The Elixir of Life

by David Carlisle

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Book cover for The Elixir of Life

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Auriol Darcy is surprised attempting to remove the heads of two traitors from the Southwark Gateway of Old London Bridge. He is injured by the warder, Baldred, and carried to the house of Dr Lamb, an alchemist and Auriol Darcy's grandfather, who is assisted by his faithful dwarf Flapdragon. Lamb, on the point of discovering the elixir of life, has a seizure and dies as his ungrateful grandson consumes the draught. The action is entirely couched as a fantasy, so that the supernatural element can take comparatively free rein. The story is accordingly a thoroughly gothic romance. The story concludes in the atmosphere of the lunatic assylum and the villain of the story is his keeper. Indeed, the use of the phantasmagorical aspects of the story to create a nightmarish commentary on contemporary society.
  • ISBN10 1497365457
  • ISBN13 9781497365452
  • Publish Date 16 March 2014
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Createspace
  • Format Paperback (US Trade)
  • Pages 166
  • Language English