The Black Robe
Mystery Novel, Sensation novel | |
Publisher | All the Year Round |
---|---|
Publication date | 1881 |
Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
Preceded by | Jezebel's Daughter (1880) |
Followed by | Heart and Science (1883) |
The Black Robe is an 1881 partially-epistolary novel by famed English writer, Wilkie Collins. The book, which relates the misadventures of one "Lewis Romayne", is noted for its anti-Catholic lens.
Plot summary
As the story begins, Romayne and his friend, Major Hynd, are in
Romayne returns to his
Romayne, who is still haunted by the duel, sends Major Hynd to enquire about the family of the man he killed in hopes of assisting them monetarily. Additionally, he confides in Penrose who becomes a true friend to Romayne, despite his presumed ulterior motives.
Father Benwell employs various tactics to undermine Romayne's marriage to Stella, finally culminating in the revelation of Stella's prior bigamous marriage to Bernard Winterfield. Winterfield had fallen in love with Stella and married her while erroneously believing that his wife from a previous marriage was dead.
Eventually, Romayne is promoted to an ecclesiastical post in Paris. However, knowing that he is dying, Romayne finally decides to see Stella and his son. Father Benwell brings Romayne's lawyer to his deathbed, trying to confirm the validity of the will in an attempt to ensure the church inherits Vange. But as he dies, Romayne acknowledges he loves his wife and child, and has the will destroyed. This causes Vange—and the entire inheritance—to pass to his family, foiling Benwell's plans.[1]
Structure
The structure of the book took on a different form than Collins' more well-known novels such as The Moonstone and The Woman in White. The latter novels used a form in which the
Critical reception
Writing for The Spectator, E. A. Collins, who was herself a minor novelist, gave the novel a generally unfavorable review. However oddly enough, she recommended the novel for its "readability." The same reviewer complained of an "unnaturalness" present in the book, and a lack of development of significant characters.[3]
Accusations of anti-Catholic bias
In writing the book, Collins has been accused of perpetuating an anti-Catholic bias common in the late 19th century.
External links
- Works by Wilkie Collins including the Black Robe - in plain text and HTML at Project Gutenberg
- The Black Robe public domain audiobook at LibriVox
- The Black Robe (3 volumes). Chatto and Windus (1881)
- Vol.1 at the Internet Archive
- Vol.2 at the Internet Archive
- Vol.3 at the Internet Archive
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0-7509-0654-8.
- ISBN 0-19-284034-7.
- ISBN 0-415-13464-1.
- ISBN 978-1-84631-070-6.
- ISBN 0-8386-3444-3.