The Kirsanov Local History Museum houses books from the estates of major landlords of Kirsanov District: Yevgeny Abramovich Boratynsky, Mikhail Andreevich Boratynsky, Nikolay Lvovich Markov, Nikolay Ivanovich Krivtsov. One of the books is Rhoda Broughton’s novel “Second Thoughts”. The book belonged to Olga Alexeevna Boratynskaya (née Zhemchuzhnikova), and has her autograph on the cover. On the front page of this novel is a dedicatory inscription in French, “To Mr. Albert de Rorets from Nastia. 6.1.84”.
Alfred August von Rorets was the first husband of Olga Alekseevna Zhemchuzhnikova, who later, widowed, married Mikhail Andreevich Boratynsky, grandnephew of the poet Yevgeny Abramovich Boratynsky. The mysterious Nastia, who gave the book to Alfred (or, in French parlance, Albert) in January 1884, three months before his marriage to O. A. Zhemchuzhnikova, remains unknown. It can only be assumed that it was the sister of his future wife, Anastasia Alexeyevna Zhemchuzhnikova.
Rhoda Broughton was a well-known British novelist, a contemporary of the Zhemchuzhnikov sisters and Alfred von Rorets. The daughter of a priest, the Reverend Delves Broughton of Broughton Hall in Staffordshire, Rhoda wrote some 25 popular novels. By 1880 her literary fame had reached its zenith. The novel “Second Thoughts” was published in 1880 — thus the book, which was presented to Alfred von Rorets, was the latest novel of the popular contemporary writer in 1884. Rhoda Broughton was something of a trailblazer among women novelists, as she introduced a plucky, unconventional heroine into the very prim 60s of the Victorian era. Broughton truly shocked many readers. In her books she legitimized the kissing of characters, her characters knew quite physical feelings of love and anguish. There is a story, probably fictional, according to which Miss Broughton was forbidden by her father to read her own book. It supposedly concerned her first novel, written in secret and printed anonymously. The priestly father was therefore unaware that the author was his daughter.
Rhoda Broughton’s book was published by Tauchnitz Publishers in Leipzig. This publisher was founded by the German printer Christian Bernhard Tauchnitz in 1837. For one hundred years in a row, since 1841, books in the series “Tauchnitz Edition. Collection of British authors” were published there. A total of 5,390 books were published in this series, which was later expanded to include works by American authors.
Alfred August von Rorets was the first husband of Olga Alekseevna Zhemchuzhnikova, who later, widowed, married Mikhail Andreevich Boratynsky, grandnephew of the poet Yevgeny Abramovich Boratynsky. The mysterious Nastia, who gave the book to Alfred (or, in French parlance, Albert) in January 1884, three months before his marriage to O. A. Zhemchuzhnikova, remains unknown. It can only be assumed that it was the sister of his future wife, Anastasia Alexeyevna Zhemchuzhnikova.
Rhoda Broughton was a well-known British novelist, a contemporary of the Zhemchuzhnikov sisters and Alfred von Rorets. The daughter of a priest, the Reverend Delves Broughton of Broughton Hall in Staffordshire, Rhoda wrote some 25 popular novels. By 1880 her literary fame had reached its zenith. The novel “Second Thoughts” was published in 1880 — thus the book, which was presented to Alfred von Rorets, was the latest novel of the popular contemporary writer in 1884. Rhoda Broughton was something of a trailblazer among women novelists, as she introduced a plucky, unconventional heroine into the very prim 60s of the Victorian era. Broughton truly shocked many readers. In her books she legitimized the kissing of characters, her characters knew quite physical feelings of love and anguish. There is a story, probably fictional, according to which Miss Broughton was forbidden by her father to read her own book. It supposedly concerned her first novel, written in secret and printed anonymously. The priestly father was therefore unaware that the author was his daughter.
Rhoda Broughton’s book was published by Tauchnitz Publishers in Leipzig. This publisher was founded by the German printer Christian Bernhard Tauchnitz in 1837. For one hundred years in a row, since 1841, books in the series “Tauchnitz Edition. Collection of British authors” were published there. A total of 5,390 books were published in this series, which was later expanded to include works by American authors.
