Written 150 years ago, never published, and presumed lost for
nearly a century, Wilkie Collins's earliest novel now appears in
print for the first time. IolA ni is a sensational romance--a tale
of terror and suspense, bravery and betrayal, set against the lush
backdrop of Tahiti. The book's complicated history is worthy of a
writer famous for intricate plots hinging on long-kept secrets.
Collins wrote the book as a young man in the early 1840s, twenty
years before "The Moonstone" and "The Woman in White" made his name
among Victorian novelists. He failed to find a publisher for the
work, shelved the manuscript for years, and eventually gave it to
an acquaintance. It disappeared into the hands of private
collectors and remained there--acquiring mythical status as a lost
novel--from the turn of the century until its sudden appearance on
the rare book market in New York in 1991. This first edition
appears with the permission of the new owners, who keep the mystery
alive by remaining anonymous.
The novel is set in Tahiti prior to European contact. It tells
the story of the diabolical high priest, IolA ni, and the heroic
young woman, Idua, who bears his child. Determined to defy the
Tahitian custom of killing firstborn children, Idua and her friend
AimA ta flee with the baby and take refuge among IolA ni's enemies.
The vengeful priest pursues them, setting into motion a plot that
features civil war, sorcery, sacrificial rites, wild madmen,
treachery, and love. Collins explores themes that he would return
to again and again in his career: oppression by sinister,
patriarchal figures; the bravery of forceful, unorthodox women; the
psychology of the criminal mind; the hypocrisy of moralists; and
Victorian ideas of the exotic. As Ira Nadel shows in his
introduction, the novel casts new light on Collins's development as
a writer and on the creation of his later masterpieces. A sample
page from the manuscript appears as the frontispiece to this
edition. The publication of IolA ni is a major literary event: a
century and half late, Wilkie Collins makes his literary debut.
Originally published in 1999.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand
technology to again make available previously out-of-print books
from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press.
These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these
important books while presenting them in durable paperback
editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly
increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the
thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since
its founding in 1905."
General
Imprint: |
Princeton University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
Princeton Legacy Library |
Release date: |
June 2014 |
First published: |
July 2014 |
Authors: |
Wilkie Collins
|
Editors: |
Ira B. Nadel
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 13mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
250 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-691-60041-3 |
Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
General & literary fiction >
Modern fiction
|
LSN: |
0-691-60041-4 |
Barcode: |
9780691600413 |
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