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The Mysterious Key and What It Opened
When Paul spoke in that tone and wore that look, Lillian felt as if they had changed places, and he was the master and she the servant. She wondered over this in her childish mind, but proud and willful as she was, she liked it, and obeyed him with unusual meekness when he suggested that it was time to return.
Total running time: 1:53:59
Read by ashleighjane
Total running time: 1:53:59
Read by ashleighjane
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First published January 1, 1867
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About the author
Louisa May Alcott
3,929 books10.4k followersLouisa May Alcott was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known for writing the novel Little Women (1868) and its sequels Good Wives (1869), Little Men (1871) and Jo's Boys (1886). Raised in New England by her transcendentalist parents, Abigail May Alcott and Amos Bronson Alcott, she grew up among many well-known intellectuals of the day, including Margaret Fuller, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Alcott's family suffered from financial difficulties, and while she worked to help support the family from an early age, she also sought an outlet in writing. She began to receive critical success for her writing in the 1860s. Early in her career, she sometimes used pen names such as A.M. Barnard, under which she wrote lurid short stories and sensation novels for adults that focused on passion and revenge.
Published in 1868, Little Women is set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts, and is loosely based on Alcott's childhood experiences with her three sisters, Abigail May Alcott Nieriker, Elizabeth Sewall Alcott, and Anna Bronson Alcott Pratt. The novel was well-received at the time and is still popular today among both children and adults. It has been adapted for stage plays, films, and television many times.
Alcott was an abolitionist and a feminist and remained unmarried throughout her life. She also spent her life active in reform movements such as temperance and women's suffrage. She died from a stroke in Boston on March 6, 1888, just two days after her father's death.
Alcott's family suffered from financial difficulties, and while she worked to help support the family from an early age, she also sought an outlet in writing. She began to receive critical success for her writing in the 1860s. Early in her career, she sometimes used pen names such as A.M. Barnard, under which she wrote lurid short stories and sensation novels for adults that focused on passion and revenge.
Published in 1868, Little Women is set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts, and is loosely based on Alcott's childhood experiences with her three sisters, Abigail May Alcott Nieriker, Elizabeth Sewall Alcott, and Anna Bronson Alcott Pratt. The novel was well-received at the time and is still popular today among both children and adults. It has been adapted for stage plays, films, and television many times.
Alcott was an abolitionist and a feminist and remained unmarried throughout her life. She also spent her life active in reform movements such as temperance and women's suffrage. She died from a stroke in Boston on March 6, 1888, just two days after her father's death.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews
January 10, 2024
Hace ya unos dos años que le di una segunda oportunidad a Louisa May Alcott, ya que (no me escondo) su tan aclamada novela «Mujercitas», no me gustó. Descubrí que tenía una bastante extensa obra de nouvelles dedicada a la literatura que ella disfrutaba enormemente escribir, la gótica. Después de adentrarme en «Tras la máscara», y resultar un placentero y entretenido descubrimiento, llego el turno de «La llave misteriosa y lo que abrió», que aunque no me ha gustado tanto como la anterior, es un sí en toda regla que os quiero recomendar.
Publicada en 1897, la historia nos sitúa en una mansión de la campiña inglesa decimonónica en la que habita una familia de nobles. Esta, armoniosa felicidad, se verá atormentada por la sombra de una maldición. Los secretos se revelarán a lo largo del relato hasta llegar a la resolución del gran misterio que embarga las páginas desde el comienzo. Suspense, amor, alta sociedad británica… la trama lo tiene todo para ofrecer al lector unas cuantas horas de una sencilla pero verdadera diversión lectora.
May Alcott, escribía con suma elegancia y lo demostró una vez más dotando a su narración de un argumento sólido, sin grandes pretensiones y ofreciendo unos personajes detallados cargados de una estética que recuerda al romanticismo puro. Sin más dilación y para no agobiaros con innumerables benévolos y favorables adjetivos, os invito a leer a esta autora estadounidense siempre que os apetezca leer algo sin complicaciones pero con una gran calidad literaria.
