THE ORIGIN OF MODERN MYSTERY: SENSATION NOVEL AND ITS DISTINCTIVE NARRATIVE STRUCTURE IN THE WOMAN IN WHITE AND LADY AUDLEY'S SECRET

Abstract

Victorian sensation fiction is considered to be an important genre of British fiction which flourished in 1860’s and lost its thrive in a few decades. However its legacy continued in several other forms such as modern mystery novels, detective fiction, suspense and thriller. The main characteristic of sensation novels was to stimulate only basic sensations such as fear, shock, terror on their reader, as they chose their themes from sensational journal articles. As a consequence of this superficiality, the authors of this genre kept themselves responsible to create new techniques to achieve literary success and reputation in the eyes of the reader and literary critics. The interest of today’s reader towards detective novels is indisputable. The aim of this essay is to examine the distinctive narrative structures of sensation fiction by referring mainly to the two most important representatives of the genre The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins and Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon in order to evaluate the genre of sensation fiction with its modern off-springs. In this respect the study will bring into light the relationship between the author and the reader created by the author using innovative narrative techniques.