Eugene Aram, a brilliant but reclusive scholar, lives in obscurity, devoting his life to arcane research. But he is gradually coaxed from his solitary lifestyle by his kindly old neighbour, Rowland Lester, and as Aram's visits to Lester become more frequent, he becomes more and more enamoured of beautiful Madeline Lester. And yet, despite the young lovers' apparent happiness, Aram seems to be hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, Madeline's cousin Walter sets out to learn the fate of his long-lost father. His quest will lead to the discovery of a long-hidden and horrible crime and the trial of Eugene Aram for murder! When "Eugene Aram" appeared in 1832, it drew mixed reactions: critics condemned it vehemently for romanticizing the life of a well-known convicted murderer, while the reading public eagerly snatched up copies of the novel. Controversial both for the artistic liberties Bulwer took with the facts of the case and for his ambivalent portrayal of his eponymous anti-hero, "Eugene Aram" remained nonetheless one of the most popular novels of the Victorian period. This new scholarly edition includes the unabridged text of the original three-volume edition of 1832, together with an introduction and annotations by Ann-Barbara Graff. Also featured are appendices containing contemporary reviews of the novel, a parody by Thackeray, Bulwer's fragment of a tragedy about Aram, and other contextual documents.
Author
Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton PC, was an English novelist, poet, playwright, and politician. Lord Lytton was a florid, popular writer of his day, who coined such phrases as "the great unwashed", "pursuit of the almighty dollar", "the pen is mightier than the sword", and the infamous incipit "It was a dark and stormy night." He was the youngest son of General William Earle Bulwer of Heydon Hall and Wood Dalling, Norfolk and Elizabeth Barbara Lytton, daughter of Richard Warburton Lytton of Knebworth, Hertfordshire. He had two brothers, William Earle Lytton Bulwer (1799–1877) and Henry, afterwards Lord Dalling and Bulwer. Lord Lytton's original surname was Bulwer, the names 'Earle' and 'Lytton' were middle names. On 20 February 1844 he assumed the name and arms of Lytton by royal licence and his surname then became 'Bulwer-Lytton'. His widowed mother had done the same in 1811. His brothers were always simply surnamed 'Bulwer'.
