''Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor'' is a novel by English author

Richard Doddridge Blackmore Richard Doddridge Blackmore (7 June 1825 – 20 January 1900), known as R. D. Blackmore, was one of the most famous English novelists of the second half of the nineteenth century. He won acclaim for vivid descriptions and personification of the ...

, published in 1869. It is a romance based on a group of historical characters and set in the late 17th century in

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

and

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, particularly around the

East Lyn Valley East Lyn Valley is a valley of Exmoor, covering northern Devon and western Somerset, England. The East Lyn River is formed from several main tributaries including Hoar Oak Water beginning near Weir Water. Its mouth is at Lynmouth at the confluen ...

area of Exmoor. In 2003, the novel was listed on the BBC's survey The Big Read.

Publication history

Blackmore experienced difficulty in finding a publisher, and the novel was first published anonymously in 1869, in a limited three-volume edition of just 500 copies, of which only 300 sold. The following year it was republished in an inexpensive one-volume edition and became a huge critical and financial success. It has never been out of print.

Reception

It received acclaim from Blackmore's contemporary, Margaret Oliphant, and as well from later Victorian writers including

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

Gerard Manley Hopkins Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 July 1844 – 8 June 1889) was an English poet and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous fame placed him among leading Victorian poets. His prosody – notably his concept of sprung rhythm – established him as an innovato ...

, and

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Word ...

George Gissing George Robert Gissing (; 22 November 1857 – 28 December 1903) was an English novelist, who published 23 novels between 1880 and 1903. His best-known works have reappeared in modern editions. They include ''The Nether World'' (1889), ''New Grub ...

wrote in a letter to his brother Algernon that the novel was "quite admirable, approaching Scott as closely as anything since the latter". A favourite among females, it was also popular among male readers, and was chosen by male students at Yale in 1906 as their favourite novel.

Development of the novel

By his own account, Blackmore relied on a "phonologic" style for his characters' speech, emphasising their accents and word formation. He expended great effort, in all of his novels, on his characters' dialogues and dialects, striving to recount realistically not only the ways, but also the tones and accents, in which thoughts and utterances were formed by the various sorts of people who lived on Exmoor in the 17th century. Blackmore incorporated real events and places into the novel. The Great Winter described in chapters 41–45 was a real event. He himself attended Blundell's School in Tiverton which serves as the setting for the opening chapters. One of the inspirations behind the plot is said to be the shooting of Mary Whiddon on her wedding day at the parish church of

Chagford Chagford is a market town and civil parish on the north-east edge of Dartmoor, in Devon, England, close to the River Teign and the A382, 4 miles (6 km) west of Moretonhampstead. The name is derived from ''chag'', meaning gorse or broom, and ...

, Devon, in the 17th century. Unlike the heroine of the novel, she did not survive, but is commemorated in the church. Apparently, Blackmore invented the name "Lorna", possibly drawing on a Scottish source. According to the preface, the work is a romance and not a historical novel, because the author neither "dares, nor desires, to claim for it the dignity or cumber it with the difficulty of an historical novel." As such, it combines elements of traditional romance, of

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...

's historical novel tradition, of the pastoral tradition, of traditional Victorian values, and of the contemporary

sensation novel The sensation novel, also sensation fiction, was a literary genre of fiction that achieved peak popularity in Great Britain in the 1860s and 1870s.I. Ousby ed., ''The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English'' (1995) p. 844 Its literary forebears i ...

trend. Along with the historical aspects are folk traditions, such as the many legends based around both the Doones and Tom Faggus. The composer

Puccini Giacomo Puccini (Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long lin ...

once considered using the story as the plot for an opera, but abandoned the idea.

Plot summary

John Ridd is the son of a respectable farmer in 17th century Exmoor, a region in North

and

, England. The notorious Doone clan, once nobles and now outlaws, murdered John’s father. Battling his desire for revenge, John (in

West Country dialect West Country English is a group of English language varieties and accents used by much of the native population of South West England, the area sometimes popularly known as the West Country. The West Country is often defined as encompassin ...

