A review by gothicgunslinger
The Sorrows of Satan; or, The Strange Experience of One Geoffrey Tempest, Millionaire by Marie Corelli

5.0

I can totally see why this was hailed as one of the first bestsellers. It was fascinating, dramatic, and easy to read, even with all the Victorian language. A bit ridiculous in spots, but I love ridiculous, so it's okay. It also has amazingly drawn characters, something I think is often lacking in a lot of the that "high literary classic" genre. The characters of Mavis Clare and of course Lucio Rimanez were especially vivid. It also did a wonderful job of descriptive setting without bogging down the narrative, another pitfall of old timey lit. I could really picture the settings in all their Victorian glory, because Corelli didn't just assume I would know what she was talking about. Living 115 years after the publication of this book, I thank her for her attention to detail. It made the book absolutely come alive for me.

She also hit right upon the idea that seems so lacking in other Faustian works: that pure evil would, logically, be EXTREMELY good-looking. Who's honestly tempted by a hideous thing with horns and grotesque features?

Loved, loved, loved.