Lost in the Stacks: A Drama in Muslin

And now for something a little different.  I think all my 'lost in the stacks' choices have been twentieth century novels or memoirs, but I've found a new to me Victorian author who has come recommended by a coworker.  Yesterday I was chatting with one of our librarians who used to teach Irish Literature and one thing lead to another (I think she first spotted the Mollie Panter Downes book I'm reading on my desk and we just meandered from there), which resulted in me writing down several authors and titles. 

I'd never heard of George Moore (1852-1933) before, but he was a prolific Irish author, part of the landed gentry.  Apparently he had planned to be a painter and studied in Paris in the 1870s, but ended up as a writer instead.  While in France he was part of a group of artists and writers that included Emile Zola, who influenced Moore's work.  Moore in turn had an influence on James Joyce.  Moore created quite a stir with his early novels, which were written in the realist style.  Circulating libraries, which were hugely popular in England, banned his works due to the questionable morality of his stories.  Of course this makes them all the more interesting and appealing.

Although he's probably best known for his novel (which is still in print in a lovely Oxford University Press edition) Esther Waters, I decided to bring home A Drama in Muslin.  Originally published in 1886 Moore modified the title to simply Muslin in the 1915 edition as he believed it to be "the vulgar one among the titles of my many books".  He also made some other unfortunate revisions in this edition, which is a pity, as it apparently loses some of the punch it packed.  I'm curious to read the introduction and see what the author has to say about the changes he made.

The story is set during the 1880s Land War in Ireland, and is a satiric work concerning the daughters of an upper class landowner and their mama's desire to see them married off well.  There is a pretty daughter and one not so pretty and you'll of course know which daughter gets the attention.  Mrs. Barton tries to arrange an aristocratic marriage for the attractive Olive, while Alice (who is the focus of the story) tries to arrange a life of independence so as to avoid the crushing weight of spinsterhood.  The drama of the marriage mart is set off against the poverty of rural Ireland.

If you're curious about George Moore a number of his works are available for free through Project Gutenberg, though they offer the revised novel Muslin rather than the original A Drama in Muslin.  If you are not already familiar with The Hathi Trust, it is another excellent source of online (though only some books are available full text) literature--alas, not to be loaded onto a portable device.  You can find A Drama in Muslin there!

I've only read two novels set earlier than the twentieth century (and one of those was published in 1899!) this year.  Perhaps I need to make this winter my season of Victorian (or earlier) literature?  Well, we'll see.

Comments

[litlove]

I was intending to read more Victorian lit this year and have only managed 2 novels as well. I really want to read another George Eliot but can't seem to find the right moment to fit her in. I've never heard of George Moore but I do like the sound of the book you've uncovered. I confess I hardly ever read novels set in Ireland. I have no idea why, it's not a conscious choice, but looking back I can barely think of a single one. There's something to remedy in 2012!

[Eva]

Ohhh: I've downloaded Esther Waters for my Nook! Thanks for bringing him to my attention. :) Also, if you haven't read Maria Edgeworth yet, she's a wonderful writer who was of Anglo-Irish stock as well. Belinda (set in England, not Ireland) is such a delight!

[Karen K.]

I hadn't heard of this author but I had to check and there are some of his books available in town, at the public library and at the nearest college library, where I have borrowing privileges! How exciting!

I've hardly read any Irish literature so this is very intriguing. I also want to read Maria Edgeworth who was an Anglo-Irish writer from the Regency and early Victorian period. And good luck with the Victorians! I highly recommend Trollop and Gaskell, and of course Dickens is a favorite as well. I could go on and on about Victorian writers. . . .

[catharina]

New to me too... I think would I be allowed to browse the stacks of your library, chances are I would disappear forever. I like project Gutenberg so thank you for the link to this new source, greatly appreciated!

[FleurFisher]

I have yet to read George Moore, but I have Esther Waters on order from the library. It's been a few weeks, so clearly I am not the only person in Cornwall interested in his writing.

I'm also curous to read the Lake, a shorter, later work brought back into print recently by Myna Classics.

