The Maid of Sker
Author | R. D. Blackmore |
---|---|
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Publication date | 1872 |
The Maid of Sker is a three-volume novel that was written by
Title and writing
The novel's title comes from a Welsh ballad known as The Maid of Sker (
Plot
The Maid of Sker is set at the end of the 18th century; the story is told by Davy Llewellyn, an elderly fisherman, and is about a two-year-old girl who in a calm before a storm, drifts in a boat onto a beach in
Davy joins the crew of a ketch that trades between Porthcawl and Barnstaple, Devon. Whilst in Devon, he encounters several characters who hold the key to solving the mystery of Bardie's origins. These include Sir Philip Bampfylde, who spends most of his time looking for his two grandchildren who have mysteriously disappeared; Parson Chowne, a wicked, demonic and crafty parson who defies the law for many years in the north of Devon; and Captain Drake Bamfylde, who is under suspicion of having abducted his elder brother Philip's children and heirs to the family property.[5] Davy gradually unravels the mystery and sets matters right, although many distractions, including an extended period at sea in which Blackmore gives a graphic account of the Battle of the Nile, delay him.[5]
Publication
The Maid of Sker was serialized in Blackwood's Magazine from August 1871 to July 1872. It was then published as a three-volume novel in 1872.[6]
Reception
The Maid of Sker received fairly good reviews. The
Blackmore regarded The Maid of Sker as his best novel, both as an expression of his own personality and in workmanship.[6]
References
- ^ "The Maid of Sker": English version, Welsh version
- ^ a b Max Keith Sutton (1979), R. D. Blackmore, page 64. Twayne Publishers
- ^ a b c John Davies, (2009), Lyrics and Limericks, page 105. Pneuma Springs
- ^ a b c d The Maid of Sker, The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art, 24 August 1872, page 256
- ^ a b c The Maid of Sker, The Spectator, 28 September 1872, page 21
- ^ a b "Blackmore, Richard Doddridge" entry in Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement
External links
- The Maid of Sker at Project Gutenberg
- The Maid of Sker, at Project Gutenberg Australia
- The Maid of Sker public domain audiobook at LibriVox