A Sensation Novel (1871) is a comic musical by W. S. Sullivan. First performed at the Royal Gallery of Illustration in January 1871, A Sensation Novel is one of Gilbert's collaborations with composer Thomas German Reed, whose German Reed Entertainments have been credited with revitalizing British theatre. As a satire of Victorian sensation novels that employs self-aware stock characters, the play is a metatheatrical work that anticipates Luigi Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author (1921), predating it by half a century. Lamenting his loss of creative energy, an author appeals to the Spirit of Romance for guidance. Appearing before him, the Spirit reveals a shocking truth: the characters he has been working on are actually the souls of sinners condemned to play their polar opposites for eternity. Not only this, but the characters will soon become real. In a panic, the author flees his home for a time. When he returns, he finds the figures who filled the pages of his novel have taken control of their destinies, defying his restrictions and reveling in the chance to be alive. A story of romance, adventure, and crime ensues, blending the popular themes of the era's sensation novels for comic effect while investigating the nature of creativity itself. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of W. S. Gilbert's A Sensation Novel is a classic work of English literature reimagined for modern readers.
- ISBN10 1513287176
- ISBN13 9781513287171
- Publish Date 8 July 2021 (first published 21 June 2021)
- Publish Status Cancelled
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Graphic Arts Books
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 60
- Language English