Greifenstein. Vol. I.

by F. Marion Crawford

British Library, Historical Print EditionsThe British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It is one of the world's largest research libraries holding over 150 million items in all known languages and books, journals, newspapers, sound recordings, patents, maps, stamps, prints and much more. Its collections include around 14 million books, along with substantial additional collections of manuscripts and historical items dating back as far as 300 BC.The GENERAL HISTORICAL collection includes books from the British Library digitised by Microsoft. This varied collection includes material that gives readers a 19th century view of the world. Topics include health, education, economics, agriculture, environment, technology, culture, politics, labour and industry, mining, penal policy, and social order. ++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition ++++ British Library Crawford, Francis; 1889. 3 vol.; 8 . 012638.l.12.

Genres: Gothic

324 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1889

About the author

Francis Marion Crawford (1854-1909) was an American writer noted for his many novels. He was born at Bagni di Lucca, Italy. In 1879 he went to India, where he studied Sanskrit and edited the Allahabad Indian Herald. Returning to America he continued to study Sanskrit at Harvard University for a year, contributed to various periodicals, and in 1882 produced his first novel, Mr Isaacs. This book had an immediate success, and its author's promise was confirmed by the publication of Doctor Claudius: A True Story (1883). After a brief residence in New York and Boston, in 1883 he returned to Italy, where he made his permanent home. He also published the historical works, Ave Roma Immortalis (1898), Rulers of the South (1900) renamed Sicily, Calabria and Malta in 1904, and Gleanings from Venetian History (1905). The Saracinesca series is perhaps known to be his best work, with the third in the series, Don Orsino, set against the background of a real estate bubble, told with effective concision. A fourth book in the series, Corleone, was the first major treatment of the Mafia in literature.

Reviews

[Bettielee]

I read a LOT of Victorian literature…. And this is ridiculous even for that. There is virtually no plot, just a set of circumstances some characters and some scenery. Set in Germany, Greif von Greifenstein (I mean come on….forshadow much?) is the most upright German son of the upright German baron there can ever be. The most Baron Baron that ever was. His father has this half-brother who isn’t so German or Baron-aic, who did something terrible during the war. The King is going to give out pardons, so this shame of the family returns in the hopes of being cleared. With him, come terrible secrets. So after 160 pages, the inciting incident happens. Horror/shame, and for the sake of honor Greif thinks he should throw aside his love of the beautiful Hilda, his poor cousin, and go into the army. And poor Greif doesn’t even know the half of it! Through a series of letters, coincidence, more German honor, and 150 more pages, even more truth and handwringing occur.

The frustration of the romantic novel lies chiefly in its wishy washyness. I mean beyond the melodrama and the circumstance and the coincidence and the incident that often occurs off-page that sweeps away every problem the hero/heroine faced, no – what really bothers me is they have to engage in much debate – not between two characters, though that does happen and goes on forever when it does. No, most of it happens in the mind of ONE character who can’t. Make. Up. Their. Mind. They have to look at everything from every point of view… for pages and pages and pages. This thing could have been a short story. Instead it was over 392 ploddingly overwritten and angst filled pages.

[Dorcas]

Two half brothers are separated for over twenty years as one dishonors himself and the family by traitorous actions in the military and is exiled/imprisoned.

Meanwhile the "good" brother marries a silly woman and has an heir to the Greifenstein estate, named Greif.

Further in the black forest lies Sigmundskron, the run down castle estate of Hilda. Her mother sells off whatever land can be sold, closes unused rooms and basically starves so that her daughter can be fed and no one might learn of their diminished means and honor be lost on her beloved, loyal, slain husband.

As the years go by an understanding develops between Hilda and Grief and they plan to marry when they become of age. Grief goes off to college where he is admired by all, and where he meets an odd stranger named Rex, twenty years his senior who seems to be otherworldly wise and whom be becomes fast friends with.

When Grief is called away home for a family emergency, Rex goes with him and together they watch as a panorama of tragedy, mystery and triumph unfolds and all their lives are changed in an instant

For fans of Ouida, this reads in a similar style