Louisa May Alcott was famous for her semi-autobiographical novel, Little Women, in which she fictionalized her childhood in order to meet the demands of the reading public and make money to support her family. As a result of books such as Little Women and because of the Victorian idea of what was suitable for women, Louisa May Alcott found it necessary to publish her ‘potboilers’ under an alias.
A. M. Barnard was the name under which she would submit writing which would not agree with the public’s image of her and which would not suit the Victorian idea of what a female author should write. However, her novel, which we now know as A Long Fatal Love Chase, was too risky for publishers even when submitted as a book to be published under her male pseudonym.
A Man Stalks a Woman
What made A Long Fatal Love Chase too controversial to publish even by a male writer was the fact that it is essentially about a stalking relationship. While today’s audiences are familiar with stalking and the often deadly results, Victorians simply weren’t ready to have their women stalked and killed by men who presumably loved them and who were intended to be their protectors. However, the flaw that made it impossible to publish during Alcott’s lifetime makes it surprisingly modern today.
A Blood-and-Thunder Tale
The story was meant for serial publication in a journal known as The Flag of Our Union, which published gothic and sensational stories including those of Ned Buntline, the creator of the dime novel. The need for pacing that would bring an audience back issue after issue and the drama required by the journal’s readers dictates the style of A Long Fatal Love Chase, a style that many modern readers will discover is built on stock characters and loaded with melodrama.
Basic Plot
The novel opens with the impetuous declaration “I tell you I cannot bear it, I shall do something desperate if this life is not changed soon. It gets worse and worse, and I often feel as if I’d gladly sell my soul to Satan for a year of freedom.”
The plot follows the life of a young girl named Rosamond who lives alone on an island with her grandfather who cares little for her. One day, a boat sails into harbor and she meets Philip Tempest. The two men Rosamond 's grandfather and Tempest, gamble for the girl and Tempest wins her. He takes her away but after a year together, Rosamond begins to discover the lies and deceit that surround her. She flees. Tempest chases her across Europe obsessed by the woman who ran away.
Extremely Appealing
For those who seek a literary read, Louisa May Alcott’s novel A Long Fatal Love Chase may not satisfy, unless they enjoy locating the similarities between it and Little Women. However, if reading something with classic plot twists, over-the-top melodrama, and a surprising ending appeals to you, pick up a Long Fatal Love Chase.
While the genre isn’t material for a classic literature course, it is absolutely wonderful escapism and Louisa May Alcott handles it superbly.
Alcott, Louisa May. A Long Fatal Love Chase. Dell Publishing. 1995. ISBN 0-440-22301-6
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