{"product_id":"2940169651164","title":"The Two Destinies","description":"\u003cp\u003eMost of Wilkie Collins' later work was disparaged by the critics for espousing causes. Swinburne commented, 'What brought good Wilkies genius nigh perdition? Some demon whispered - \"Wilkie! Have a mission!\".'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite this, the 'novelist of sensation' continued to appeal to the public with the construction of ingenious and meticulous plots. He had been the first to write a full-length detective novel but also wrote love stories, and The Two Destinies is a fine example, the author adding a hint of the supernatural to tempt the Victorians' interest in mesmerism and the occult.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMary and George love each other in early childhood, but George's father tears them apart, not believing that Mary, a bailiff's daughter, will be a fit match for his son. The family travel to America to pursue the father's dream of wealth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring George's absence, Mary moves to Scotland and, in order to survive, is forced into a marriage of convenience. George returns after 10 years to search for his promised bride and becomes obsessed and infatuated with a Mrs Van Brandt. Is the pursuit beginning to affect his sanity?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePublic Domain (P)2010 Assembled Stories\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Assembled Stories","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47150427177200,"sku":"2940169651164","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940169651164_p0.jpg?v=1763690010","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940169651164","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}