Mary Rose by James Matthew Barrie
The novel revolves around a young girl who dies and returns to the world of the living for a brief period. She is given the opportunity to relive her life and make amends with those she wronged, but ultimately must return to death. The story explores themes of regret, redemption, and the afterlife.
By James Matthew Barrie · First published 1910 · Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Mystery · 3 chapters · 27,913 words
First lines
_The scene is a room in a small Sussex manor house that has long been for sale. It is such a silent room that whoever speaks first here is a bold one, unless indeed he merely mutters to himself, which they perhaps allow. All of this room's past which can be taken away has gone. Such light as there is comes from the only window, which is at the back and is incompletely shrouded in sacking. For a moment this is a mellow light, and if a photograph could be taken quickly we might find a disturbing smile on the room's face, perhaps like the Mona Lisa's, which came, surely, of her knowing what only the dead should know. There are two doors, one leading downstairs; the other is at the back, very insignificant, though it is the centre of this disturbing history. The wall-paper, heavy in the adherence of other papers of a still older date, has peeled and leans forward here and there in a grotesque bow, as men have hung in chains; one might predict that the next sound heard here will be in the distant future when another piece of paper loosens. Save for two packing-cases, the only furniture is a worn easy-chair doddering by the unlit fire, like some foolish old man. We might play with the disquieting fancy that this room, once warm with love, is still alive but is shrinking from observation, and that with our departure they cunningly set to again at the apparently never-ending search which goes on in some empty old houses._
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Genres
- Drama — The narrative focuses on emotional and psychological conflicts, exploring themes of memory and loss.
- Fantasy — The story incorporates supernatural elements, including ghostly apparitions and mysterious occurrences.
- Mystery — The plot involves enigmatic events and unresolved questions surrounding the protagonist's past.
- Horror — There are elements of suspense and fear, particularly related to the haunting and eerie atmosphere.
Tags
Historical Fiction · Romance · Tragedy · Maritime History · Nautical Adventure · Coming of Age · Social Class · Love Triangle · Family Drama · Shipwreck · Loss and Grief · Mourning
What this Textopian page supports
Mary Rose is listed on Textopian as a play by James Matthew Barrie, dated 1910 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Play
- Author: James Matthew Barrie
- Date: 1910 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Horror, Romance
- Length: 27,913 words
- Structure: 3 chapters, 1,191 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Mary Rose by James Matthew Barrie
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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