Publicada en 1897, la historia nos sitúa en una mansión de la campiña inglesa decimonónica en la que habita una familia de nobles. Esta, armoniosa felicidad, se verá atormentada por la sombra de una maldición. Los secretos se revelarán a lo largo del relato hasta llegar a la resolución del gran misterio que embarga las páginas desde el comienzo. Suspense, amor, alta sociedad británica… la trama lo tiene todo para ofrecer al lector unas cuantas horas de una sencilla pero verdadera diversión lectora.
May Alcott, escribía con suma elegancia y lo demostró una vez más dotando a su narración de un argumento sólido, sin grandes pretensiones y ofreciendo unos personajes detallados cargados de una estética que recuerda al romanticismo puro. Sin más dilación y para no agobiaros con innumerables benévolos y favorables adjetivos, os invito a leer a esta autora estadounidense siempre que os apetezca leer algo sin complicaciones pero con una gran calidad literaria.
May 26, 2011
A fatal legacy and buried secret haunt the widow and daughter of a rich man who died after a visit from a mysterious stranger. What horrid news did the stranger impart to cause the man's sudden death? And does the young boy who miraculously appears and befriends the family know anything about it? Is his obvious devotion to the widow and young mistress as pure as it seems?
If you're at all familiar with Alcott's Little Women, you'll understand what I mean when I say that this story reminds me of the stories that Jo must have written before she was taught that all-important truth of "writing what you know." It's a nicely written suspense story but it certainly does not rival Alcott's better works. For a short (and free!) read, though, it is a good pick!
If you're at all familiar with Alcott's Little Women, you'll understand what I mean when I say that this story reminds me of the stories that Jo must have written before she was taught that all-important truth of "writing what you know." It's a nicely written suspense story but it certainly does not rival Alcott's better works. For a short (and free!) read, though, it is a good pick!
August 9, 2023
Una historia de misterio, bien manejada, sutil y muy fluida.
Un misterio muy suave, en un contexto muy victoriano con su romance de por medio.
En todo momento se mantiene el misterio y se desarrolla de tal forma que uno lo cree predecible, pero al final le da su giro.
En resumen, todo es muy simple, no hay grandes emociones ni tensión, aún así es entretenido y ligero. Perfecto para leer entre lecturas, y si te gusta la época victoriana e historias goticas podría ser una buena opción.
Un misterio muy suave, en un contexto muy victoriano con su romance de por medio.
En todo momento se mantiene el misterio y se desarrolla de tal forma que uno lo cree predecible, pero al final le da su giro.
En resumen, todo es muy simple, no hay grandes emociones ni tensión, aún así es entretenido y ligero. Perfecto para leer entre lecturas, y si te gusta la época victoriana e historias goticas podría ser una buena opción.
August 18, 2013
Richard Trevlyn dies suddenly leaving his pregnant wife behind, but prior to his death she overhears him conversing with someone... Then years later an unusual young man appears on their property...
This tale was a good change from the usual 'Little Women' series that Alcott is associated with...
This tale was a good change from the usual 'Little Women' series that Alcott is associated with...
July 23, 2020
Highly recommended ! !
February 4, 2024
3,5
Me gustó mucho la historia, los personajes y lo rápida de leer que es. Pero me pareció un libro apresurado. Me habría encantado que ahondara más en la historia y en los personajes.
De todas maneras, es muy entretenido para pasar la tarde de un domingo.
Me gustó mucho la historia, los personajes y lo rápida de leer que es. Pero me pareció un libro apresurado. Me habría encantado que ahondara más en la historia y en los personajes.
De todas maneras, es muy entretenido para pasar la tarde de un domingo.
February 13, 2022
Se suele encasillar, o al menos yo lo he hecho hasta ahora, a Louisa May Alcott, conocida autora de Mujercitas, en este género más romántico y fell good. Nada más lejos de la realidad, en las últimas semanas estoy descubriendo una faceta de la autora más oscura, donde el misterio, con ciertos toques sobrenaturales incluso, está haciendo que me reconcilie con ella. A través de esta serie de novelas cortas, que Louisa publica al inicio de su andadura literaria en varias revistas de la época como medio de subsistencia familiar, nos adentramos en un tipo de narrativa suya más desconocida, pero igual de sobresaliente.
