Among a group of Bohemian friends trying to make their way as painters, lives Trilby O'Ferral, a beautiful artist's model. Little Billee falls in love with her but is heartbroken when Trilby comes, under the mesmeric spell of Svengali. Svengali trains her voice and takes complete control of her. His power is such that when he dies, her voice collapses with fatal consequences.
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Among a group of Bohemian friends trying to make their way as painters, lives Trilby O'Ferral, a beautiful artist's model. Little Billee falls in love with her but is heartbroken when Trilby comes, under the mesmeric spell of Svengali. Svengali trains her voice and takes complete control of her. His power is such that when he dies, her voice collapses with fatal consequences.
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This novel doesn't read at all like a book written in the 1800's--the character and scene descriptions are as fresh as anything contemporary.
I picked up this book, because it's been mentioned in (surprise, surprise!) rock magazines and rock bios. One of my favorite British bands, the legendary "The Libertines," were fronted by an extraordinarily well-read duo--Carl Barat and Pete Doherty. They are single-handedly responsible for the fashionable return of the "trilby" hat, which is a reference to this 1894 novel.
This book is a brilliant read. Unsurprisingly, it is the inspiration behind the plot of "Phantom of the Opera," Andrew Lloyd Webber's hugely successful musical.
