Doctor Syn: A Smuggler Tale of Romney Marsh (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Georgian Adventure of Masked Smugglers, Secret Identities, and Kent Coast FolkloreBy Arthur Russell Thorndike
Length8h 20m
About this audiobook
Doctor Syn: A Smuggler Tale of Romney Marsh is a vigorous historical romance set amid the fogs, dykes, and secret waterways of eighteenth-century Kent. Its central figure, the apparently pious Vicar of Dymchurch, presides over a double world of parish ritual and contraband daring, allowing Thorndike to fuse adventure fiction, Gothic melodrama, and regional folklore. The novel belongs to the late Victorian and Edwardian tradition of swashbuckling romance, yet its marshland atmosphere gives it a distinctly local, almost mythic resonance. Arthur Russell Thorndike, an English actor and novelist and brother of the celebrated Dame Sybil Thorndike, brought to the book a dramatist's instinct for disguise, revelation, and theatrical timing. His familiarity with performance is evident in Doctor Syn's carefully staged identities and in the novel's vivid scenes of pursuit, confrontation, and moral ambiguity. Thorndike's interest in coastal legend and English popular history helped transform smuggling from criminal enterprise into romantic folklore. This book is recommended to readers who enjoy historical adventure with a darkly charismatic hero and a strong sense of place. It will especially appeal to admirers of Stevenson, Sabatini, and tales in which law, loyalty, and legend uneasily converge.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreAction and Adventure, Historical Fiction
Length8 hrs 20 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 28, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Doctor Syn: A Smuggler Tale of Romney Marsh (Annotated)
24A Terrible Investigation
2Introduction
25The Bo'sun's Story
3Synopsis
26A Curious Breakfast Party
4Historical Context
27A Young Recruit
5Dymchurch-under-the-wall
28The Coffin-Maker Has a Visitor
Show all chaptersShow less
6The Coming of the King's Frigate
29The Sexton Speaks
7The Coming of the King's Men
30The Devils' Tiring House
8The Captain
31The Scarecrow's Legion
9A Bottle of Alsace Lorraine
32The Fight at Mill House Farm
10Doctor Syn Takes Cold
33Captain Collyer Entertains an Attorney from Rye
11Clegg the Buccaneer
34Doctor Syn Has a "Call"
12Dogging the Schoolmaster
35A Certain Tree Bears Fruit
13The End of Sennacherib Pepper
36The Captain's Experiment
14Doctor Syn Gives Some Advice
37Adventures in Watchbell Street
15The Court House Inquiry
38A Military Lady-killer Prepares for Battle
16The Captain Objects
39Scylla and Charybdis
17The End of the Inquiry
40Holding the Pulpit
18At the Vicarage
41The Dead Man's Throttle
19A Landed Proprietor Sets Up a Gallows Tree
42Dymchurch-under-the-wall
20The Schoolmaster's Suit
43Echoes
21The Doctor Sings a Song
44Analysis
22Behind the Shutters
45Reflection
23The Captain's Nightmare
46Memorable Quotes
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