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Although it first appeared in 1906, Prisoners has a surprisingly 'modern' feel to it. It is the story of various prisoners: Michael, physically imprisoned for a murder he did not commit, and mentally imprisoned by his love for Fay: Fay imprisoned by her own shallow and selfish character: Bessie and Magdalen imprisoned by family circumstances: and Michael's brother Wentworth imprisoned by his own mediocrity.
A sample chapter of Prisoners is available on this website.
The full text can also be read online or downloaded free of charge. It is in XHTML format, like this page. Please note the file size is 515 kb and it may take some time to open-up if you choose to read it online. Downloading for reading later may be the preferred option and this can be typically achieved by calling up an option box. If you have a mouse and it is configured for left click to select, right clicking the link may give you this option. Link to the full text of Prisoners
"Two years," said the bishop--"two years. Fast bound in misery and iron. You in misery, and he only in iron. You two poor children!"
The tragedy of the story is not just that of Michael's unjust imprisonment, but Fay's complete inability to recognize her own responsibility for his fate. She is shallow, selfish and completely self-centred, but her final self-realisation and redemption at the end of the book is totally believable, such is Mary Cholmondeley's skill in entering into her characters. Michael himself, and his brother Wentworth are also portrayed as imperfect, flawed and ultimately selfish characters, but still manage to engage our sympathies.
A recurring image throughout the book is that of the butterfly: it is an image of beauty, of fragility, of vulnerability, and ultimately of freedom, bringing the story to its tragic ending.
Page created 9 December 2002 and last
updated 9 December 2002
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