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Audiobook edition · 2 h 51 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens to desire when one person seems able to command another’s will?
The Power of Mesmerism, an anonymous work from 1891, brings hypnotic influence into the world of erotic fantasy. It belongs to the hidden literature of the late nineteenth century, where the trance becomes a stage for private desire. Its central concerns are power, suggestion, and the uneasy pull of surrender.
Here, mesmerism is more than a curious practice: it gives fantasy a language of control. The book explores the tension between a will that commands and a will that yields. Behind that tension lies a Victorian fascination with forbidden desire, raising questions about consent and the limits of another person’s influence.
What you’ll discover
- The lure of trance Explore how hypnotic influence becomes a setting for fantasies of power and surrender.
- Desire beneath restraint Glimpse the hidden currents of passion beneath the rigid morality of Victorian life.
- The question of consent Consider what happens when desire and suggestion meet an apparent power over another’s will.
- A hidden literary tradition Encounter an anonymous work from the secretive world of nineteenth-century erotic writing.
- Psychology meets erotic fantasy Discover a narrative that brings fascination with the mind into contact with forbidden desire.
Who will love it
Readers of Victorian literary history, collectors of erotic fiction, and students of how nineteenth century writers mocked clergy and respectable family life will find a revealing specimen here.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A son comes home to Brackley Hall
- Frank uses mesmerism to override consent
- Cruelty is the education Frank received
- Ethel has her own schooling in Paris
- Frank turns his mesmerism on his parents
- Respectability is a fragile cover
- What kind of book this is
Who’s who
- Frank EtheridgeA young man home from Germany who uses mesmerism to bend others to his will.
- Ethel EtheridgeFrank's seventeen-year-old sister, home from a Paris school, who becomes his partner in his schemes.
- Mr. EtheridgeThe gentle, well-liked master of Brackley Hall and father of Frank and Ethel.
- Mrs. EtheridgeThe Spanish-descended mother of the family, admired for her beauty and drawn into her son's plans.
- Dr. StrokerThe village rector, a hypocrite who preaches one thing and practises another.
- Harry MortimerA handsome seventeen-year-old friend of Frank who is drawn into the household.
- MinetteEthel's older bedfellow at the Paris school who later writes a letter about a visit to Brackley.
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The Power of Mesmerism
by Anonymous · 1891
A young man home from Germany turns his stare on his own family in a Devon manor house, and no one can say no.
Medium level2–5 hours to readEnglish
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In short
What happens when a young man learns he can bend any mind to his will? The Power of Mesmerism is an anonymous Victorian erotic novel.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A son comes home to Brackley Hall
The story opens at Brackley Hall, an old estate in Devon held by the Etheridge family for centuries. Mr. Etheridge is a gentle, well-liked man of about forty. His Spanish-descended wife is admired for her beauty, and their seventeen-year-old daughter Ethel has just come back from school in Paris.
The family waits at the railway station for Frank, who has been finishing his education in Germany. The young man who steps off the train is tall and handsome, but his parents notice a dreamy languor in him. He also has a habit of staring as if he were reading the thoughts of whoever stands before him.
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- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 5 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1891
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 1 h 50 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
The Power of Mesmerism. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-power-of-mesmerism.
The power of mesmerism. (2026). Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-power-of-mesmerism (Original work published 1891)
The Power of Mesmerism. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-power-of-mesmerism.
@book{anonymous2026power,
title = {The Power of Mesmerism},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-power-of-mesmerism},
note = {First published 1891}
}
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What is The Power of Mesmerism about?
It follows Frank Etheridge, who returns to a Devon country house after studying in Germany and uses mesmerism to control his sister, parents and neighbours. It is an explicit erotic novel.
What does mesmerism mean in this book?
Mesmerism is Frank's way of putting people into a trance. Frank gazes at people, holds their thumbs and makes passes with his hands. They fall asleep, obey his orders and wake without memory.
Who wrote The Power of Mesmerism and when?
The author is anonymous. The work dates from 1891.
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