, pronounced "Jan") too grows into a respectable farmer who cares well for his mother and sisters. He meets Lorna by accident and falls hopelessly in love. She turns out (apparently) to be the granddaughter of Sir Ensor, lord of the Doones. Sir Ensor’s impetuous and now jealous heir Carver will let nothing thwart his plan to marry Lorna once he comes into his inheritance. Lorna Doone - Jan Ridd learns to fire a gun - Project Gutenberg eText 17460

Lorna Doone - Jan Ridd learns to fire a gun - Project Gutenberg eText 17460

Sir Ensor dies, and Carver becomes lord of the Doones. John helps Lorna escape to his family's farm. Since Lorna is a Doone the Ridds have mixed feelings toward her but defend her against Carver's retaliatory attack. During a visit from the Counsellor, Carver's father and the wisest Doone, Lorna's necklace is stolen. Sir Ensor had told Lorna the necklace was her mother’s. A family friend soon discovers the necklace belonged to a Lady Dugal, who was robbed and murdered by outlaws. Only her daughter survived. Lorna is not a Doone after all, but heiress to a huge fortune. By law, but against her will, she must return to London as a ward in Chancery. Despite John and Lorna's love, their marriage is out of the question. King Charles II dies, and the Duke of Monmouth, the late king's illegitimate son, challenges Charles's brother

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

for the throne. Hoping to reclaim their ancestral lands, the Doones abandon their plan to marry Lorna to Carver and claim her wealth, and side with Monmouth. Monmouth is defeated at the

Battle of Sedgemoor The Battle of Sedgemoor was the last and decisive engagement between the Kingdom of England and rebels led by the Duke of Monmouth during the Monmouth rebellion, fought on 6 July 1685, and took place at Westonzoyland near Bridgwater in Somerse ...

, and his associates are sought for

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

. Although innocent, John Ridd is captured during the rebellion. An old friend takes John to London to clear John’s name. Reunited with Lorna, John thwarts an attack on her guardian, Earl Brandir. The king then pardons John and grants him a title. The communities around Exmoor have tired of the Doones’ depredations. Knowing the Doones better than any other man, John leads the attack. All the Doone men are killed except the Counsellor and Carver, who escapes vowing revenge. When Earl Brandir dies, Lorna’s new guardian allows her to return to Exmoor and marry John. Carver bursts into their wedding, shoots Lorna and flees. In a blind rage, John pursues Carver. A struggle leaves Carver sinking in a mire and John so exhausted that he can only watch as Carver dies. John discovers that Lorna has survived, and after a period of anxious uncertainty they live happily ever after.

Chronological key

The narrator, John Ridd, says he was born on 29 November 1661; in Chapter 24, he mentions Queen Anne as the current monarch, so the time of narration is 1702–1714 making him 40–52 years old. Although he celebrates New Year's Day on 1 January, at that time in England the year in terms of A.D. "begins" Annunciation Style on 25 March, so 14 February 1676 would still be 1675 according to the old reckoning. Most of the dates below are given explicitly in the book. List of chapters, with dates where mentioned: # Elements of Education # An Important Item (29 Nov 73, 12th birthday) # The War-path of the Doones # A Rash Visit # An Illegal Settlement # Necessary Practice (Dec 73) # Hard It Is to Climb (29 Nov 75, 14 Feb 76) # A Boy and a Girl # There Is No Place Like Home # A Brave Rescue and a Rough Ride (Nov 76) # Tom Deserves His Supper (Nov 76) # A Man Justly Popular (Nov 76, Feb 77, Dec 82) # Master Huckaback Comes In (31 Dec 82) # A Motion Which Ends in a Mull (1 Jan 83) # Quo Warranto? (Jan 83) # Lorna Growing Formidable (14 Feb 83) # John Is Bewitched # Witchery Leads to Witchcraft (Mar) # Another Dangerous Interview # Lorna Begins Her Story # Lorna Ends Her Story # A Long Spring Month (Mar, Apr) # A Royal Invitation # A Safe Pass for King's Messenger # A Great Man Attends to Business # John Is Drained and Cast Aside # Home Again at Last (Aug 83?) # John Has Hope of Lorna # Reaping Leads to Revelling # Annie Gets the Best of It # John Fry's Errand # The Feeding of the Pigs # An Early Morning Call (Oct 83) # Two Negatives Make an Affirmative # Ruth Is Not Like Lorna # John Returns to Business (Nov) # A Very Desperate Venture # A Good Turn for Jeremy # A Troubled State and a Foolish Joke # Two Fools Together # Cold Comfort # The Great Winter (Dec 83) # Not Too Soon # Brought Home at Last # Change Long Needed (15 Dec 83 – 7 Mar 84) # Squire Faggus Makes Some Lucky Hits # Jeremy in Danger # Every Man Must Defend Himself # Maiden Sentinels Are Best # A Merry Meeting a Sad One # A Visit from the Counsellor # The Way To Make the Cream Rise # Jeremy Finds Out Something # Mutual Discomfiture # Getting into Chancery # John Becomes Too Popular # Lorna Knows Her Nurse # Master Huckaback's Secret # Lorna Gone Away # Annie Luckier Than John (autumn 84) # Therefore He Seeks Comfort (autumn-winter 84) # The King Must Not Be Prayed For (8 Feb 13 Jun, Jul 85) # John Is Worsted by the Women (Jul 85) # Slaughter in the Marshes (

Sedgemoor Sedgemoor is a low-lying area of land in Somerset, England. It lies close to sea level south of the Polden Hills, historically largely marsh (or "moor" in its older sense). The eastern part is known as King's Sedgemoor, and the western part Wes ...

