''The Rocks of Valpré'' is a 1913 novel by the British writer Ethel M. Dell. First published in the United States in 1913. It is set in the mid-nineteenth century when an officer wrongly imprisoned on Devil's Island escapes and heads to Europe to rescue the love of his life from the villain.

Reception

Contemporary reviews of the novel were mixed. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' called the novel "a well constructed and closely knit tale." Other reviews noted its "sentimentality", with the ''

Boston Transcript The ''Boston Evening Transcript'' was a daily afternoon newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts, published from July 24, 1830, to April 30, 1941. Beginnings ''The Transcript'' was founded in 1830 by Henry Dutton and James Wentworth of the firm of D ...

'' calling the novel a "deft old fashioned novel with much variety of interest and some effective character drawing. It comes dangerously near shipwreak on the rock of sentimentality, but never becomes quite mawkish." It was a bestseller, including in Canada.

Adaptations

The novel has twice been adapted into a film. A 1919 silent version '' The Rocks of Valpré'' was directed by

Maurice Elvey Maurice Elvey (11 November 1887 – 28 August 1967) was one of the most prolific film directors in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year. He a ...

. In 1935 a sound version '' The Rocks of Valpré'' was directed by Henry Edwards.

References

1913 British novels British novels adapted into films Novels by Ethel M. Dell Novels set in the 19th century Fiction about prison escapes {{1910s-novel-stub