영어로 읽는 고전 _ 루비 M 아예의 유령 애인
"유령 애인"은 Ruby M. Ayres가 20세기 초에 쓴 로맨스 소설입니다. 이야기는 새해 전야에 신비로운 젊은 여성 Esther Shepstone와 뜻밖의 가슴 아픈 만남을 갖게 된 Micky Mellowes를 중심으로 전개됩니다. 우연한 만남을 통해 Micky는 Esther의 슬픔과 그들 사이에 피어나는 유대감을 이해하려 노력하면서 친절, 사랑, 그리고 자아발견이라는 주제들을 탐구하게 됩니다.
소설의 시작에서 Micky는 새해 전야 계획이 갑자기 취소되어 좋지 않은 기분에 빠져있습니다. 밖에서 들리는 한 소녀의 울음소리에 이끌려, 그는 고양이를 돌보느라 괴로워 보이는 Esther를 만납니다. Esther의 망설임에도 불구하고, Micky는 그녀를 저녁 식사에 초대하고, 그들은 각자의 절망적인 감정을 나누는 진심 어린 대화를 나눕니다.
하지만 이야기는 Micky가 Esther가 자신의 친구 Ashton과 연관되어 있다는 사실을 알게 되면서 반전을 맞이합니다. Ashton은 최근 Esther의 삶에 영향을 미치는 고통스러운 결정을 내린 상태입니다. 이러한 도입부는 Micky가 전개되는 drama 속에서 Esther에 대한 자신의 감정과 씨름하는 로맨틱한 얽힘과 감정적 도전의 이야기를 위한 무대를 마련합니다.
Classics Read in English _ The Phantom Lover by Ruby M. Ayres
"The Phantom Lover" by Ruby M. Ayres is a romance novel written in the early 20th century. The story revolves around Micky Mellowes, a man who finds himself unexpectedly drawn into a poignant encounter with a mysterious young woman named Esther Shepstone on New Year's Eve. Their chance meeting leads Micky to explore themes of kindness, love, and self-discovery as he tries to understand Esther's sorrow and their budding connection. At the start of the novel, Micky is in a foul mood after his New Year's Eve plans are abruptly canceled. Drawn by the sound of a girl crying outside, he meets Esther, who initially appears distraught and burdened with a cat she is caring for. Despite her reluctance, Micky invites her to supper, and they share a heartfelt conversation that reveals their mutual feelings of despair. However, the narrative takes a twist when Micky learns that Esther is linked to his friend, Ashton, who has just made a distressing decision that impacts Esther's life. The opening sets the stage for a tale of romantic entanglement and emotional challenges, as Micky grapples with his feelings for Esther amidst the unfolding drama.
Among the contents
Somewhere out in the night a woman was crying, crying desolately. The sad, rather monotonous sound broke the silence of the street and floated through the open window of a room where Micky Mellowes was wondering how the deuce he should get through the long evening lying before him.
Micky was in a bad temper. It was not often that he was in a bad temper, but he had begun the day by waking with a headache, which was still with him, and which accounted for the wide open window and the breath of icy air which was filling the room and fluttering the curtains; and half an hour ago some people with whom he had been going to dine had rung up and told him that the party was off owing to the sudden death of a relative, thereby leaving the evening long and empty on his hands.
It was New Year’s Eve, too, which made matters a thundering sight worse.
서평(Book Review)
"유령 애인"은 20세기 초 영국을 배경으로 우연한 만남이 빚어내는 운명적 사랑을 그린 섬세한 로맨스 소설입니다. 작가 Ruby M. Ayres는 새해 전야라는 상징적인 시간에 마주친 두 영혼의 이야기를 통해 인간의 고독과 연민, 그리고 진정한 사랑의 의미를 탐구합니다. 특히 주인공 Micky의 내면 성장과 Esther를 향한 순수한 감정의 발전 과정을 세밀하게 묘사하며, 사회적 관계와 개인의 감정이 충돌하는 순간들을 효과적으로 포착해냅니다. 이 작품은 우연과 필연, 그리고 사랑의 치유력을 다룬 감동적인 이야기로 평가받고 있습니다.
"The Phantom Lover" is a delicate romance novel set in early 20th century England that portrays a destined love born from a chance encounter. Through the story of two souls who meet on the symbolic New Year's Eve, author Ruby M. Ayres explores human loneliness, compassion, and the meaning of true love. She meticulously depicts the protagonist Micky's inner growth and the development of his pure feelings for Esther, effectively capturing moments where social relationships and personal emotions collide. This work is acclaimed as a touching story about coincidence, destiny, and the healing power of love.
Ruby M. Ayres는 1881년 영국 런던에서 태어나 1955년에 생을 마감한 영국의 대중소설 작가입니다. 그녀는 20세기 초반 로맨스 소설의 선구자적인 인물로, 1910년대부터 1950년대까지 매우 활발한 작품 활동을 펼쳤습니다.
Ayres는 100편이 넘는 로맨스 소설을 집필했으며, 그녀의 작품들은 당시 영국과 미국에서 큰 인기를 얻었습니다. 그녀의 소설은 주로 사랑과 결혼, 그리고 사회적 계급 간의 갈등을 다루었고, 특히 서로 다른 계급 출신의 연인들이 겪는 어려움과 극복 과정을 섬세하게 묘사했습니다.
그녀의 글쓰기 스타일은 감성적이면서도 현실적인 면을 잘 조화시켰다는 평가를 받았으며, 특히 여성 독자들 사이에서 큰 호응을 얻었습니다. 작품들은 대부분 신문이나 잡지에 연재되었고, 이후 단행본으로 출간되어 더 넓은 독자층에게 사랑받았습니다.
Ayres의 작품들은 당시의 사회상과 도덕관을 반영하면서도, 진보적인 여성의 모습을 그려내어 20세기 초반 여성 문학의 발전에도 기여했다고 평가받고 있습니다.
Ruby M. Ayres was a British popular fiction writer who was born in London in 1881 and passed away in 1955. She was a pioneer of romance novels in the early 20th century and maintained a prolific writing career from the 1910s through the 1950s.
Ayres wrote more than 100 romance novels, and her works gained significant popularity in both Britain and the United States. Her novels primarily dealt with love, marriage, and conflicts between social classes, particularly focusing on the challenges and triumph of lovers from different social backgrounds.
Her writing style was praised for successfully balancing emotional depth with realism, and she was especially popular among female readers. Most of her works were initially serialized in newspapers and magazines before being published as complete novels, reaching an even broader readership.
Ayres's works reflected the social conditions and moral values of her time while portraying progressive female characters, contributing to the development of women's literature in the early 20th century. Her novels were not only entertaining but also provided insight into the social dynamics and romantic relationships of her era.
Her enduring legacy as a romance novelist continues to influence the genre, and her substantial body of work demonstrates her significant contribution to early 20th-century popular literature. While maintaining traditional romantic elements, her stories often challenged social conventions and explored deeper themes of class mobility and women's autonomy.