ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores George Du Maurier's most characteristic illustrations, their styles and means of reading them; and 'Du Maurier as a Novelist' presents new interpretations of his fiction, with extended analyses of Peter Ibbetson, Trilby and The Martian. It offers a broader perspective, focusing on Du Maurier's satirical engagement with mid and late Victorian culture in the form of parodies, his representation of women, his treatment of class and his reading of Jewishness. The book deals with Paul Goldman's analysis of Du Maurier's deployment of a range of visual styles and their application to a variety of texts. It considers Du Maurier's place within the 'Naughty Nineties' by tracing his deployment of a French lexicon to give voice to what would be taboo subjects in English.
