Mistress of Mellyn

Mistress of Mellyn was the first Gothic romance novel written by Eleanor Hibbert under the pen name Victoria Holt.[1][2]

Misstress of Mellyn
First edition (US)
AuthorVictoria Holt
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
GenreRomantic suspense, Gothic novel
PublisherLondon: Collins
New York: Doubleday
Publication date
1960
Media typePrint
Pages334
ISBN0449239241
OCLC24948857
823/.914
LC ClassPR6015 .I3M57 1960
Followed byKirkland Revels (1962) 

Plot

A young woman, Martha Leigh, is hired as a governess by Connan TreMellyn, a widower, for his daughter, Alvean. Martha travels to Cornwall and becomes fascinated by her employer and his dead wife. While struggling with her increasingly romantic feeling towards Connan TreMellyn, Martha also tries to solve the mystery of his wife's death in the haunted mansion while trying to avoid death herself.[3]

Characters
  • Martha Leigh: the 24-year-old governess to Alvean TreMellyn
  • Connan TreMellyn: widower and landowner in Cornwall
  • Alice TreMellyn: Connan TreMellyn's dead wife
  • Alvean TreMellyn: Connan TreMellyn's daughter
  • Celestine Nansellock: Connan TreMellyn's friend
  • Peter Nansellock: Connan TreMellyn's friend, Celestine's brother
  • Geoffry Nansellock: Connan TreMellyn's dead friend, Celestine and Peter's brother
  • Miss Jansen: former governess to Alvean TreMellyn
  • Lady Linda Treslyn: Connan TreMellyn's lover
  • Sir Thomas Treslyn: Linda's husband
  • Joe Tapperty: servant
  • Mrs. Tapperty: servant, Joe's wife
  • Daisy: servant, Joe and Mrs. Tapperty's daughter
  • Kitty: servant, Joe and Mrs. Tapperty's daughter
  • Mrs. Polgrey: housekeeper at Mount Mellyn
  • Tom Polgrey: servant, Mrs. Polgrey's husband
  • Jennifer Polgrey: Tom and Mrs. Polgrey's dead daughter
  • Gilly/Gillyflower: Jennifer's shy daughter
  • Billy Trehay: servant
  • Aunt Adelaide: Martha's aunt
  • Phillida Leigh: Martha's sister

Themes

Gothic

Set in 19th century England, Mistress of Mellyn weaves together elements from earlier Gothic novels such as Jane Eyre (1847), The Woman in White (1859), and Rebecca (1938) - a young, impressionable girl meets a mysterious widower in a mansion filled with the memories of his first wife who has suffered a tragic death.[3]

Romantic suspense

The romance between the young governess and her handsome employer is hampered by the mystery surrounding the tragic death of his first wife. Looking to solve the mystery, the young woman starts poking around the gloomy corners of the spooky mansion set on the wild Cornish cliffs.[4]

Publication

1960 edition

The novel was published by Doubleday in the United States and Collins in the United Kingdom.[4]

Later Editions

The novel was serialized in the Ladies' Home Journal, chosen as a Reader's Digest condensed book and issued in a treasury volume that included other Gothic authors such as Daphne du Maurier, Phyllis A. Whitney, Evelyn Anthony, Madeleine Brent and Jessica Nelson North.[5]

Several reprints were issued over the years. It was issued in ebook format by St. Martin's Griffin, New York in 2009 and St. Martin's Press, New York in 2013.

Location

The novel's setting in Cornwall made the resemblance to Rebecca so remarkable that it was speculated that Victoria Holt was a pseudonym for Daphne du Maurier. After six Victoria Holt novels were published over eight years, it was revealed that Hibbert was the author.[6]

Reception

Most early reviews were positive. A critic found "the dramatic tale compounded of mystery and romance, and full of surprises for even the most wary reader."[7] Another critic said it was "a novel to delight the most romantic reader."[4] Mistress of Mellyn became an instant international bestseller and revived the Gothic romantic suspense genre.[8][9][10] The book earned Hibbert £100,000.[2]

Adaptations

In 1961, Mildred C. Kuner adapted the novel into a play in three acts.[11] Paramount purchased the film rights to the novel, but never produced a film.[2][4]

The novel was adapted into the 1965 Taiwanese film The Bride Who Has Returned from Hell.

References
  1. Adrian Room (1 July 2010). Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins, 5th ed. McFarland. ISBN 9780786457632. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  2. L. V. Kepert (24 February 1974). "'Little old lady' whose books sell millions". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  3. "Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt — Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists". GoodReads.com. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  4. M.C. (1 November 1960). "Book Review: Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt". The Lewiston Daily Sun. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  5. Mary Ellen Snodgrass (1 January 2009). Encyclopedia of Gothic Literature: Holt, Victoria (1906 - 1993). Infobase Publishing. ISBN 9781438109114. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  6. Marion Harris (1981). "Hail Victoria! Long May She Reign". Romantic Times. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  7. Joan Hopkins, Nashua Public Library (18 November 1960). "New Books at Nashua Library". The Telegraph, Nashua. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  8. "Eleanor Hibbert, Novelist Known As Victoria Holt and Jean Plaidy". The New York Times. 21 January 1993. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  9. Elizabeth Walter (20 January 1993). "Obituary: Jean Plaidy". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  10. Carolyn Cash (2007). "Eleanor Hibbert 1906-1993". Writers Voice June–July 2007 [Official Bulletin of the Fellowship of Australian Writers NSW Inc]. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  11. Mildred C. Kuner (1961). Mistress of Mellyn. The Dramatic Publishing Company.
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