The Infernal Marriage

Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield, 1804-188Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.9

Word count: 115K words
Chapters: 12

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Infernal Marriage by Earl of Beaconsfield Benjamin DisraeliAuthor: Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield, 1804-1881,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Dec 3, 2006

Editor's review

The Infernal Marriage is an early satirical work by Disraeli. It is short, yet it fully displays the talent for political satire and witty dialogue that he would later develop. Framed as a "marriage in hell," the work uses mythological material to offer a playful examination of Victorian social customs, ideas of marriage, and high-society sociability. The language is sharp and the irony dense, making for a coolly amusing read in the English humorous vein. As a free electronic text from Project Gutenberg, it is easily accessible and serves as a light entry point for understanding Disraeli's literary profile and the tradition of English satire. A caveat: the book is in English and carries nineteenth-century rhetorical habits and a dense load of allusions, so it demands a certain level of English reading ability; its value lies more in literary wit and historical context than in a complete or substantial plot. It suits slow, attentive reading in leisure moments, and also reading in comparison with the author's political novels.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in nineteenth-century English literature and the satirical tradition
Researchers and students who want to understand Disraeli's literary profile
English-language readers who enjoy witty dialogue and ironic style
Advanced learners who need free public-domain English texts for reading practice

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for a tightly plotted, strongly narrative novel
Readers still at an early stage of English reading who struggle with nineteenth-century rhetoric
Readers uninterested in mythological framing and political allegory

Reading tips

Read a short introduction to Disraeli's historical background before entering the text; the allegory will be easier to grasp.
Do not stop to look up every allusion or proper noun; read through first to grasp the tone and direction of the satire.
Read it alongside the author's other works to observe how his satirical technique continues and changes.
It is short; consider reading it in two or three sittings, noting after each the satirical points that struck you most.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a short work?

In length and structure it is closer to a short satirical work than to a substantial narrative novel. Do not expect complex plot development; the focus is on verbal wit and mockery of social customs, making it a light read for understanding the author's early style.

Can I understand it without a background in British history?

You can grasp the general meaning, but you will lose some of the satire's specific targets. The work uses a mythological frame to mirror social customs and ideas of marriage; a little knowledge of Victorian high-society sociability will make the ironic points clearer. While reading, focus on grasping the tone and humor rather than researching every reference.

What is special about this edition?

This edition comes from Project Gutenberg and is a free public-domain electronic text, easy to obtain, search, and excerpt. The text is in the original English with no detailed annotations, so it is better suited to readers with some foundation in English reading who are willing to look things up themselves.

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About the author

Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield, 1804-188 Author

Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield (1804–188), was an English novelist and statesman. Public information is limited, and the details of his life cannot be fully set out in this entry. The collection holds nineteen of his works, including Sybil, Or, The Two Nations; Henrietta Temple: A Love Story; Vivian Grey; Coningsby Or, The New Generation; Endymion; Venetia; The Voyage of Captain Popanilla; and Lothair. These works draw largely on British political and social life, often set against the aristocracy, party conflict, and class divisions, and combine love plots with satire, marked by witty language and lively dialogue. The idea of "the two nations" put forward in Sybil has become widely known as a phrase for the social gulf between rich and poor. His novels are both readable and offer a literary perspective on nineteenth-century British political culture.