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The Last Days of Pompeii

By Edward Bulwer-Lytton

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Length18h 3m

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Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) was a prolific novelist, poet and playwright in his day; in modern times, his work is considered much as Lovecraft described: “large doses of turgid rhetoric and empty romanticism.” Originally published in 1834, "The Last Days of Pompeii" itself was probably the first novelization of the catastrophic event. The city was rediscovered in the mid-1700s and archaeological excavations followed soon after. Bulwer-Lytton was inspired to write his novel by the painting The Last Day of Pompeii by Karl Briullov, painted in the early 1830s. "The Last Days of Pompeii" tells the story of the Athenian Glaucus, his love, the beautiful Ione, and a blind flower-girl Nydia, who is secretly in love with Glaucus. Threatening the love of Glaucus and Ione is Ione’s guardian, the decadent and deceitful Egyptian Arbaces, who lusts after Ione himself. The descriptions of the city itself are fascinating: Bulwer-Lytton seems to have spent much time researching the actual ruins of Pompeii, and his characters are housed in buildings that had apparently been uncovered in archaeological excavations. "The Last Days of Pompeii" was one of the most popular English historical novels of the nineteenth century.

Historical Romance Forbidden Love Betrayal Conspiracy Magic Psychological

Audiobook details

GenreRomance, Historical Fiction, Mystery and Thriller

Length18 hrs 3 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

Publish dateMay 18, 2019

LanguageEnglish

1BOOK THE FIRST

2Chapter 1. The Two Gentlemen of Pompeii

3Chapter 2. The Blind Flower-Girl, And The Beauty Of Fashion. The Athenian’s Confession. The Reader’s Introduction To Arbaces Of Egypt

4Chapter 3. Parentage Of Glaucus. Description Of The Houses Of Pompeii. Classic Revel

5Chapter 4. The Temple Of Isis. Its Priest. The Character Of Arbaces Develops Itself

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6Chapter 5. More Of The Flower-Girl. The Progress Of Love

7Chapter 6. The Fowler Snares Again The Bird That Had Just Escaped, And Sets His Nets For A New Victim

8Chapter 7. The Gay Life Of The Pompeian Lounger. A Miniature Likeness Of The Roman Baths

9Chapter 8. Arbaces Cogs His Dice With Pleasure And Wins The Game

10BOOK THE SECOND

11Chapter 1. A Flash House In Pompeii, And The Gentlemen Of The Classic Ring

12Chapter 2. Two Worthies

13Chapter 3. Glaucus Makes A Purchase That Afterwards Costs Him Dear

14Chapter 4. The Rival Of Glaucus Presses Onward In The Race

15Chapter 5. The Poor Tortoise. New Changes For Nydia

16Chapter 6. The Happy Beauty And The Blind Slave

17Chapter 7. Ione Entrapped. The Mouse Tries To Gnaw The Net

18Chapter 8. The Solitude And Soliloquy Of The Egyptian. His Character Analysed

19Chapter 9. What Becomes Of Ione In The House Of Arbaces. The First Signal Of The Wrath Of The Dread Foe

20BOOK THE THIRD

21Chapter 1. The Forum Of The Pompeians. The First Rude Machinery By Which The New Era Of The World Was Wrought

22Chapter 2. The Noonday Excursion On The Campanian Seas

23Chapter 3. The Congregation

24Chapter 4. The Stream Of Love Runs On. Whither?

25Chapter 5. Nydia Encounters Julia. Interview Of The Heathen Sister And Converted Brother. An Athenian’s Notion Of Christianity

26Chapter 6. The Porter. The Girl. And The Gladiator

27Chapter 7. The Dressing-Room Of A Pompeian Beauty. Important Conversation Between Julia And Nydia

28Chapter 8. Julia Seeks Arbaces. The Result Of That Interview

29Chapter 9. Storm In The South. The Witch’s Cavern

30Chapter 10. The Lord Of The Burning Belt And His Minion. Fate Writes Her Prophecy In Red Letters, But Who Shall Read Them?

31Chapter 11. Progress Of Events. The Plot Thickens. The Web Is Woven, But The Net Changes Hands

32BOOK THE FOURTH

33Chapter 1. Reflections On The Zeal Of The Early Christians. Two Men Come To A Perilous Resolve. Walls Have Ears, Particularly Sacred Walls

34Chapter 2. A Classic Host, Cook, And Kitchen. Apaecides Seeks Ione. Their Conversation

35Chapter 3. A Fashionable Party And A Dinner A La Mode In Pompeii

36Chapter 4. The Story Halts For A Moment At An Episode

37Chapter 5. The Philtre. Its Effect

38Chapter 6. A Reunion Of Different Actors. Streams That Flowed Apparently Apart Rush Into One Gulf

39Chapter 7. In Which The Reader Learns The Condition Of Glaucus. Friendship Tested. Enmity Softened. Love The Same, Because The One Loving Is Blind

40Chapter 8. A Classic Funeral

41Chapter 9. In Which An Adventure Happens To Ione

42Chapter 10. What Becomes Of Nydia In The House Of Arbaces. The Egyptian Feels Compassion For Glaucus. Compassion Is Often A Very Useless Visitor To The Guilty

43Chapter 11. Nydia Affects The Sorceress

44Chapter 12. A Wasp Ventures Into The Spider’s Web

45Chapter 13. The Slave Consults The Oracle. They Who Blind Themselves The Blind May Fool. Two New Prisoners Made In One Night

46Chapter 14. Nydia Accosts Calenus

47Chapter 15. Arbaces And Ione. Nydia Gains The Garden. Will She Escape And Save The Athenian?

48Chapter 16. The Sorrow Of Boon Companions For Our Afflictions. The Dungeon And Its Victims

49Chapter 17. A Change For Glaucus

50BOOK THE FIFTH