Canonical name: Dell, Ethel M.
Other names: Savage, Ethel May Dell
Birthdate: 1881-08-02
Date of death: 1939-09-19
Gender: female
Nationality: England
UK
Country (for map): UK
Birthplace: Streatham, London, England, UK
Place of death: Hertfordshire, England, UK
Cause of death: cancer
Places of residence: London, England, UK
Occupations: romance novelist
short-story writer
Short biography: Ethel May Dell was born on 2 August 1881 in Streatham, a suburb of London, England, UK. Her father was a clerk in the City of London and she had an older sister and brother. Her family was middle class and lived a comfortable life. She worked on a novel for several years, but it was rejected by eight publishers. Finally the publisher T. Fisher Unwin bought the book for their First Novel Library, a series which introduced a writer's first book. This book, titled The Way of an Eagle, was published in 1911 and by 1915 it had gone through thirty printings.

On 1922, she married a soldier, Lieutenant-Colonel Gerald Tahourdin Savage, when she was forty years old, and the marriage was happy. Her husband resigned his commission on his marriage and Ethel Dell became the support of the family. Her husband devoted himself to her and fiercely guarded her privacy. For her part she went on writing, eventually producing about thirty novels and several volumes of short stories. Ethel's married name is recorded as Ethel Mary Savage. Ethel M. Dell died of cancer on 19 September 1939, at 58.

Members

Reviews

The Keeper of the Door (Eagle, #2) by Ethel M. Dell

This was a pretty exciting read, though it makes me wonder if Ethel Dell's books all have the same plot elements. I mean, I'm good with melodrama, ultraconfident men, and emotionally mixed up women, but when exposed to these things for too long, I do start to chuckle and lose my immersion in the story. So my review may be a little tongue-in-cheek, but be assured that if you liked The Way of An Eagle, you will like its sequel!

Olga is the heroine. She keeps house for her father (a doctor), a younger doctor named Max, and her uncle Nick (the hero of the first book, and by the way, there are hardly any scenes with Nick and his wife; in fact they spend a big part of the book on different continents... not a choice I would have expected after all the angst of getting them together. Life is evidently less bookworthy after marriage ;) but anyway).

Olga can't stand Max (the young doctor). Really can't stand him. Like, she stabs him with her needle one day. Which level of hatred can (logically) only mean one thing: they're destined to get married! Max seems sure of this all along, and as a result doesn't bother to actually court Olga, or signal that he likes her or anything. She's going to have to figure that one out on her own, because he's busy being the wise and cool Doctor Man.

Olga's best friend Violet comes to stay, ostensibly to distract Max so that he will irritate Olga less. But Violet is kinda crazy. Also an offensive guy-next-door keeps calling and trying to get Olga to marry him. Circumstances push Olga towards Max more and more, as an ally, maybe a friend, maybe more?

Halfway through the book, something tragic happens. And at this point the sage reader will nod knowingly and say to herself, "It's about time for brain fever." (The Edwardian novelist's catch-all plot device!!)

From this point on it's Olga trying to figure out what on earth happened that one tragic day, Max trying to keep it from her for her own good, a trip to India, an inferior but charming romantic interest, and lots of emotional conversations. Everything will be good in the end, but it takes a while.
I enjoyed the storytelling and also liked Max and Olga, though there were times I was impatient with both of them. The book is an easy read, by that I mean interesting, keeps things moving, and has climactic moments that come with a bang.

*Euthanasia is a mild thematic element.… (more)

Flagged

Alishadt | Feb 25, 2023 |

The Way of an Eagle by Ethel M. Dell

November 2022 re-read: Still compulsively readable, but with more angst than I usually go for these days. It takes itself pretty seriously. It's very imperialist. It's very dramatic.

Also... I'm confused by the ending. Are they... are they on Mount Everest? And if so.... but....

Flagged

Alishadt | 1 other review | Feb 25, 2023 |

The Way of an Eagle by Ethel M. Dell

The Way of an Eagle is one of those books that's so bad, it's good. A stirring melodrama of courage, cuckolding, and colonialism, it starts in a besieged fortress and never lets up until the very end. The British commander of the fort knows the gig is up and that his reinforcements will not arrive in time, therefore he asks one of the three other surviving officers to make sure his daughter is saved. Nick volunteers and promptly drugs her and hauls her out during the relative safety of the night. Now Nick is not only ugly as sin, he is a man's man: people do what he orders because he's the kind of man you can't disobey. Upright and principled, he refuses the Victoria Cross for saving Muriel because all he did was "run away". Muriel, meanwhile is both attracted and repelled by her savior, which is good, because if she weren't conflicted this book would be very short indeed. They become engaged while she is recovering in Simla, only to be torn apart when Muriel believes gossip coming from one of Nick's enemies. She returns to England and he soon becomes engaged to another siege survivor—a man as handsome and charming as Nick is ugly and uncouth. And naturally, because this is that kind of book, he is just as weak and unprincipled as Nick is willful and honorable. Not that Muriel can bring herself to admit that for 100+ pages. Because naturally Nick has lost an arm in India and comes back to recover in the same corner of England as Muriel. Meanwhile, we have some adultery, scarlet fever, and nervous hysteria to keep us entertained. Muriel now realizes that she was wrong to ever reject Nick, but now she is back in India and he is nowhere to be seen. Whatever is she to do? Cue the suspense.

I love bad books. I once went out and bought a particular one solely because a book named it as an example of non-literature. So therefore this book was right up my alley. Those who demand quality plots instead of potboiling drama will not enjoy it nearly as much. But it does show some interesting light on pre-Great War British attitudes toward India and Indians as well as a lot of middle class Edwardian values. Not to mention that it has some of the most amazing purple prose you are ever likely to meet. A bestseller in its day, it's the perfect book for the hopeless romantic or for anyone who is looking to add more drama to their life. Definitely a marmite book, but it's my kind of marmite.… (more)

Flagged

inge87 | 1 other review | Aug 2, 2016 |

See More Reviews