The Temptress by William Le Queux

"The Temptress" by William Le Queux is a novel written in the early 20th century. The book unfolds a dramatic tale beginning in a bleak chapel on the penal island of New Caledonia, where a convict marries his bride amid grim circumstances. The story introduces the main characters, including a sorrowful husband serving a long sentence and his seemingly indifferent wife, who harbors deeper feelings of contempt for her new marital ties and a desire for freedom. At the start of the novel, readers witness a poignant but ironic wedding ceremony between a convict and his bride. The setting is stark and filled with despair, highlighting the harsh realities of life on the penal island. Immediately after the ceremony, the husband is taken back into the penal system, while his wife, initially masked in conventionality, reveals her true feelings of frustration and hatred towards the man she has just married. She expresses a desire for his demise to reclaim her freedom, emphasizing the internal conflict and tension between social duty and personal yearning that drives the narrative forward. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Download for free

For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.

Other formats & older devices

About this eBook

Author Le Queux, William, 1864-1927
Title The Temptress
Credits Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England
Reading Level Reading ease score: 72.7 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
Language English
LoC Class PR: Language and Literatures: English literature
Subject Mystery fiction
Category Text
eBook-No. 40833
Release Date
Last Update Oct 23, 2024
Copyright Public domain in the USA.
Downloads 436 downloads in the last 30 days.

Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!