Benighted (novel)
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.jpg) First edition | |
| Author | J. B. Priestley |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Drama, Thriller |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
Publication date | October 1927 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | |
Benighted (released in the United States as The Old Dark House) is a 1927 novel by the British writer J.B. Priestley.[1][2] Priestley's second published novel, the story explores the post-First World War disillusionment that Britain felt during the time period.[3] A number of travellers are forced to take shelter at an old Welsh country house during a storm. The book was released in the United States in 1928.[4][5]
It served as the basis for James Whale's film The Old Dark House in 1932 and its remake in 1963.[6]
Analysis
The book has been described as a study of British feeling following the First World War. Priestley himself described the book's characters as "forms of postwar pessimism pretending to be people".[7] As an author, Priestley tended to pit characters against people and environments that took place outside their regular circumstances.[8] Within the book, three travellers are taken in by a family, and they discover hidden dark secrets. The book draws on gothic literature elements.[7] In particular, the book draws inspiration from the 1847 novel Jane Eyre.[9]
