November
23
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The Good Lady Ducayne (1869 Short Story)
Written by Mary Elizabeth Braddon, The Good Lady Ducayne is a short story written way back before vampires were cool. Vampires kinda have a lame name now, being over used and over abused, but M E Braddon knew how to write subtle prose to give a person chills in this vampiric short story of a young governess being the unwitting victim of and old lady trying to extend her unnatural life.
The short story will only take you about an hour to read but the prose that Braddon uses makes you realize just how simple the writing has become in modern times. It’s a good story and doesn’t give you time to become bored as it sets up you up straight away as to what’s happening.
Character development happens fast but the plot twist takes the entire hour to set up. Immediately you feel for main character cause you can relate to her status in society. Being poor, single, simply educated, and only one parent she was denied the advantages of other families.
Her optimisim never falters as she soon lands a job from Lady Ducayne. A woman in the very late stages of her life who has lived to long and clings to live even longer by any means necessary.
The Good Lady Ducayne is an excerpt of perfect plotting and pace and leaving you feel accomplished that you were able to read a really good story in a single evening!
So give it a try!
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