Elster's Folly (eBook)

Ellen Wood (nee Price), known to her readers as Mrs. Henry Wood, was a prominent English novelist during the Victorian era. Born on January 17, 1814, in Worcester, England, she developed a strong affinity for literature from a young age. Best recognized for her sensational novel 'East Lynne', which remains a quintessential example of Victorian melodrama, Mrs. Wood authored numerous other novels that enjoyed widespread popularity. Among these, 'Elster's Folly' stands out as a notable work, providing insight into her narrative acumen and themes that often revolved around domestic life, social class, and morality. Mrs. Wood's literary style is characterized by its narrative-driven plots, complex characters, and underlying commentary on societal norms of her time. Her works were published serially in magazines as well as in book form, making her stories accessible to a broad readership, which was quite taken with her intricate storytelling and keen observations of human nature. Mrs. Henry Wood passed away on February 10, 1887, but her substantial contribution to English literature, encapsulated in over 30 novels, continues to be studied and appreciated for its reflection of Victorian society and influence on the development of the sensation novel genre.