Trilby (novel)
Encyclopedia
Trilby is a novel by George du Maurier
and one of the most popular novels of its time, perhaps the second best selling novel of the Fin de siècle
after Bram Stoker
's Dracula
. Published serially in Harper's Monthly in 1894, it was published in book form in 1895 and sold 200,000 copies in the United States
alone Trilby is set in the 1850s in an idyllic bohemian
Paris
. Though it features the stories of two English artists and a Scottish artist, one of the most memorable characters is Svengali
a Jewish rogue, masterful musician and hypnotist
.
Trilby O'Ferrall, the novel's heroine, is a half-Irish girl working in Paris as an artists' model and laundress; all the men in the novel are in love with her. The relationship between Trilby and Svengali forms only a small portion of the novel, which is mainly an evocation of a milieu
but it is a crucial one.
The novel has been adapted to the stage several times; one of these featured the lead actress wearing a distinctive short-brimmed hat with a sharp snap to the back of the brim. The hat became known as the trilby
and went on to become a popular men's clothing item in the United Kingdom
throughout various parts of the 20th century, before enjoying a revival as a unisex clothing item in the United States
in the 2000s.
: "Svengali would test her ear, as he called it, and strike the C in the middle and then the F just above, and ask which was the highest; and she would declare they were both exactly the same."
Svengali hypnotizes her and transforms her into a diva, la Svengali. Under his spell, Trilby becomes a talented singer, performing always in an amnesiac trance. At a performance in London
, Svengali is stricken with a heart attack and is unable to induce the trance. Trilby is unable to sing in tune and is subjected to "laughter, hoots, hisses, cat-calls, cock-crows." Not having been hypnotized, she is baffled and though she can remember living and traveling with Svengali, she cannot remember anything of her singing career.
's novel The Phantom of the Opera
(1910) and introduced the phrase "in the altogether" (meaning "completely unclothed") and the term "Svengali" for a man with dominating powers over a (female) protegee, as well as indirectly inspiring the name of the Trilby
hat, originally worn on stage by a character in the play. The novel contained a thinly veiled portrait, (in the character of the pompous and eccentric "idle apprentice" Joe Sibley) of painter James McNeill Whistler
. Whistler threatened to sue for libel unless the character was removed and Du Maurier apologized. The writing was revised and no public apology was made.
The novel was adapted into a long-running play starring Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree
as Svengali. The play was revived many times, including at the Apollo Theatre
in the 1920s. The play was so popular that it was travestied, including as A Model Trilby; or, A Day or Two After Du Maurier, by Charles H. E. Brookfield and William Yardley
, with music by Meyer Lutz
, at the Opera Comique
, produced by the retired Nellie Farren
. John Barrymore
played the title role in the Warner Brothers release Svengali
(1931). A musical adaptation by Frank Wildhorn
entitled Svengali
, was staged twice in 1991. The Trilby story was parodied in Mighty Mouse
cartoons in the 1940s that featured Pearl Pureheart
and Oil Can Harry.
A fandom
developed around the Trilby character, which was criticized in Belsham's Essays. Trilby is referenced several times in William Gaddis
' novel, JR
, wherein Edward Bast the protagonist, becomes a mirror of Little Billee, a prominent artist in Trilby. The character Little Billee in Trilby is a reference to an eponymous Thackery ballad.
An inside look at Trilby and Henry James's friendship with Du Maurier (Kiki) can be found in David Lodge
's novel Author, Author (2004).
George du Maurier
George Louis Palmella Busson du Maurier was a French-born British cartoonist and author, known for his cartoons in Punch and also for his novel Trilby. He was the father of actor Gerald du Maurier and grandfather of the writers Angela du Maurier and Dame Daphne du Maurier...
and one of the most popular novels of its time, perhaps the second best selling novel of the Fin de siècle
Fin de siècle
Fin de siècle is French for "end of the century". The term sometimes encompasses both the closing and onset of an era, as it was felt to be a period of degeneration, but at the same time a period of hope for a new beginning...
after Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
's Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
. Published serially in Harper's Monthly in 1894, it was published in book form in 1895 and sold 200,000 copies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alone Trilby is set in the 1850s in an idyllic bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Though it features the stories of two English artists and a Scottish artist, one of the most memorable characters is Svengali
Svengali
Svengali is a fictional character of George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby. Svengali "would either fawn or bully and could be grossly impertinent. He had a kind of cynical humour that was more offensive than amusing and always laughed at the wrong thing, at the wrong time, in the wrong place...
a Jewish rogue, masterful musician and hypnotist
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
.
