The Yellow Mask - Hardcover

by Wilkie Collins (Author), Mint Editions (Contribution by)

The Yellow Mask (1887) is a novel by Wilkie Collins. Written toward the end of his life, The Yellow Mask recaptures some of the author's trademark sense of mystery and psychological unease that made him a household name around the world. Recognized as an important Victorian novelist and pioneer of detective fiction, Wilkie Collins was a writer with a gift for thoughtful entertainment, stories written for a popular audience that continue to resonate with scholars and readers today. Father Rocco is a Catholic priest in the Italian city of Pisa. Through his brother, a sculptor and teacher, he becomes aware of Count Fabio D'Ascoli, a wealthy heir and an eager student of art. Vindictive and ruled by jealousy, Rocco fabricates a story accusing D'Ascoli's family of stealing from the Church centuries before. Determined to obtain the D'Ascoli fortune, Father Rocco creates a rift between the Count and his young lover Nanina, then places his innocent niece Maddalena in a position to marry D'Ascoli. When Maddalena dies in childbirth, however, a strange figure in a yellow mask begins haunting her distraught widower, driving him to the brink of insanity. Beyond its sensational plot, The Yellow Mask is a novel that effectively critiques the institution of marriage and the morality of leaders in the Roman Catholic Church. Collins' novel is a masterpiece of Gothic horror and mystery for seasoned readers of Victorian fiction and newcomers alike. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Wilkie Collins' The Yellow Mask is a classic work of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

Back Jacket

A vindictive priest hatches a plan to steal the fortune of a local Count. Using his niece Maddalena, he lures Fabio D'Ascoli right into his trap. When the young woman dies in childbirth, Father Rocco is forced to change his approach, driving the heartbroken Count to the brink of total destruction. The Yellow Mask is a mystery novel by Wilkie Collins.