The Sorrows of Satan

The novel «The Sorrows of Satan» by Marie Corelli (this sonorous pseudonym was taken by the Englishwoman Mary Mackay) was published in 1895 and became one of the largest literary events of the Victorian era. It was extremely successful among... readers, breaking all possible sales records. When critics turned against the writer, she was supported by Oscar Wilde, whose novel «The Picture of Dorian Gray,» written five years earlier, largely anticipated the appearance of «The Sorrows of Satan.» Turning to the popular plot of a deal with the devil, Marie Corelli created one of the most ambiguous images of Satan in world literature: in her novel, he is a character who does not wish evil but creates it, tempting people while living in the hope that they will overcome their desires and cease to sin. Readers can expect non-trivial plot twists and a phantasmagorical ending. Interestingly, the first Russian-language edition of the novel (1903) was published under the name of Bram Stoker, the author of the novel about Dracula. As a result of this mistake, the authorship of «The Sorrows of Satan» was long attributed to Stoker in Russia. Today, Marie Corelli's novel is justly recognized as a classic of European mysticism.