Falkland, Book II
Lady Emily Mandeville, married before she understood her own heart to a husband she cannot love, finds her long-dormant capacity for feeling reawakened by Erasmus Falkland, a brilliant, restless man of genius who has withdrawn from the world. Emily's journal traces her growing infatuation: her confusion at Falkland's attentions, her shame at feelings she cannot suppress, and her resolve—renewed each time she looks at her son Henry—to remain faithful to duty even as she admits she loves before she even recognized she was loved. Emily's friend Mrs. St. John, who once loved Falkland herself without his knowledge, writes to warn Emily of his fascinations, urging her to defend both virtue and pride against him, though her caution is tinged with unacknowledged jealousy. Falkland, in letters to his confidant Frederick Monkton, confesses his own torment: he holds Emily's fate in his hands and despises himself for hesitating between saving and destroying her. He lingers near her despite resolving to leave. One evening on the lawn at sunset he and Emily speak of melancholy, immortality, and lost enthusiasm; his controlled anguish and her sympathy draw them closer. Returning alone to his decayed ancestral house, Falkland broods over his life of learning and disillusion, and composes a bitter poem, "Knowledge," on the vanity of wisdom that cannot bring peace. The turning point comes during an excursion to a seaside cliff with Lady Margaret and Mrs. Dalton. Emily, left alone on the sands while the others view the cliff, is cut off by the incoming tide. Falkland races back through the rising water to reach her; the two, trapped by the sea with no apparent escape, believe they will drown together. In that extremity Falkland declares his love and kisses her; they await death embracing until a boat, sent by a local man Falkland dispatched for help, rescues them at the last moment. Shaken by the intimacy this brush with death forced into the open, Emily resolves to end things: when Falkland comes to urge her to flee with him, she refuses, and he departs. Her journal records the desolation that follows—counting hours for his letters, rereading them obsessively, hiding her grief from her household and her son. Falkland's letters from London and then from his family estate alternate between renouncing and reasserting his passion, insisting his love has purified rather than corrupted him, and dwelling on the memory of their kiss at the cliff. A subplot introduces Don Alphonso d'Aguilar, Falkland's Spanish uncle, arriving in England on a political mission tied to his country's cause. His late sister (Falkland's mother) had bound her son by a deathbed charge to serve Spain if he proved worthy; d'Aguilar, learning Falkland is respected and wealthy rather than dissipated, resolves to seek him out and enlist his support, and accompanies Mr. Mandeville to Emily's home, not realizing Falkland is absent. Emily's journal notes Mandeville's return with d'Aguilar and news that Julia (Mrs. St. John) will soon visit. The narrative closes with Falkland, unable to sustain his resolve to stay away, writing to Monkton that he intends to see Emily again within a day, anticipating what he calls his "triumph."
By Edward Bulwer-lytton · First published 1834 · Genre: Romance, Drama, Gothic · 10,768 words
First lines
It is dangerous for women, however wise it be for men, "to commune with their own hearts, and to be still! " Continuing to pursue the follies of the world had been to Emily more prudent than to fly them; to pause, to separate herself from the herd, was to discover, to feel, to murmur at the vacuum of her being; and to occupy it with the feelings which it craved, could in her be but the hoarding a provision for despair.
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Falkland, Book II is listed on Textopian as a novel by Edward Bulwer-lytton, dated 1834 CE.
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- Work type: Novel
- Author: Edward Bulwer-lytton
- Date: 1834 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Romance, Drama, Gothic, Historical Fiction, Tragedy
- Length: 10,768 words
- Structure: 1 section, 104 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for Falkland, Book II by Edward Bulwer-lytton
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Falkland, Book II?
- How does this novel by Edward Bulwer-lytton fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Romance first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Romance — The central plot revolves around romantic relationships and emotional entanglements.
- Drama — The narrative is driven by intense emotional conflicts and dramatic events.
- Gothic — The story includes elements of mystery, dark settings, and psychological depth.
- Historical Fiction — The setting and context are influenced by historical events and periods.
Tags
Historical Fiction · Romance · Adventure · Nautical · Maritime · Sea Voyage · Pirate · Swashbuckling · Action · Drama · Victorian Era · 19th Century