The Meaning of Night
Encyclopedia
The Meaning of Night is the debut novel
by author Michael Cox
. Cox's book is a 600-page crime thriller novel set in Victorian England. It was one of four books picked for the shortlist for the Costa Book Awards
prize for the debut novel
of 2006, losing out to Stef Penney
's The Tenderness of Wolves, which went on to win the overall award for best novel of 2006.
streets and the enchanting country manor house Evenwood where Daunt spent his formative years, a place with which Glyver finds he has a special connection. The Glass of Time, the follow-up novel to The Meaning of Night, further examines the consequences of Edward Glyver's crime, in a setting twenty years after The Meaning of Night.
caused a stir in the publishing world for winning the largest ever British auction for a debut novel
; Cox was reportedly paid an advance of £500,000. The deal was followed closely by industry magazines like The Bookseller
.
The novel received primarily favourable reviews, albeit with notable exceptions, for example one review in The Daily Telegraph
, which dismissed the book as "substandard, ersatz hokum."
, but he is dismissed from Eton College
after being framed for theft by his former friend, Phoebus Daunt.
Phoebus Rainsford Daunt the son of Dr. Achilles Brabazon Daunt and his first wife, Elizabeth. Although Dr. Daunt is an avid scholar, Phoebus is heavily influenced by his stepmother and becomes insinuating and proud. Phoebus becomes a replacement son for Lord Tansor, and eventually his heir. Phoebus lives expensively in London and apparently makes his living as a poet of popular historical epics, but is also involved in forgery and bank fraud.
Emily Grace Carteret the daughter of Paul Carteret and the first cousin, once-removed, of Lord Tansor. Emily spent several years in France, where she became good friends with Marie-Madeleine Buisson. During the main action of the book, Emily is nearly 30 years old and unmarried because she is secretly engaged to Phoebus Daunt, of whom her father does not approve.
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
by author Michael Cox
Michael Cox (novelist)
Michael Andrew Cox was an English biographer, novelist and musician.- Biography :Michael Cox was born on 30 August 1948 in Northamptonshire, England, where his two novels are largely set. He was the only child of a machinery manufacturer. Cox graduated from St. Catharine's College, Cambridge in...
. Cox's book is a 600-page crime thriller novel set in Victorian England. It was one of four books picked for the shortlist for the Costa Book Awards
Costa Book Awards
The Costa Book Awards are a series of literary awards given to books by authors based in Great Britain and Ireland. They were known as the Whitbread Book Awards until 2005, after which Costa Coffee, a subsidiary of Whitbread, took over sponsorship....
prize for the debut novel
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
of 2006, losing out to Stef Penney
Stef Penney
Stef Penney is a film-maker and writer.She grew up in the Scottish capital and turned to film-making after a degree in Philosophy and Theology from Bristol University. She made three short films before studying Film and TV at Bournemouth College of Art, and on graduation was selected for the...
's The Tenderness of Wolves, which went on to win the overall award for best novel of 2006.
Plot summary
Beginning on a cold October night in 1854 in a dark passageway, the book's narrator tracks an innocent man whom he does not know and stabs him to death. The protagonist/narrator, Edward Glyver, then takes the reader back, recounting as a confession his tale of deceit, love, and revenge. Glyver reveals the torment he has suffered at the hands of his rival, the poet-criminal Phoebus Rainsford Daunt, and why in pursuit of revenge Glyver (now masquerading as Edward Glapthorn), a book lover and scholar, has turned to murder. The story moves between the foggy LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
streets and the enchanting country manor house Evenwood where Daunt spent his formative years, a place with which Glyver finds he has a special connection. The Glass of Time, the follow-up novel to The Meaning of Night, further examines the consequences of Edward Glyver's crime, in a setting twenty years after The Meaning of Night.
Publication and Reception
The book's purchase by London publisher John MurrayJohn Murray (publisher)
John Murray is an English publisher, renowned for the authors it has published in its history, including Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lord Byron, Charles Lyell, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Herman Melville, and Charles Darwin...
caused a stir in the publishing world for winning the largest ever British auction for a debut novel
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
; Cox was reportedly paid an advance of £500,000. The deal was followed closely by industry magazines like The Bookseller
The Bookseller
The Bookseller is a British magazine reporting news on the publishing industry. Neill Denny is editor-in-chief of the weekly print edition of the magazine, while Philip Jones is deputy editor, having recently been promoted from the position of managing editor of the Bookseller.com...
.
The novel received primarily favourable reviews, albeit with notable exceptions, for example one review in The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, which dismissed the book as "substandard, ersatz hokum."
Principal Characters
Edward Charles Glyver (aka Edward Glapthorn, Edward Duport, Ernest Geddington) the principal character. Son of Julius Verney Duport, 25th Baron Tansor and his first wife, Laura Duport née Fairmile, but raised by Simona Glyver. Lord Tansor never learns of his son's existence. Edward is a precocious student, especially interested in literature and the new science of photographyPhotography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, but he is dismissed from Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
after being framed for theft by his former friend, Phoebus Daunt.
Phoebus Rainsford Daunt the son of Dr. Achilles Brabazon Daunt and his first wife, Elizabeth. Although Dr. Daunt is an avid scholar, Phoebus is heavily influenced by his stepmother and becomes insinuating and proud. Phoebus becomes a replacement son for Lord Tansor, and eventually his heir. Phoebus lives expensively in London and apparently makes his living as a poet of popular historical epics, but is also involved in forgery and bank fraud.
Emily Grace Carteret the daughter of Paul Carteret and the first cousin, once-removed, of Lord Tansor. Emily spent several years in France, where she became good friends with Marie-Madeleine Buisson. During the main action of the book, Emily is nearly 30 years old and unmarried because she is secretly engaged to Phoebus Daunt, of whom her father does not approve.
Themes and Motifs
- FateDestinyDestiny or fate refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual...
(which Edward calls "The Iron Master") - BibliographyBibliographyBibliography , as a practice, is the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology...
- IdentityIdentity (social science)Identity is a term used to describe a person's conception and expression of their individuality or group affiliations . The term is used more specifically in psychology and sociology, and is given a great deal of attention in social psychology...
- OpiumOpiumOpium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
and prostitutionProstitutionProstitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
in Victorian London - The legal profession in Victorian London
Film
On 10 February 2011 Wayne/Lauren Film Company announced it had bought an option on the film rights to The Meaning of Night. As of 26 March 2011, Wayne/Lauren is currently prepping the picture for a 2013 theatrical release. Kristina Lauren Anderson and Jerad Anderson are producing the project.Bibliographic information
- Cox, Michael, 1948-2009 The Meaning of Night : A Confession / Michael Cox. 1st ed. New York : W.W. Norton, 2006. ISBN 0-393-06203-1 (U.S. edition)