Con La llave misteriosa y lo que abrió, estamos ante una obra redonda que engloba todos los elementos de la novela gótica y victoriana: un gran misterio en torno a un secreto familiar, aderezado de su buena dosis de romance. Los Trevlyn, viven, en su gran mansión en plena campiña inglesa, la llegada de su primogénita con gran alegría. La noche del nacimiento, un extraño hace su aparición para desencadenar la tragedia y sembrar un misterio que perdurará hasta que años después, Paul, intentará poner fin a la maldición que ha acechado a la familia durante tanto tiempo. Un pequeño relato cargado de suspense para leer del tirón y dejarnos envolver por su atmósfera misteriosa y opresiva a través de unas descripciones muy cuidadas y naturales, una historia con un plot twist final que nos deja boquiabiertos.
De la mano de @editorialfunambulista se ha podido rescatar y editar por primera vez en español, este pequeño relato, que atrapa de principio a fin y que deja tan buen sabor de boca. Una edición cuidada, delicada y preciosa. Novela muy recomendable, y muy imperdonable por mi parte, el no haber descubierto esta novedosa faceta de la autora hasta ahora, está claro que le pondré remedio en los próximos meses.
Con La llave misteriosa y lo que abrió, estamos ante una obra redonda que engloba todos los elementos de la novela gótica y victoriana: un gran misterio en torno a un secreto familiar, aderezado de su buena dosis de romance. Los Trevlyn, viven, en su gran mansión en plena campiña inglesa, la llegada de su primogénita con gran alegría. La noche del nacimiento, un extraño hace su aparición para desencadenar la tragedia y sembrar un misterio que perdurará hasta que años después, Paul, intentará poner fin a la maldición que ha acechado a la familia durante tanto tiempo. Un pequeño relato cargado de suspense para leer del tirón y dejarnos envolver por su atmósfera misteriosa y opresiva a través de unas descripciones muy cuidadas y naturales, una historia con un plot twist final que nos deja boquiabiertos.
De la mano de @editorialfunambulista se ha podido rescatar y editar por primera vez en español, este pequeño relato, que atrapa de principio a fin y que deja tan buen sabor de boca. Una edición cuidada, delicada y preciosa. Novela muy recomendable, y muy imperdonable por mi parte, el no haber descubierto esta novedosa faceta de la autora hasta ahora, está claro que le pondré remedio en los próximos meses.
November 2, 2021
Lo que llevo leído hasta ahora de la faceta más macabra y gótica de Louisa May Alcott me ha gustado bastante. Utilizar el seudónimo de A. M. Barnard (que hasta 1942 no se atribuyó a la autora de ‘Mujercitas’), le permitía explorar otro tipo de personajes, espacios y de tramas muy distintas y, además de tener un estilo muy pulido, tiene la virtud de incluir siempre giros al final que suelen ser difíciles de anticipar. La historia nos muestra a los Trevlyn, un matrimonio noble y feliz a pesar de que sobre su familia se cierne una funesta profecía. Una visita en plena noche y un secreto escuchado a través de la pared desatará la tragedia. El fallo que puedo ponerle a esta novellete es que el hecho de tener poco más de 100 páginas le impide un mayor desarrollo, pero por lo demás, es entretenida.
RESEÑA COMPLETA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eR_2...
RESEÑA COMPLETA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eR_2...
September 26, 2022
3'5 ⭐
No solo Mujercitas.
Me ha encantado leer a Louisa May Alcott en su versión más gótica. Una historia breve pero muy entretenida y que atrapa desde el principio.
Ojalá tuviera unas pocas páginas más porque el final es algo precipitado.
No solo Mujercitas.
Me ha encantado leer a Louisa May Alcott en su versión más gótica. Una historia breve pero muy entretenida y que atrapa desde el principio.
Ojalá tuviera unas pocas páginas más porque el final es algo precipitado.
