Who Betrays Elizabeth Bennet?: Further Puzzles in Classic Fiction

By John Sutherland

Book Overview

In this sequel to his popular works Is Heathcliff a Murderer? and Can Jane Eyre Be Happy?, John Sutherland unravels thirty-four new literary puzzles, once again combining erudition with bold investigative speculation. In addition to these new conundrums, Professor Sutherland revisits some previous puzzles with the help of readers who offer their own ingenious solutions and who set fresh puzzles for exploration. Victorian drug habits, railway systems, sanitation and dentistry are only a few of the details that shed light on the motives and circumstances of some of literature's most famous characters. Elizabeth Bennet, Betsey Trotwood, Count Dracula, Anna Karenina, Alice and many more come under the spotlight in John Sutherland's highly entertaining collection. Bringing good humor and good sense back to literary criticism, Who Betrays Elizabeth Bennet? offers scintillating forensic exercises that are as compelling as the plots they dissect.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192838849
• ISBN13: 9780192838841
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

A great companion to the classics

This is the third volume of Sutherland's puzzles in classic fiction series. Along with the new mysteries, Sutherland also revisits some of the puzzles from "Is Heathcliff a Murderer?" and "Can Jane Eyre Be Happy?" to acknowledges corrections and alternate interpretations. As usual, Sutherland's work is interesting and entertaining. He examines the works of 19th century greats such as Jane Austen, George Eliot, Charles Dickens, and William Thackery, and sheds light onto both mysteries in the texts and the writing process itself. I don't always agree with his interpretations of the texts, but Sutherland's essays are always well-written, humorous, and engaging. He'll make you want to read the classics all over again!

Well, who is it?

Wow! I was amazed, especially how Sutherland revised his essays on Wuthering Heights and Mill on the Floss. What marvelous insights? What does Lady Dedlock die of? Why doesn't Laura tell her own story in the Woman in White? Read this marvelous book to find out.