Trilby O'Ferrall, the novel's heroine, is a half-Irish girl working in Paris as an artists' model and laundress; all the men in the novel are in love with her. The relationship between Trilby and Svengali forms only a small portion of the novel, which is mainly an evocation of a milieu
Social environment
The social environment of an individual, also called social context or milieu, is the culture that s/he was educated or lives in, and the people and institutions with whom the person interacts....
but it is a crucial one.
The novel has been adapted to the stage several times; one of these featured the lead actress wearing a distinctive short-brimmed hat with a sharp snap to the back of the brim. The hat became known as the trilby
Trilby
A trilby hat is a type of fedora. The trilby is viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is commonly called the "brown trilby" in England and is much seen at the horse races. It is described as a "crumpled" fedora...
and went on to become a popular men's clothing item in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
throughout various parts of the 20th century, before enjoying a revival as a unisex clothing item in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the 2000s.
Plot summary
Trilby is tone-deafTone deafness
Tone deafness is the lack of relative pitch, or the inability to distinguish between musical notes that is not due to the lack of musical training or education...
: "Svengali would test her ear, as he called it, and strike the C in the middle and then the F just above, and ask which was the highest; and she would declare they were both exactly the same."
Svengali hypnotizes her and transforms her into a diva, la Svengali. Under his spell, Trilby becomes a talented singer, performing always in an amnesiac trance. At a performance in London
London
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...
, Svengali is stricken with a heart attack and is unable to induce the trance. Trilby is unable to sing in tune and is subjected to "laughter, hoots, hisses, cat-calls, cock-crows." Not having been hypnotized, she is baffled and though she can remember living and traveling with Svengali, she cannot remember anything of her singing career.
Reception
Trilby inspired Gaston LerouxGaston Leroux
Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux was a French journalist and author of detective fiction.In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel The Phantom of the Opera , which has been made into several film and stage productions of the same name, notably the 1925 film starring Lon...
's novel The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera
Le Fantôme de l'Opéra is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialisation in "Le Gaulois" from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910...
(1910) and introduced the phrase "in the altogether" (meaning "completely unclothed") and the term "Svengali" for a man with dominating powers over a (female) protegee, as well as indirectly inspiring the name of the Trilby
Trilby
A trilby hat is a type of fedora. The trilby is viewed as the rich man's favored hat; it is commonly called the "brown trilby" in England and is much seen at the horse races. It is described as a "crumpled" fedora...
hat, originally worn on stage by a character in the play. The novel contained a thinly veiled portrait, (in the character of the pompous and eccentric "idle apprentice" Joe Sibley) of painter James McNeill Whistler
James McNeill Whistler
James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American-born, British-based artist. Averse to sentimentality and moral allusion in painting, he was a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake". His famous signature for his paintings was in the shape of a stylized butterfly possessing a long stinger...
. Whistler threatened to sue for libel unless the character was removed and Du Maurier apologized. The writing was revised and no public apology was made.
The novel was adapted into a long-running play starring Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree
Herbert Beerbohm Tree
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree was an English actor and theatre manager.Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre, winning praise for adventurous programming and lavish productions, and starring in many of its productions. In 1899, he helped fund the...
as Svengali. The play was revived many times, including at the Apollo Theatre
Apollo Theatre
The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. Designed by architect Lewin Sharp for owner Henry Lowenfield, and the fourth legitimate theatre to be constructed on the street, its doors opened on 21 February 1901 with the American...
in the 1920s. The play was so popular that it was travestied, including as A Model Trilby; or, A Day or Two After Du Maurier, by Charles H. E. Brookfield and William Yardley
William Yardley
William Yardley was an early settler of Bucks County, Pennsylvania and is the namesake of the borough of Yardley, Pennsylvania. As a persecuted Quaker minister, Yardley and his wife, Jane moved from Ransclough, England near Leeke in the County of Stafford to Bucks County when Yardley was 50...
