The Castle Inn by Stanley J. Weyman
Arthur Rackham Raises a Glass at Weyman’s The Castle Inn
Set in England in 1767 during the early reign of King George III, Stanley J. Weyman’s romantic thriller The Castle Inn utilizes the tumultuous backdrop of highwaymen and coaching inns to spin a lively tale of inheritance intrigue and love. When French aristocrats Mademoiselle de Cocheforêt and her royalist brother the Marquis de Vaucelles arrive to claim a distant English inheritance, they take over the decrepit Castle Inn.
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Buy The Castle Inn
1898 edition of Stanley J. Weyman’s romantic thriller The Castle Inn set in 1760s England.
- Starring a foreboding inn, Rackham’s lone atmospheric frontispiece painting
- Historical drama, action, and aristocratic love converge within
- Beloved novelist Weyman highlighted by Rackham’s signature ominous architecture
- A flawless pairing of wistful setting heralding intrigue awaiting
Yet dangerous forces soon entangle the pair, including wicked plots by English commoner George Egremont who aims to steal their birthright and the affections of the spirited Mademoiselle. As motives emerge and allegiances shift, the “castle” itself almost becomes a foreboding character within Weyman’s robust dramatics. Through many twists of both honor and betrayal, the author crafts an signature action-packed drama from his vivid post-Restoration milieu filled with accurate detail.
Weyman’s propulsive storytelling receives an evocative visual heralding via Arthur Rackham’s lone gothic frontispiece highlighting the worn, isolated inn awaiting both protagonists and readers as the crossroads for intrigue and romance ahead.
Format: Dark blue cloth binding (371 pages + 4 pages adverts)
Size: 5 x 7 5⁄8 inches
Text: The Castle Inn by Stanley J. Weyman
Illustrations: Frontispiece halftone illustration by Arthur Rackham of The Castle Inn
Publisher: Smith, Elder & Co. (London)
Publication Date: 1898
Summary: Though its sole illustration, Arthur Rackham’s atmospheric frontispiece painting for popular author Stanley J. Weyman’s 1898 historical novel The Castle Inn sets an appropriately ominous mood.
Rendered in Rackham’s finely-tuned monochromatic style, his haunting composition depicts the book’s setting – a dilapidated roadside inn in France whose new proprietors become entangled in post-Revolutionary politics and romance.
While Weyman’s other works featured famous illustrators like N.C. Wyeth, Rackham’s isolated Gothic vista stands alone in the British first edition, hinting at the skulduggery awaiting the innkeepers and travelers. Though not fantasy subject matter, Rackham collectors should acquire this scarce piece capturing both his early interpretive maturity and a pivotal era of sociopolitical unease soon to boil over.
