, to Scotland, to France, to Italy …
Almost everything you might think of happening in a gothic novel does happen.
Secret marriage! Bigamy! Dark castles! Imprisonment! Duels! Blackmail! Death!
It’s ridiculously improbable and desperately exciting!
But it was also hard work.
The pace was break-neck, and there was so little characterisation, so few descriptions, nothing but plot, plot, plot.
And the less that subtle moral overtones left little doubt as to how things would work out in the end,
The prose style was lovely, the drama was fantastic, but I felt the same way I did when somebody tells me an involved story about friends of theirs that I really don’t know.
I wanted to understand. I wanted to become involved. I couldn’t.
But I can understand The Two Emilys success, and I can see that it may well have influenced later writers.
And it makes me appreciate the way a latter generation of writers took the gothic novel forward all the more.
I love the idea, but I need a little push to make me read. The Gothic Literature Classics Circuit Tour was just the push I needed.
I pulled out a lovely Valancourt Books edition of The Two Emilys by Sophia Lee.
A novel that was a huge success in 1798. An author described as ‘the mother of the gothic novel’ by Ann Radcliffe. And yet a book that was out of print for nearly two centuries.
Of course I was curious.
The story begins with Sir Edward Arden. A proud man, but a man with a good heart who would always do his duty. And so, when he was called to do his duty at the battle of Culloden, he set out to make provision for this two children: a son and a daughter.
It was with great reluctance that he took them to court, and left them in the care of his sister, Lady Lettingham. He knew that his sister would do her best for the children, but he also knew that she had been corrupted by the dubious values of the court.
Sure enough his children grew up to be beautiful, charming, and dissolute.
But both made good marriages, and to the son was born a daughter and to the daughter was born a son.
And so two of the three principals – the beautiful and virtuous Emily Arden, and the handsome and dashing Edward of Lennox – were on the stage.
All four parents hoped that the two would make a match, but of course it wasn’t going to be that simple.
Not in a gothic novel! Not after a mere ten pages! The story had moved swiftly and it wasn’t going to stop for anything!
Emily Arden was an heiress, expected to inherit a fortune from her grandmother. But her grandmother had a ward, Emily Fitzallen, and she was plotting to capture both the fortune and the marquis.
The third principal was on the stage!
From now on I shall refer to Good Emily and Evil Emily. That is how their creator portrays them, Emily Arden fair and simpering and Emily Fitzallen dark and glowering, and it does make things rather easier to follow.
When her grandmother dies Good Emily inherits her fortune and Evil Emily swears that she will have her revenge. And her Marquis.
All manner of events unfold.
The action moves from Ireland, to Scotland, to France, to Italy …
Almost everything you might think of happening in a gothic novel does happen.
Secret marriage! Bigamy! Dark castles! Imprisonment! Duels! Blackmail! Death!
It’s ridiculously improbable and desperately exciting!
But it was also hard work.
The pace was break-neck, and there was so little characterisation, so few descriptions, nothing but plot, plot, plot.
And the less that subtle moral overtones left little doubt as to how things would work out in the end,
The prose style was lovely, the drama was fantastic, but I felt the same way I did when somebody tells me an involved story about friends of theirs that I really don’t know.
I wanted to understand. I wanted to become involved. I couldn’t.
But I can understand The Two Emilys success, and I can see that it may well have influenced later writers.
And it makes me appreciate the way a latter generation of writers took the gothic novel forward all the more.
December 12, 2018
I'm glad I finally got around to finishing this one, because once I was able to keep all the characters straight I really enjoyed following their zany adventures. (Even though the title is false advertising; there are substantially more than two Emilys in this story.)
August 24, 2024
Had to read it for university.
Can‘t recommend it.
Of course it didn’t help that I already knew everything at that I had to read it. It really read for the most part like a report where someone through some poetic elements in it, so very boring writing style. Story yeah isn’t that bad. All in all fine, but I am glad that I am done.
Can‘t recommend it.
Of course it didn’t help that I already knew everything at that I had to read it. It really read for the most part like a report where someone through some poetic elements in it, so very boring writing style. Story yeah isn’t that bad. All in all fine, but I am glad that I am done.
January 5, 2020
This book is amazing! Full of the craziest plot twists ever. I enjoyed Lee's "The Recess," but it did not fully prepare me for how much I enjoyed this smorgasbord of over-wrought sensibility and secret identities.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews