The Rocks of Valpré (novel) explained

The Rocks of Valpré
Author:Ethel M. Dell
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English
Genre:Drama
Publisher:Unwin
Putnam (US)
Release Date:1913
Media Type:Print

The Rocks of Valpré is a 1913 novel by the British writer Ethel M. Dell. First published in the United States in 1913.[1] It is set in the mid-nineteenth century when an officer wrongly imprisoned on Devil's Island escapes and heads to Europe to rescue the love of his life from the villain.

Reception

Contemporary reviews of the novel were mixed. The New York Times called the novel "a well constructed and closely knit tale."[2] Other reviews noted its "sentimentality", with the Boston Transcript calling the novel a "deft old fashioned novel with much variety of interest and some effective character drawing. It comes dangerously near shipwreak on the rock of sentimentality, but never becomes quite mawkish."

It was a bestseller, including in Canada.[3]

Adaptations

The novel has twice been adapted into a film. A 1919 silent version The Rocks of Valpré was directed by Maurice Elvey.[4] In 1935 a sound version The Rocks of Valpré was directed by Henry Edwards.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Dell, Ethel M.. The rocks of Valpre. 1913-01-01. A. L. Burt. New York.
  2. Book: https://books.google.com/books?id=VpwNAQAAIAAJ&dq=The+Rocks+of+Valpr%C3%A9+novel&pg=PA145. Book Review Digest. 1915-01-01. H.W. Wilson Company. 145. en. Dell, Ethel May. Rocks of Valpre.
  3. May 1, 1915 . Best Selling Book of the Month: A Review of "The Rocks of Valpre, by Ethel M. Dell . Findlay I. Weaver . 94–96 . Maclean's . 25 May 2019.
  4. Book: Goble, Alan. The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. 1999-01-01. Walter de Gruyter. 9783110951943. 122. en.