, 6 Jul 85) # Falling Among Lambs # Suitable Devotion # Lorna Still Is Lorna # John Is John No Longer # Not To Be Put Up With # Compelled to Volunteer # A Long Account Settled # The Counsellor and the Carver # How To Get Out of Chancery # Blood Upon the Altar n some editions, At the Altar(Whittuesday 86) # Give Away the Grandeur

n some editions, Given Back N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

Other versions and cultural references

*Lorna Doone is also a shortbread cookie made by

Mondelez Mondelez International, Inc. ( ), often styled Mondelēz, is an American multinational confectionery, food, holding and beverage and snack food company based in Chicago. Mondelez has an annual revenue of about $26 billion and operates in ...

. *Title character Lorna Doone, a B-movie actress in a

Thomas Tryon Thomas Tryon (6 September 1634 – 21 August 1703) was an English sugar merchant, author of popular self-help books, and early advocate of animal rights and vegetarianism. Life Born in 1634 in Bibury near Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England, ...

novella was christened in honor of Blackmore's character. *''Lorna Doone'' was said to be the favourite book of Australian

bushranger Bushrangers were originally escaped convicts in the early years of the British settlement of Australia who used the bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities. By the 1820s, the term had evolved to refer to those who took up "robbery under ...

and outlaw Ned Kelly, who may have thought of the idea of his armour by reading of the outlaw Doones "with iron plates on breast and head." *The phrase "Lorna Doone" is used in Cockney rhyming slang for spoon. *Lorna Doone is a character portrayed by

Christine McIntyre Christine Cecilia McIntyre (April 16, 1911 – July 8, 1984) was an American actress and singer who appeared in various films in the 1930s and 1940s. She is mainly remembered as the beautiful blonde actress who appeared in many of The Three St ...

in The Three Stooges shorts '' The Hot Scots'' and ''

Scotched in Scotland ''Scotched in Scotland'' is a 1954 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 158th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starrin ...

''. *The book inspired the song "Pangs of Lorna" by Kraus. *There is reference to R.D. Blackmore's Lorna Doone in John Galsworthy's play ''

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

'' (1910). * Atholl Oakeley, British wrestling promoter, was fascinated by the book, and billed Exmoor-born wrestler Jack Baltus as Carver Doone in the 1930s. * Cartoonist

H. M. Brock Henry Matthew Brock (11 July 187521 July 1960) was a British illustrator and landscape painter of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He was one of four artist brothers, all of them illustrators, who worked together in their family ...

produced a comic book adaptation of ''Lorna Doone'' for the

British girls' comic British girls' comics flourished in the United Kingdom from the 1950s through the 1970s, before beginning to decline in popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. Publishers known for their girls' comics included DC Thomson and Fleetway/ IPC. Most titles ap ...

'' Princess'' (1960). *"Lornadoon" (or "Lalornadoon") is the name for the forest of

Lothlórien In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Lothlórien or Lórien is the fairest realm of the Elves remaining in Middle-earth during the Third Age. It is ruled by Galadriel and Celeborn from their city of tree-houses at Caras Galadhon. The wood-elves ...

in the ''Lord of the Rings'' parody '' Bored of the Rings''. *

Lornado Lornado is the official residence of the United States Ambassador to Canada. It is located in the Rockcliffe Park area of Ottawa, Ontario. History The house was built in 1908 for Warren Y. Soper, an American-born, Ottawa-based industrialist. S ...

is the 1908 official 32-room residence of the United States Ambassador to Canada in Ottawa, Canada, that was built by Warren Y. Soper, an Ottawa industrialist, who named it in homage to one of his favorite novels, ''Lorna Doone''. * In Lethal Weapon 3 when Roger Murtaugh and Martin Riggs are being introduced to Head of Intelligence Herman Walters and Internal Affairs Sgt Lorna Cole, Riggs derisively calls her "Lorna Doone", Murtaugh then says "Lorna COLE", apparently not recognizing the reference.

References

External links

– a lavishly illustrated edition (Burrows Brothers Company, 1889)
HTML online text of ''Lorna Doone''''Lorna Doone'' at Silver Sirens
* {{Use dmy dates, date=September 2013 1869 British novels Novels by R. D. Blackmore Exmoor Novels adapted into comics British novels adapted into films British novels adapted into television shows Novels set in the 1680s Novels set in Devon Novels set in Somerset Novels set in Early Modern England Literary characters introduced in 1869