A Modern Mephistopheles, Louisa May Alcott
A Modern Mephistopheles, Louisa May Alcott
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A Modern Mephistopheles

Author: Louisa May Alcott

Narrator: C. M. Hbert

Unabridged: 5 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/28/2009

Categories: Fiction, Classic


Synopsis

Known for her beloved childrens classics, Louisa May Alcotts true zeal was for writing sensational literature, which she chose to have published anonymously or under a pseudonym. Her favorite of these works was A Modern Mephistopheles.This chilling tale of greed, lust, and deception opens on a midwinter night when Felix Canaris, a despairing writer about to take his own life, is saved by a knock at the door. The mysterious visitor, a Jasper Helwyze, promises Felix fame and fortune in return for his complete devotion. Helwyze then plots to corrupt the overly ambitious Felix by cleverly manipulating the beautiful and innocent Gladys. And when Helwyze decides that he wants Gladys for himself, Felix must defend the adoring young woman from the destructive influence of his diabolical patron.

About Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, on November 29, 1832. She and her three sisters—Anna, Elizabeth, and May—were educated by their father, philosopher/ teacher Bronson Alcott, and raised on the practical Christianity of their mother, Abigail May.

Louisa spent her childhood in Boston and in Concord, Massachusetts, where her days were enlightened by visits to Ralph Waldo Emerson's library, excursions into nature with Henry David Thoreau, and theatricals in the barn at Hillside. Like her character Jo March from Little Women, young Louisa was a tomboy.

For Louisa, writing was an early passion. She had a rich imagination, and often her stories became melodramas that she and her sisters would act out for friends. At age fifteen, troubled by the poverty that plagued her family, she vowed to make something of herself. Confronting a society that offered little opportunity to women seeking employment, Louisa remained determined; whether as a teacher, seamstress, governess, or household servant, for many years Louisa did any work she could find.

Louisa's career as an author began with poetry and short stories that appeared in popular magazines. In 1854, when she was twenty-two, her first book, Flower Fables, was published. Another milestone along her literary path was Hospital Sketches, which was based on the letters she had written home from her post as a nurse in Washington, D.C., during the Civil War.

When Louisa was thirty-five, her publisher asked her to write a book for girls. Thus, she wrote Little Women, which is based on Louisa and her sisters' coming of age and is set in Civil War New England. Jo March was the first American juvenile heroine to act from her own individuality; a living, breathing person rather than the idealized stereotype that was then prevalent in children's fiction.

In all, Louisa published over thirty books and collections of stories. She died on March 6, 1888, only two days after her father.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Alexis Neal on June 20, 2012

Struggling poet/author Felix Canaris is willing to do just about anything to make a name for himself. Also, he's flat broke. So when the wealthy and intimidating Jasper Helwyze comes knocking with a tantalizing offer, Felix doesn't even think twice before trading away his freedom for the fame and co......more

Goodreads review by Veerle on January 31, 2023

Promising, yet not entirely convinced by this story. Love the characters and how they interact, yet it was hard to get through......more

Goodreads review by Hannah on July 23, 2023

Very shocking. For like 100 years ago.......more

Goodreads review by Ali on May 08, 2023

This was Alcott's Dorian Gray. Her academic, "benefactor and young poet" novel. Can't help but think perhaps she was trying to impress Hawthorne. While the plot was fantastic and I greatly enjoyed the foils of Jasper/Olivia and Felix/Gladys, I feel that some of the potential of this novel was covere......more

Goodreads review by June Amelia on December 31, 2023

a profoundly sensual and lush sensation novel from the prolific young girl's writer, who moonlightened as a thriller writer. alcott should be even more commended than she is for how well she pulls this off.......more