A Woman Perfected

"A Woman Perfected" by Richard Marsh is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story centers around the characters Donald Lindsay, who suffers a sudden stroke, and his daughter Nora, who is left to navigate the aftermath of her father's condition and the mysteries of their family life. As events unfold, the narrative delves into themes of male paternal control, the complications of wealth and social standing, and the complexities of personal relationships. At the start of the book, we witness a poignant scene where Donald Lindsay collapses after exhibiting unusual behavior, sparking concern among his daughter Nora and her friend, Elaine. The gravity of the situation escalates as they discover he is incapacitated in his study, having been engaged in mysterious, secretive activities before his collapse. The opening establishes a sense of foreboding as Nora becomes increasingly aware of her father's hidden life and the lack of communication about his affairs, primarily concerning the wealth and security he is supposed to provide her. From this point, the story hints at deeper secrets entwined with Donald's character, foreshadowing a narrative rich in suspense and intrigue surrounding family dynamics and social expectations. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Richard Marsh was the pseudonym of the English author born Richard Bernard Heldmann. A best-selling and prolific author of the late 19th century and the Edwardian period, Marsh is best known now for his supernatural thriller novel The Beetle, which was published the same year as Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897), and was initially even more popular, outselling Dracula six times over. The Beetle remained in print until 1960. Marsh produced nearly 80 volumes of fiction and numerous short stories, in genres including horror, crime, romance and humour. Many of these have been republished recently, beginning with The Beetle in 2004. Marsh's grandson Robert Aickman was a notable writer of short "strange stories".