Heron-Allen, Edward - The Princess Daphne

One of three ghost-written novels Heron-Allen penned for/with actress Selina Dolaro.
Published in 1885, Daphne fits in with other novels of the era. We meet a bright set of young aspirants, creative hopefuls. More bourgeois than bohemian; they have nice digs, eat rich, and are terribly well mannered. These are not the decadents of the fin de siècle.
The novel moseys around for 100 pages before tightening around a trio of couples.
While geographically apart, they are more similar than not. Weaving the couples are money, inspiration and mesmerism. This last element may be the lure for modern curiosity seekers. In this instance, mesmerism is less hypnotism and more astral projection. Think of the Rosicrucians.
The novel is narrated by an unseen member of the opening clutch of friends, and his wordiness borders on overly florid.
The Romantic era – to be candid, Romance tinges the characters and proceedings. An undercurrent of surprising sexuality runs throughout. Pacing moves back and forth from yawn inducing to full gallop. I would read immersed, than change my mind and think, “get on with it.”
There are two other novels in this trilogy of ghost written works by Heron-Allen. I hope to read the other two. My copy is brand new. Perfect bound, done imperfectly. Some pages are already falling out. Sign of the times, I fear, especially with large sized perfect bound books. Buyer beware.