Trilby (novel)
Trilby is the second and most successful novel by the English writer George du Maurier . The original edition in English appeared in 1894, the German first release took place in 1896 in Stuttgart publisher Robert Lutz.
In both the UK and the US , the novel became a bestseller immediately after publication. In the foreword to the German first edition from 1896, it says: “In the course of the last few years there has hardly been a book that has caused such an extraordinary sensation when it was first published and captured the hearts of readers by storm as George du Maurier's novel Trilby. The American book edition was sold in 100,000 copies in a few months, while at the same time seven editions of the three-volume edition appeared in succession in London at 31½ shillings. "
Over time, Svengali became synonymous with a hypnotist in general, and a small town in Florida was given the name Trilby . There are also songs, plays and films that were inspired by the novel or at least contain one of the two terms. Probably the most famous film is Svengali , which premiered in 1931 .
action
First part
The focus of the story is the three British painters Taffy Wynne, Billy Bagot and Sandy McAllister aka The Laird . They share a studio on Place St. Anatole des Arts in Paris' Latin Quarter . There they get frequent visits from the musicians Svengali and Gecko as well as the magical trilby O'Farrell, the heroine of the novel.
Apart from Svengali , a truly obnoxious person whom the three British friends only tolerate because of his extraordinary musical talent, and his only friend Gecko, they form a very harmonious community.
Trilby goes out of her way to please the three friends. Over time, the three Brits had an increasing respect for Trilby, and little Billy in particular soon fell in love with her as immortally as she fell in love with him. But there is no future for their love. Although he repeatedly proposes to her, she refuses all of them because her past as a model for various artists makes her unworthy of him. When she finally gives in to his insistence and agrees to the marriage, Billy's mother tries to talk to her. She also considers Trilby unsuitable to become Billy's wife due to her past and gives her to understand that a possible marriage would soon be followed by complete disenchantment and lifelong remorse. So she elicits Trilby, who doesn't think of herself well enough for Billy and only wants his best, the promise not to marry Billy and never to see Billy again.
Trilby leaves town, leaving little Billy dejected. Billy left Paris soon after and returned to his hometown Devonshire , where he lived with his mother and sister. The former community has disintegrated and even Svengali and Gecko have disappeared and no longer appear in the studio, which now seems lonely and abandoned to the two remaining friends. They can't stand it for long and finally also leave Paris to travel the world first together and later each for themselves. This is how the first part of the novel ends.
Second part
After five years, the three friends meet again in London , where Billy has settled in a beautiful studio with an attached apartment on Fitzroy Square . He is now a very popular and successful artist.
It doesn't take long for the friends to hear about an extraordinary singer who performs under the stage name La Svengali . Allegedly, she should have the most beautiful voice that a singer has ever heard and delight audiences everywhere. Due to their pseudonym and the description of their appearance, the three friends involuntarily think of their former friend Trilby, but soon reject the idea because "their trilby" was completely unmusical.
Nevertheless, they became curious and when they found out about an upcoming performance of the Svengali in Paris, they did not miss this opportunity. To their surprise, they realize that the celebrated singer is actually a trilby. They just don't understand how the previously so unmusical trilby became the most revered singer La Svengali.
The secret is Svengali's magical power . Before each performance he puts Trilby into a kind of trance and uses it in a similar way to how one uses a musical instrument . It is his musical talent that makes use of her fantastic voice. The hypnotized trilby, on the other hand, cannot remember any of her appearances and does not want to believe it when she is told about it later.
Svengali is a true sorcerer who has turned trilby into a will- and clueless puppet who, under his influence, does whatever he wants. Through his magic she became the greatest singer of her time, but the real master is Svengali. One movement of his hand is enough to control it completely and let it do whatever he wants. In this state she is completely in his control, a pure singing machine.
The dizziness is finally revealed at a concert at which Svengali cannot conduct himself for health reasons , but has to take a seat in the box . At this concert, the three British friends are also in the auditorium and their gaze crosses with Svengali's gaze, with whom she now has a deep hostility . Out of jealousy towards little Billy, whom Trilby still loves, he turns her performance into a disaster . He denies her his magic power so that she is unable to sing. The audience is in an uproar and Svengali enjoys their humiliation with a horrific, sneering smile from his box seat. It is his last joy, because the next moment he has a heart attack and dies. At the same time as his death, his magic ends and Trilby wonders how she got on this stage and what she is doing there. The three friends fight their way through to her and take care of her from then on.
But Trilby is weakened and getting increasingly sicker. She is tied more and more to her bed and is lovingly cared for by her three friends, Svengali's aunt Martha and Billy's remorseful mother. Trilby has a deep affection for the latter and is heartbroken over the fact that she once misjudged her and successfully tried to keep her son away. One day Trilby falls into a photograph of Svengali. She stares at the picture and literally sinks into thoughts without even noticing her surroundings. Suddenly she begins to sing just as beautifully as she did under the influence of Svengali. It's their last song. Then she falls back on her pillow and dies. Billy doesn't live long either and dies young too.