January 11, 2023
Una Louisa May Alcott antes de Mujercitas. Un estilo áspero, acartonado. Todo es vertiginoso y falto de suspenso o interés. Es bastante infantil y se nota que es un texto de una escritora que se está iniciando.
El personaje de Paul quizás pueda ser un primer bosquejo del Laurie de Mujercitas.
El personaje de Paul quizás pueda ser un primer bosquejo del Laurie de Mujercitas.
May 22, 2024
4'5 ⭐️
August 15, 2018
Loved this story!
April 28, 2013
The Mysterious Key And What It Opened by Louisa May Alcott
The story begins with the mysterious death of Sir Richard Trevlyn. All the reader knows is that Richard's wife, Alice, who is pregnant with their first child, listens through a keyhole in the library door to a conversation Richard has with a visitor. What she hears horrifies her, she faints, and a servant, Hester, finds her and helps her to bed. Alice insists Richard not be disturbed, but Hester is worried and goes to the library anyway to tell him his wife is ill. She finds him slumped over his desk, dead.
Twelve years later the child, Lillian, meets a stranger on the grounds, a sixteen year old boy named Paul who applies for work on the estate. He does his job well, advancing in position and earning the affection of family and servants alike. Some of the servants suspect he may be more than a mere gardener or groom, but they like him and when he leaves without a word to anyone they are confused and disappointed.
The mysteries of why Richard died, who Paul is and how those things are related are drawn out all the way to the last chapters when all is revealed. The authour does a fine job of building interest and holding the reader's attention. It's a little predictable, but in this book I really didn't mind.
I love Alcott's writing. It's....I don't know.....nice. That may not be a great tribute but it's the word that always come to mind when I think about her books. This one is no match for Little Women but it is a pleasant way to pass a few hours. I had actually never heard of this book till I found it free for the ereader, but I'm glad I stumbled across it and I do recommend it.
The story begins with the mysterious death of Sir Richard Trevlyn. All the reader knows is that Richard's wife, Alice, who is pregnant with their first child, listens through a keyhole in the library door to a conversation Richard has with a visitor. What she hears horrifies her, she faints, and a servant, Hester, finds her and helps her to bed. Alice insists Richard not be disturbed, but Hester is worried and goes to the library anyway to tell him his wife is ill. She finds him slumped over his desk, dead.
Twelve years later the child, Lillian, meets a stranger on the grounds, a sixteen year old boy named Paul who applies for work on the estate. He does his job well, advancing in position and earning the affection of family and servants alike. Some of the servants suspect he may be more than a mere gardener or groom, but they like him and when he leaves without a word to anyone they are confused and disappointed.
The mysteries of why Richard died, who Paul is and how those things are related are drawn out all the way to the last chapters when all is revealed. The authour does a fine job of building interest and holding the reader's attention. It's a little predictable, but in this book I really didn't mind.
I love Alcott's writing. It's....I don't know.....nice. That may not be a great tribute but it's the word that always come to mind when I think about her books. This one is no match for Little Women but it is a pleasant way to pass a few hours. I had actually never heard of this book till I found it free for the ereader, but I'm glad I stumbled across it and I do recommend it.
September 1, 2011
Louisa May Alcott wrote this mystery in 1867. It is a real departure from the books she is best known for. It was a decent little mystery. Fairly short, read it in one afternoon. It keeps your interest and makes it hard to put down and before you know it you are done! The characters were fairly simple didn't really hook me but the story was intriguing and you just had to find out what in the world had happened that was so terrible and what the key opened. I would recommend it and give it 3 stars
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November 7, 2022
“La llave misteriosa y lo que abrió” una novela gótica ambientada a principio del siglo XIX.
Con una trama apasionante y llena de romanticismo, la autora transporta al lector a un mundo de combinaciones inauditas.
Una atmósfera envolvente de misterio e intriga.
Su narrativa seductora hacen de esta breve obra un auténtico goce literario.
Un desenlace insospechado en mi caso que me ha dejado con ganas de seguir leyendo a esta extraordinaria autora.
“Todo es creado dos veces, primero en la mente y luego en la realidad.” Robin S. Sharma
Con una trama apasionante y llena de romanticismo, la autora transporta al lector a un mundo de combinaciones inauditas.
