Dragonwyck (Rediscovered Classics) [Paperback]

Anya Seton (Author), Philippa Gregory (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2005 | Series: Rediscovered Classics

First published in 1944, Dragonwyck was a national bestseller that was made into a major motion picture starring Gene Tierney and Vincent Price in 1946. A classic gothic romance, the story features an 18-year-old Miranda Wells who falls under the spell of a mysterious old mansion and its equally fascinating master. Tired of churning butter, weeding the garden patch, and receiving the dull young farmers who seek her hand in marriage, Miranda is excited by an invitation from the upstate New York estate of her distant relative, the intriguing Nicholas Van Ryn. Her passion is kindled by the icy fire of Nicholas, the last of the Van Ryns, and the luxury of Dragonwyck, and a way of life of which she has only dreamed. Dressed in satin and lace, she becomes part of Dragonwyck, with its Gothic towers, flowering gardens, acres of tenant farms, and dark, terrible secrets. This compelling novel paints a marvelous portrait of a country torn between freedom and feudal traditions; a country divided between the very wealthy and the very poor. Poor tenant farmers at Dragonwyck, the European royalty who visit, and American icons such as Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, and the Astors are vividly brought to life. This is a heart-stopping story of a remarkable woman, her breathtaking passions, and the mystery and terror that await her in the magnificent hallways of Dragonwyck.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Early 19th century decor for a good story - a holding drama and colorful. Miranda, Bible-bred farm girl with a romantic head and pretty face gets a chance to live her dream when she is requested as companion to the child of a wealthy relative. He is Nicholas Van Ryn, upper New York state Dutch aristocracy, arrogant, handsome, married to Johanna whom he loathes, Johanna, heavy, indolent, gluttonous. Impressed with the elegance of Dragonwyck, the dark glamour of Nicholas, Miranda falls in love and after Johanna's sudden death, they are married. Then she realizes his satanic qualities, his violence, the latent egomania; eventually facing the fact that he had murdered Johanna and that he was a victim of opium. Her baby has died and she fears that she too will be his victim. Finally, with the aid of a young doctor she breaks away, and Nicholas is killed in a last flamboyant gesture. (Kirkus Reviews) --Kirkus Reviews --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

About the Author

Anya Seton was the author of 10 bestselling historical romances, including Avalon, Devil Water, Foxfire, Green Darkness, The Hearth and Eagle, Katherine, My Theodosia, The Turquoise, and The Winthrop Woman.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press (September 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556525818
• ISBN-13: 978-1556525810
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 97 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME..., June 29, 2003

By 

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Dragonwyck (Library Binding)

This is a beautifully written work of historical fiction, set in 1840s New York. It focuses on a young Connecticut woman, Miranda Wells, who sees a change in her station in life through a chance invitation by a wealthy distant cousin. Handsome, gallant, and a renaissance man in terms of his interests, Nicholas Van Ryn invites his young cousin to visit and stay at his lavish home in upstate Hudson, New York and act as a companion for his young daughter.

When she meets him for the first time, Miranda is smitten, as Nicholas is the embodiment of all her romantic yearnings. Moreover, her stay at his luxurious, palatial home on the Hudson River, a mansion with the fanciful name of Dragonwyck, is an answer to her prayers and a chance to escape the hard work and tedium that has been her lot on her family's Connecticut farm. Dragonwyck, however, has its share of secrets and a miasma of evil that lurks in its halls and grand rooms.

The only thorn in Miranda's side is her cousin's wife, Johanna, who does not care for having a younger, more attractive woman, bustling about the house and preening before her husband. Johanna finds ways to make her feelings understood by Miranda, but Miranda, reckless in her admiration for her cousin Nicholas and relatively naive, is somewhat obtuse. Moreover, there is a pre-existing undercurrent of tension between husband and wife in the Dragonwyck household of which Miranda is seemingly oblivious.

Miranda's presence exacerbates the tension in the household that, ultimately, ends in tragedy for all concerned. It is that tragedy that will, for Miranda, mark the beginning of a life journey that will provide some painful and unsettling lessons. It is a journey that will ensure a measure of painful self-discovery and remove the rose colored glasses through which she had viewed her world.

The book is well researched and redolent with information about the Dutch influence in New York and its aristocracy. It details many of the issues and traditions that were germane to the period and is richly descriptive of a way of life in New York, both downstate and upstate, that has since gone by the wayside. It intertwines a number of historical events and personages with the lives of those characters who are at the heart of this wonderful and vastly entertaining book. It is a book that will keep the reader turning the pages until the very last.

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Generational Favorite, December 11, 2002

By 

"starshinek" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dragonwyck (Library Binding)

This book enjoys a special place in my grandmother's bookshelves, and both she and my mom always told me when I was little that I should read it someday. So a few years ago, on an extended vacation to my grandparent's house (which, I have to say, can be nearly as creepy at night as Dragonwyck) I picked up the book and curled up in a corner with it. I absolutely couldldn't put it down. Miranda is an engaging character who you instantly identify with because I think everyone feels sometimes the sense of oppression of their mundane lives. It definitely fits in nicely with the Gothic romance of the time, though doesn't *quite* stand up to Hawthorne's THe House of the Seven Gables. However, Seton's language is wonderfully detailed and captures the beauties and terrors of the moments to a point where you are nearly breathless. I highly recommend finding yourself a copy, no matter how dog-eared, and immerse yourself in Dragonwyck.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beware of answered prayers...., May 25, 2001

By 

Linda McDonnell (New York CIty) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dragonwyck (Library Binding)

I searched for years for a copy of "Dragonwyck" and finally found an old copy in an East Hampton church sale. Why such a quest? Because I had seen the movie version with Gene Tierney and Vincent Price at least 10 times as a child. And the book is no disappointment--rather, it went beyond my wildest expectation! I've read it over quite a few times. The most appealing part for me is the early part of the novel, when Miranda is first in love with her handsome but remote cousin Nicholas, a married man whose daughter she is governess to. Seton captures the inexpressable longing of a crush that can never come to fruition. How every glance, every chance encounter takes on a significance to us alone. Then, the unthinkable happens, and Miranda gets her wish, marriage to Nicholas. But like most answered prayers, the reality bears no resemblance to the fantasy. In spite of riches and every kind of luxury, Miranda cannot find happiness in her marriage to Nicholas, a man incapable of spiritual and emotional intimacy. I highly recommend "Dragonwyck", for this wonderful plot and also its considerable research in the period, 1840s New York.