Literary criticism is not everyone's cup of green tea, but this book is essential for anyone who loves the works of Sheridan Le Fanu. The bulk of the text consists of three introductions Jim Rockhill wrote for 1990s Ash-Three collections, now long out of print. Rockhill has updated what are very substantial essays, and added some extra matter pertaining to the author and his life.
And what a life it was. The first essay, 'As On a Darkling Plain' covers the period 1814- 1861. On the face of it this seems a little odd, as Le Fanu died in 1873. But, as I read on, I came to realise that before the 1860s the author had occupied himself with a wide range of activities, of which writing was just one. Politics, the law, and family life all demanded his time and effort. He married, fathered four children, then in 1858 suffered the terrible blow of his wife's death. It was only then that Le Fanu took to writing full-time to pay off debts and provide for his offspring.
Overall, the first essay is a good biographical piece and sets Le Fanu firmly in the context of a troubled society. The descendant of Protestant immigrants, Le Fanu was part of a privileged elite but also felt his position to be precarious. He flirted with nationalism and wrote sympathetically of the native Irish. But after the turbulence of the 1840s he retreated from the 'Young Ireland' movement that had attempted a full-on uprising.