Una atmósfera envolvente de misterio e intriga.
Su narrativa seductora hacen de esta breve obra un auténtico goce literario.
Un desenlace insospechado en mi caso que me ha dejado con ganas de seguir leyendo a esta extraordinaria autora.
“Todo es creado dos veces, primero en la mente y luego en la realidad.” Robin S. Sharma
February 21, 2024
i enjoyed this a lot and loved to see a different style of louisa may alcotts writing!
April 3, 2024
A cute, short read that I enjoyed a lot. It was a little predictable and cliche. However, it really fit the time and was pleasant.
March 6, 2025
3.5, tal vez si fuera más extenso hubiera tenido mejor desarrollo tanto de historia como de personajes
September 11, 2012
I was a huge fan of the Little Women movie starring Winona Ryder and Christian Bale growing up (I didn't read the actual novel until I was 22), so a couple of years ago when I saw a smutty-looking thriller by Louisa May Alcott called A Long Fatal Love Chase for sale in a used book shop in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, I had to buy it. One of the story lines in Little Women is the "blood-and-thunder tales" Jo writes to get by as a writer, until her big break comes. Louisa May herself did the exact same thing, and I wanted to see what kind of stories they were. I LOVED it. There were kidnappings, fake marriages, stalkings, arisocratical scandals, and of course a few untimely deaths. Pretty much exactly what you want from that sort of novel. So about four years later, I found The Mysterious Key and What it Opened in a different used book shop, this time in Brattleboro, Vermont. I finally read it on a trip last month, and I wasn't disappointed. It's a book of four stories, each between 50 and 100 pages long, and it was just as much salacious fun as A Long Fatal Love Chase. And apart from being fun, the stories are of course very well written, because they're the work of a great-author-in-the-making. If you enjoy a 19th century mystery tale now and then, I recommend it.
March 17, 2017
A fun little read. Though I suppose it's technically a full length novel, it felt to me more like a short story that I easily read in one afternoon. Though it definitely isn't among Alcott's best, I still really enjoyed it and would recommend it as a fast and easy read!
July 20, 2021
Fans of Little Women may be disappointed with some of Alcott's lesser known works. The key, I find, to enjoying her melodramatic stories, is visualizing them being acted out by the March girls in their amateur theatricals. Amy will naturally play the lovely, strong-willed and slightly spoiled Lillian. Meg as the mother will then trade off with Jo in the other parts while Beth laughs and applauds. :) Cast-off clothes, tablecloths and other found items provide costumes and setting. It's great fun, as is this short story of mysterious deaths, noble youths forced in servitude, and young love. The only thing missing is a sword fight; Jo dearly loved acting them, didn't she?
August 7, 2024
No sé si el libro enserio es malísimo, o leí una traducción pésima pero la verdad no terminé de entender el argumento de la historia. Siento que es un libro/cuento para trabajar en clases de secundaria, ni siquiera para leer por gusto.
August 12, 2018
Cute story, suspenseful in parts. Great to listen to. Just a little melodramatic, which was the style back then.
October 3, 2018
This was a lovely, short read. I felt it warm the cockles of my heart, and I really enjoyed the ending. Perhaps it is an unrealistic sort of story since forgiveness and goodness are not so abundant, but I like to think they are. And even if they aren't, at least they are in books, which is why there are books, right?
November 26, 2020
All in all, a little bit meh and lukewarm, though there are some interesting tidbits to it.
August 8, 2021
I love her writing style for the thrillers, but this one felt kind of similar to behind a mask but not half as interesting.
August 20, 2022
Muy breve y entretenida. Para leer de una sentada.
No leí Mujercitas, así que fue una buena aproximación a la autora, me gustó su estilo y, particularmente, me gusta mucho el género.
No leí Mujercitas, así que fue una buena aproximación a la autora, me gustó su estilo y, particularmente, me gusta mucho el género.
June 4, 2024
Not my cuppa tea! I finished it, barely, just to see who dunnit and it was predictable.
July 30, 2024
3.8🌟 Me gustó a pesar que el final es un poco simple.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews