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The Soul of Countess Adrian
A weird novel of supernatural possession in which the soul of the dead Countess Agnes Adrian, a femme fatale who has studied occultism in the East, displaces the soul of a young American actress; a kind of vampirism. ". surprisingly vivid in describing London drawing rooms in circles concerned with occultism. These conversations are probably based on Mrs. Praed's own experiences."
- GenresLiteratureHorror
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1891
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About the author
Mrs. Campbell Praed
93 books4 followersRosa Campbell Praed (née Murray-Prior), often credited as Mrs Campbell Praed (and also known as Rosa Caroline Praed, Rosa Praed, and R. Murray Prior, was an Australian novelist in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Her large bibliography covered multiple genres, and books for children as well as adults. She has been described as the first Australian novelist to achieve a significant international reputation.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_...
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 9, 2018
like a 3.7 rounded up
Who says Victorian fiction is dull? You won't think so after reading this book, either focusing on the occult story here or on what's happening beneath it. It reads with that quasi-pulpy aesthetic that I love, although there is some very serious stuff at work here.
The story here is set in the milieu of "upper Bohemia," where
"...mummers, novelists, poets, artists, dilettanti members of parliament, and sensation-hunting visitants from a more aristocratic sphere, made a brave show in the spacious drawing rooms."
It is a place of "at-homes," and it is at one of these gatherings that we first encounter Countess Adrian. The new girl in town, also at the same gathering is young Beatrice Brett, an American woman, medium, and aspiring actress to whom we are first introduced as she makes the crossing from New York to Southampton. It is there that she encounters the painter Bernard Lendon, who is taken with her immediately. These three characters comprise the "He, She, and Another -- the triangle of the human drama!" at the center of this novel. However, as I soon discovered, this is not just another novel featuring a romantic triangle, but rather, as the blurb says, a novel of possession. It is also, as my edition's back-cover blurb states, "A tale where love and the occult collide;" the "vampire kiss" given in this story is only a part of a much larger picture.
I read it twice and had great fun with it both times through. But most intriguing is this: there is a very short line I missed my first time through, in one scene where Lendon and the Countess are talking, where she says that she and "this Agnes Adrian had "gone through a good deal together." It begs the question of not only who or what is this Countess Adrian, but also, if indeed, she ever had a soul. Great food for thought here, when all is said and done; readers of gothic, supernatural and Victorian sensation novels will enjoy this book. I definitely recommend it.
http://www.oddlyweirdfiction.com/2018...
Who says Victorian fiction is dull? You won't think so after reading this book, either focusing on the occult story here or on what's happening beneath it. It reads with that quasi-pulpy aesthetic that I love, although there is some very serious stuff at work here.
The story here is set in the milieu of "upper Bohemia," where
"...mummers, novelists, poets, artists, dilettanti members of parliament, and sensation-hunting visitants from a more aristocratic sphere, made a brave show in the spacious drawing rooms."
It is a place of "at-homes," and it is at one of these gatherings that we first encounter Countess Adrian. The new girl in town, also at the same gathering is young Beatrice Brett, an American woman, medium, and aspiring actress to whom we are first introduced as she makes the crossing from New York to Southampton. It is there that she encounters the painter Bernard Lendon, who is taken with her immediately. These three characters comprise the "He, She, and Another -- the triangle of the human drama!" at the center of this novel. However, as I soon discovered, this is not just another novel featuring a romantic triangle, but rather, as the blurb says, a novel of possession. It is also, as my edition's back-cover blurb states, "A tale where love and the occult collide;" the "vampire kiss" given in this story is only a part of a much larger picture.
I read it twice and had great fun with it both times through. But most intriguing is this: there is a very short line I missed my first time through, in one scene where Lendon and the Countess are talking, where she says that she and "this Agnes Adrian had "gone through a good deal together." It begs the question of not only who or what is this Countess Adrian, but also, if indeed, she ever had a soul. Great food for thought here, when all is said and done; readers of gothic, supernatural and Victorian sensation novels will enjoy this book. I definitely recommend it.
http://www.oddlyweirdfiction.com/2018...
April 15, 2025
”You and I ought to be proud and happy that we are artists; for Art is the door through which the undying dead ones can come into our lives and teach us how to move our world as they themselves once moved theirs. If ever I am a great actress, as indeed I think I shall be some day, it will not be I myself who have any power, but the ghosts who have given to me of theirs.”
Another piece of obscure fin-de-siecle Victoriana, but intriguing nonetheless. It makes for a fascinating side-by-side with my previous read Stella Maberly, as both are macabre single-volume novels dealing with the displacement of a gentle, modest personality by a more forward, sexualized, predatory type (aka the Jekyll & Hyde motif). Not surprisingly, themes of insanity, death, & soul loom large in both, although there are key differences:
1) Unreliable first-person narration in Stella; straightforward third-person in Adrian.
2) Stella is written by a man; Adrian is written by a woman.
3) The villainous occupying ghost/soul may or may not be a manifestation of Stella’s own murderous impulses, leading to a question of whether it truly exists as a supernatural entity; Countess Adrian exerts her occult knowledge expressly to steal Beatrice’s form & claim Lendon via that theft, therefore the possession itself is firmly rooted in the supernatural.
What I found most intriguing about this particular tale is the vulnerability of both heroine & villainess. Heroine Beatrice suffers from an acute susceptibility to ‘influences,’ which Lendon learns is polite shorthand for spiritual possession. It’s a family taint, & her guardian is well aware of the issue, as is Beatrice herself, but neither desire her self-worth to be limited to earning money as a hack medium. Instead Beatrice channels her possessions into vivid stage performance, which guarantees her success in bohemian London…but it also draws the eye of seductive Countess Adrian, who sets her sights on metaphorically devouring Beatrice & Lendon both. But for all the sinister undertones that ooze from the Countess whenever she sashays across the page, the author isn’t without sympathy; taking aside her subtly creepy vampiric spirituality, the Countess still faces real-world problems that many Fallen Women would have identified with.
…Subtle food for thought served by Mrs Campbell Praed, & still relevant today.
Anyhoo. This is turning into a TL;DR review, so I’ll end it here & spare everyone my waffling analysis. 🙊 I will say that this book is crying out for a scholarly edition (are you listening, Valancourt? 😏), but this teal version is inexpensive & nicely formatted for a cheap indie printing,** which makes it easily available to others interested in 1890s obscurities.
**I only noticed a few minor formatting & editing errors, so someone human must’ve looked it over with a caring eye. Shocker!
Another piece of obscure fin-de-siecle Victoriana, but intriguing nonetheless. It makes for a fascinating side-by-side with my previous read Stella Maberly, as both are macabre single-volume novels dealing with the displacement of a gentle, modest personality by a more forward, sexualized, predatory type (aka the Jekyll & Hyde motif). Not surprisingly, themes of insanity, death, & soul loom large in both, although there are key differences:
1) Unreliable first-person narration in Stella; straightforward third-person in Adrian.
2) Stella is written by a man; Adrian is written by a woman.
3) The villainous occupying ghost/soul may or may not be a manifestation of Stella’s own murderous impulses, leading to a question of whether it truly exists as a supernatural entity; Countess Adrian exerts her occult knowledge expressly to steal Beatrice’s form & claim Lendon via that theft, therefore the possession itself is firmly rooted in the supernatural.
What I found most intriguing about this particular tale is the vulnerability of both heroine & villainess. Heroine Beatrice suffers from an acute susceptibility to ‘influences,’ which Lendon learns is polite shorthand for spiritual possession. It’s a family taint, & her guardian is well aware of the issue, as is Beatrice herself, but neither desire her self-worth to be limited to earning money as a hack medium. Instead Beatrice channels her possessions into vivid stage performance, which guarantees her success in bohemian London…but it also draws the eye of seductive Countess Adrian, who sets her sights on metaphorically devouring Beatrice & Lendon both. But for all the sinister undertones that ooze from the Countess whenever she sashays across the page, the author isn’t without sympathy; taking aside her subtly creepy vampiric spirituality, the Countess still faces real-world problems that many Fallen Women would have identified with.
…Subtle food for thought served by Mrs Campbell Praed, & still relevant today.
Anyhoo. This is turning into a TL;DR review, so I’ll end it here & spare everyone my waffling analysis. 🙊 I will say that this book is crying out for a scholarly edition (are you listening, Valancourt? 😏), but this teal version is inexpensive & nicely formatted for a cheap indie printing,** which makes it easily available to others interested in 1890s obscurities.
**I only noticed a few minor formatting & editing errors, so someone human must’ve looked it over with a caring eye. Shocker!
March 20, 2021
A creepy supernatural tale about a young actress who believes she is being possessed by the Countess Adrian. Mrs. Campbell Praed's writing was sensitive and mystical which created a spine chilling feeling when reading about this particular subject matter. The fear, passion, torment, and desire of the occult inclinations of the characters was unnerving. I will say the ending was quite abrupt so I think it could have been longer. I loved the author's characterization of art and mysticism. The romantic, delicate, and compassionate approach to the supernatural stories of the 19th century are the reasons for their success and enduring appeal.
October 28, 2017
An interesting and mostly forgotten book. It's all very dramatic, but I enjoyed it. It would make a great movie.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews