This classic novel by Marie Corelli depicts a passionate affair that ignites a dark flame of love that has gone bad. The story centers on Ziska, a mystery Egyptian woman who is sort of a reincarnation of an old Egyptian woman who was murdered by her boyfriend when he became bored of her. A group of aristocratic English tourists is entranced and seduced by Ziska, whose remarkable likeness to an ancient Egyptian woman prompts a flurry of swirling rumors and ideas about who and what she may actually be. One specific visitor, a well-known painter, grows torridly attracted to the woman, which has ancient ramifications and throws a shadow over him and his fixation, bringing about a fated conclusion that has been brewing for thousands of years. Along the way, a visiting scholar with interests makes the claim that Ziska's life and the lives of the obsessive, love-sick tourists are both imprisoned in enormous mysteries involving reincarnation, past incarnations, eternal love, and the struggle between good and evil. To know the complete story, readers should read this book as it can be a thrilling story!
Marie Corelli can be considered the best-selling author of the Victorian era. She may even be considered the first ever best-seller. She sold a greater number of books than both Arthur Conan Doyle and Rudyard Kipling put together. She was so renowned that calendars were sold with citations from her books, and a series of postcards representing her could be purchased by her devoted readership. Everybody read Corelli's books, from the most basic shopgirl to Oscar Wilde and Queen Victoria herself. A Romance of Two Worlds, her first book, was distributed in 1886, and it turned her into a best selling author in England and one of the favourites of Queen Victoria herself, who ended up ordering the complete collection of Marie's books. Despite the severe criticism, her books often managed to break sales records. Marie was the only writer asked to attend the coronation of Edward VII. Marie Corelli's books are inspired, magical, and philosophical. She volunteered to cure the universe's social ills. Among her best works are Barabbas (1893), Thelma (1887), The Expert Christian (1900), Wormwood (1890), The Mystery Power (1921), The Distresses of Satan (1895), The Existence Never-ending (1911), and Transient Power (1902). After World War I, her books were viewed as obsolete, and both interest and sales declined. She passed away in 1924.
