Ellen Wood, English author, died on this date of complications from bronchitis at the age of 73. Mostly forgotten now it seems, she was a popular novelist in her day. She wrote from 1851 to 1899 and supported her family after her husband's business failure. More biographical information is available at VictorianWeb, MrsHenryWood.co.uk, and the University of Adelaide.
Her novel East Lynne (1861) is her best-known work. It can be read online here and listened to here at Librivox. It was adapted for film in 1931 directed by Frank Lloyd. That film received a nomination for the Best Picture Oscar but lost to Cimarron. Another adaptation in 1982 starring Martin Shaw can be viewed via Youtube:
The Channings was published in 1862 and can be read online here. It was adapted for film in 1920. You can read more of her work here.
As I come across authors like this, popular and well-known in their day but whose names are not generally recognized today, I wonder which of our current crop of best-selling authors will still be read 100 years from now.
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I wonder about your last sentence often. Which authors will vanish from the shelves or digital shelves in the future? Even now I can think of some authors who have vanished during my life, that I read as a teenager or 20 year old and now you don't hear much of them. But maybe their books are still out there? At least in used book stores. Happy weekend. hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteI think of Thomas Costain and the happy hours I spent reading his books. I can't remember the last time I heard someone mention him. Used book stores are wonderful!
DeleteI believe some authors will stand the test of time, but sadly, I have never heard of Ellen Price Wood until today. I appreciate the review and the various links. I think these will be interesting to read, or listen to.
ReplyDeleteThe "greats" endure. Probably some books are so dated they deserve to be forgotten except maybe as being of historical interest.
DeleteThat's unpredictable .. like in fine arts or music..... who knows what destined to become a classic of literature ?!
ReplyDeleteInteresting Author - I admit that I don't know Ellen Price Wood , I think there are no German translations out there. Maybe she is a soulsister of Elizabeth Gaskell ? Her Novels are available in German at least.
Happy weekend!
I've heard of Elizabeth Gaskell as she is connected to Charlotte Bronte, but I've never read anything by her. Sometimes I wonder if the authors who have been forgotten would be better appreciated by modern readers if they were re-discovered.
DeleteThank you for the info on this author.
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of her until I happened across her as I was looking at what had happened on this date. There are so _many_ authors!
DeleteI tried to watch. Maybe because I am still sick, but just couldn't get into it even after almost half an hour. Oh well. Such is life. ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's _slow_, I think.
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