, with music by Meyer Lutz
Meyer Lutz
Wilhelm Meyer Lutz was a German-born English composer and conductor who is best known for light music, musical theatre and burlesques of well-known works....
, at the Opera Comique
Opera Comique
The Opera Comique was a 19th-century theatre constructed in Westminster, London, between Wych Street and Holywell Street with entrances on the East Strand. It opened in 1870 and was demolished in 1902, to make way for the construction of the Aldwych and Kingsway...
, produced by the retired Nellie Farren
Nellie Farren
Nellie Farren was an English actress and singer best known for her roles as the "principal boy" in musical burlesques at the Gaiety Theatre.Born into a theatrical family, Farren began acting as a child...
. John Barrymore
John Barrymore
John Sidney Blyth , better known as John Barrymore, was an acclaimed American actor. He first gained fame as a handsome stage actor in light comedy, then high drama and culminating in groundbreaking portrayals in Shakespearean plays Hamlet and Richard III...
played the title role in the Warner Brothers release Svengali
Svengali (1931 film)
Svengali is a drama/horror film starring John Barrymore, Marian Marsh, and Bramwell Fletcher, directed by Archie Mayo, written by J. Grubb Alexander, and released by Warner Brothers. It is based on the gothic horror novel Trilby by George du Maurier. The film was originally released on May 22, 1931...
(1931). A musical adaptation by Frank Wildhorn
Frank Wildhorn
Frank Wildhorn is an American composer known for both his musicals and popular songs. He is most known for his musical Jekyll & Hyde, which ran four years on Broadway, and for writing the #1 International Hit song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?" for Whitney Houston.-Early years:Wildhorn was born in...
entitled Svengali
Svengali (musical)
Svengali is a musical with a book and lyrics by Gregory Boyd and music by Frank Wildhorn. It is based on the 1894 novel Trilby by George du Maurier....
, was staged twice in 1991. The Trilby story was parodied in Mighty Mouse
Mighty Mouse
Mighty Mouse is an animated superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox.-History:The character was created by story man Izzy Klein as a super-powered housefly named Superfly. Studio head Paul Terry changed the character into a cartoon mouse instead...
cartoons in the 1940s that featured Pearl Pureheart
Mighty Mouse
Mighty Mouse is an animated superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox.-History:The character was created by story man Izzy Klein as a super-powered housefly named Superfly. Studio head Paul Terry changed the character into a cartoon mouse instead...
and Oil Can Harry.
A fandom
Fandom
Fandom is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest...
developed around the Trilby character, which was criticized in Belsham's Essays. Trilby is referenced several times in William Gaddis
William Gaddis
William Thomas Gaddis, Jr. was an American novelist. He wrote five novels, two of which won National Book Awards and one of which, The Recognitions , was chosen as one of TIME magazine's 100 best novels from 1923 to 2005...
' novel, JR
J R
J R is a novel by William Gaddis. Published in 1975 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., J R was Gaddis's second novel and received the National Book Award in 1976....
, wherein Edward Bast the protagonist, becomes a mirror of Little Billee, a prominent artist in Trilby. The character Little Billee in Trilby is a reference to an eponymous Thackery ballad.
An inside look at Trilby and Henry James's friendship with Du Maurier (Kiki) can be found in David Lodge
David Lodge (author)
David John Lodge CBE, is an English author.In his novels, Lodge often satirises academia in general and the humanities in particular. He was brought up Catholic and has described himself as an "agnostic Catholic". Many of his characters are Catholic and their Catholicism is a major theme...
's novel Author, Author (2004).
External links
- Trilby at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
(scanned books original editions color illustrated) - Trilby at Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
Australia (plain text and HTML) - Article about Trilby on Mount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
's "Bohemianism and Counterculture" site. - Trilbyana:The Rise and Progress of a Popular Novel available in multiple formats at gutenberg.org