Paul Clifford
by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton
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Description
'It was a dark and stormy night ...... ' Paul Clifford leads a double life. By day he is a fashionable man about town, the toast of genteel society. By night, he is 'Captain Lovett', a dashing masked highwayman, robbing unsuspecting travellers on moonlit roads with his band of fellow brigands. When Clifford falls in love with the beautiful, auburn-haired Lucy, the daughter of a wealthy squire, he wonders if he should abandon his life of vice. But there are many obstacles in his path- his sly show more love rival Lord Mauleverer, dark secrets from the past, and the threat of the hangman's noose ...... show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Much better than its reputation. The language is a little florid, but it's no worse than many other works of its age. It's not as sharp as Swift or as raucous as Fielding, but it's an entertaining tale told with gusto.
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Author Information
288+ Works 5,419 Members
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Lord of Lytton, was born on May 25, 1803 in London, England. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1822, won the Chancellor's Gold Medal for English verse in 1825, and received a B.A. degree the following year. He was a novelist, poet, playwright, and politician. He coined the phrases the "pursuit of the almighty dollar", show more "the pen is mightier than the sword", and the opening line "It was a dark and stormy night". He wrote in a variety of genres, including historical fiction, mystery, romance, the occult, and science fiction. His works included Falkland, Pelham, Eugene Aram, The Last Days of Pompei, Ernest Maltravers, Zanoni, The Last of the Barons, The Caxtons, and A Strange Story. He also published several volumes of poetry including Ismael and The New Timon. His best known play was The Lady of Lyons. He served as the Secretary of State for the Colonies in from 1858 to 1859 and played a large part in the organization of the new colony of British Columbia. He became Baron Lytton of Knebworth in July 1866 and thereafter took his place in the House of Peers. He died on May 23, 1873, just short of his 70th birthday. The cause of death was not clear but it was thought that an infection he had in his ear had affected his brain. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1830
- First words
- It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents--except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the... (show all) housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 108
- Popularity
- 299,028
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.83)
- Languages
- English, German, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 34
- ASINs
- 11
