The Sorrows of Satan

The action of the novel takes place in London in 1895. Satan walks among people in search of another toy to amuse himself, to show God that he can corrupt anyone. He wants to find someone worthy who can resist temptations, which will be difficult because disbelief, corruption, and venality reign around. Jeffrey Tempest is a young impoverished writer, barely making ends meet, unsuccessfully trying to sell his novel. Once again, when he reflects on his desperate situation, he notices three letters on his table. The first is from a friend in Australia who made a fortune in gold mining, informing him that he is sending a friend to Jeffrey to help him escape poverty. The second is a note from a lawyer detailing that he has inherited a fortune from a deceased relative. The third is a recommendation letter from Prince Lucio Rimanez, "the deliverer from poverty," about whom the friend from Australia wrote. Will Jeffrey be able to make the right choice, to preserve his talent and soul?.. "The Sorrows of Satan" is a mystical decadent novel by English writer Marie Corelli, published in 1895 and became the largest bestseller in the history of Victorian England.