[Danielle]

Litlove--I would like to read more of George Eliot's work as well. I seem to keep starting longer books and then not finishing them--like Bleak House and Wilkie Collins's No Name, both of which I was enjoying but in the end felt overwhelmed. Bleak House was a few years ago, but No Name was last year, so I put that down to my bad reading year. I had never heard of George Moore either, though I do generally like books set in Ireland. It's always a revelation chatting with other readers and finding someone new or browsing the stacks. I would have passed this book by otherwise I'm sure! And I think 2012 is going to be better in a number of ways!
Eva--I plan on downloading it, too. It's too bad they have the revised version of Muslin, but still great that both are freebies! I have Belinda, and am happy to see that others have enjoyed it--one to look forward to!
Karen--I wonder if he was one of those authors who was read much more in the past but has sort of faded away, though he is still taught in Lit classes it seems. I hope you find some of his books easily. I really do love Victorian Lit--I just seem to be stuck in the 20th C this year. I was planning on reading Gaskell's North and South, though there is till time, right? I would love to read more Dickens (have only read two!--and one was A Christmas Carol, which almost doesn't seem to count) and have never tried Trollope--but I bet I would love him!
Catharina--We really do have some hidden gems in our stacks--it makes me shudder to think of libraries that have gotten rid of their paper books in order to go all digital. There are so many wonderful books up there--I wish I saw more patrons browsing like I do! Of course since it is an academic library I guess the set up is different. I also often check PG, and one of the librarians pointed out the Hathi Trust to me a while back and I have found even some early 20th C books there that have been of interest to me!

[Danielle]

Fleur Fisher--Thanks so much for the heads up on Myna Classics--have just taken a peek and it looks like they have reissued some very interesting looking books! I'll be very interested to hear what you have to say about Esther Waters. I plan on downloading the ebook but I don't think I'll get to it anytime soon. Perhaps he'll enjoy a little resurgence if word gets out via the book blogosphere?

[Caroline]

He sounds very intriguing and I did not know him either. The influence on Joyce interests me.
I'll have to have a look at Esther Waters and also at the Myna Classics.

[Rachel]

Thanks for this, Danielle - I've been meaning to read George Moore and you've reminded me to do just that! Esther Waters was chosen as one of the best 'forgotten' books by someone for a Radio 4 feature a while back - it sounded brilliant from their description, but A Drama in Muslin also sounds excellent. I'm going to look out for it when second hand book shopping now!

[Danielle]

Caroline--Moore sounds like he was an interesting person, a little idiosyncratic, too. I'd like to read both of the books, but I won't get to them right away. I plan on looking at Myna Classics more closely, too!
Rachel--How interesting about Radio 4--I really do need to listen to them online as they seem to talk about authors and books that I'd like. My coworker taught Esther Waters for her lit class but was hard pressed to tell me which one she liked more. I'm happy to add him to my list as well!

[Stefanie]

Just sent Esther Waters to my Kindle. Hoping I can find a library copy of Drama in Muslin but it isn't looking so good. do you realize how dangerous your Lost in the Stacks posts are for me? :)

[Danielle]

Stefanie--I am planning on doing the same! Drama in Muslin is also on Project Gutenberg--it might be listed under the revised title of Muslin however--I'd prefer to read the original however--and I think it is scarcer over here. I always have too many library books as you can see...

[Adair]

George Moore was an extremely innovative writer, especially in his novellas and short stories. The stories in Celibate Lives are quite ahead of their time but have been neglected. I do not know of any new editions of them but they are worth seeking out in used bookshops. His memoirs of his Parisian days as a young artist are also wonderful.

[Danielle]

Adair--I know some of his work is on Project Gutenberg (and my library may well have some of the stories as well), so I'll see what I can get my hands on. I like reading short stories and it is often a good way to be introduced to an author's work. He certainly had an interesting and varied life.

[Alice]

The 1886 edition of A Drama In Muslin is available at the Internet archive in PDF, EPUB and .mobi formats (Kindles can read .mobi files): http://www.archive.org/details/dramainmuslinrea00mooruoft

[Danielle]

Alice--Thanks for the heads up on this. I will see if I can load it onto my Nook. I have had trouble with this website and the books not formatting correctly, but maybe this one will work better. I think the Hathi Trust has it but you can only read it online. Too bad Project Gutenberg has the edited version.