Armadale

"Armadale" is a semi-epistolary novel that was serialized in the 1860s, published as a novel in 1866. Although the book was popular, and sold for much more than similar works of the time, it was ultimately a financial failure for Collins and his publishers. The intricate story recounts the lives and relationships of two Allan Armadales, cousins who are seemingly destined to suffer for the sins of their fathers, the villainous Lydia Gwilt, a beautiful but fortune-hungry governess, and a slew of other dramatic and entertaining characters.