Subject
Inheritance and succession -- Fiction Books
Best books
Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility
"Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austen is a novel published in 1811. When the Dashwood sisters are forced from their family estate into reduced circumstances, they face romantic trials that test their contrasting natures. Sensible Elinor guards her feelings while passionate Marianne wears her heart openly. Both encounter love, disappointment, and betrayal as suitors prove honorable or false. Through heartbreak and revelation, the sisters must navigate society's demands while discovering what truly matters in matters of the heart.
Charles Dickens
Bleak House
"Bleak House" by Charles Dickens is a novel published between 1852 and 1853. At its center lies Jarndyce and Jarndyce, an endless legal case in the Court of Chancery involving conflicting wills. The story follows Esther Summerson, an orphan with a mysterious past, and Lady Dedlock, an aristocrat harboring a dangerous secret. As a lawyer investigates Lady Dedlock's hidden connection to a deceased pauper, multiple lives become entangled in the grinding machinery of the law, leading to revelation, illness, murder, and tragedy in fog-shrouded London.
Ann Ward Radcliffe
The Mysteries of Udolpho
"The Mysteries of Udolpho" by Ann Radcliffe is a Gothic novel published in 1794. Young Emily St. Aubert endures a cascade of misfortunes after her parents' deaths, finding herself trapped in a sinister Italian castle controlled by the menacing Montoni. Surrounded by mysterious terrors, hidden secrets, and supernatural phenomena, Emily must navigate perilous intrigues while separated from her beloved Valancourt. This archetypal Gothic tale weaves romance, suspense, and dark mysteries through remote castles and haunted landscapes.
Wilkie Collins
The Woman in White
"The Woman in White" by Wilkie Collins is a mystery novel written in 1860. When a young drawing teacher encounters a mysterious woman dressed entirely in white on a London street, he unknowingly steps into a web of secrets and conspiracy. His new position teaching at an English estate draws him deeper into danger as he discovers sinister connections between the strange woman, his beautiful student, and her wealthy fiancé. Identity, deception, and a desperate fight for truth drive this early detective story.
Horace Walpole
The Castle of Otranto
"The Castle of Otranto" by Horace Walpole is a novel published in 1764, widely regarded as the first Gothic novel. Set in a haunted medieval castle, the story follows Lord Manfred as his family faces a terrifying ancient prophecy. When his son is crushed by a gigantic helmet on his wedding day, Manfred desperately attempts to prevent his dynasty's downfall. The tale merges medieval atmosphere with supernatural terror, featuring mysterious prophecies, hidden identities, and ominous apparitions that threaten to destroy everything Manfred holds dear.
Agatha Christie
The Missing Will
"The Missing Will" by Agatha Christie is a short detective story featuring the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, written during the early 20th century. The narrative explores themes of intellect and determination as it follows Poirot as he investigates the unusual terms of a will left by a wealthy uncle to his niece. The story presents a delightful puzzle infused with Christie's trademark wit and clever plotting. In this tale, Poirot is approached by Miss Violet Marsh, the niece of the late Andrew Marsh, who challenges her intellect with a will that promises her inheritance only if she can outsmart him within a year. Following her uncle's death, Poirot and his friend Hastings visit Crabtree Manor to uncover the hidden second will or a concealed sum of money, believing that the deceased uncle, known for his intelligence, has devised a clever test for his niece. As they navigate the quaint manor and gather clues, they encounter various obstacles and red herrings. Ultimately, Poirot reveals the true will, which had been cleverly hidden in plain sight, proving that intelligence and reason, rather than mere educational qualifications, are the keys to success.
Henry James
The Portrait of a Lady — Volume 1
"The Portrait of a Lady — Volume 1" by Henry James is a novel first published in 1880-81. It follows Isabel Archer, a spirited young American woman who inherits a fortune and travels to Europe seeking independence. There she encounters marriage proposals, complex expatriates, and ultimately makes a choice that leads to entrapment rather than freedom. The novel explores themes of personal liberty, responsibility, and betrayal as Isabel discovers that wealth and marriage have drawn her into a web of manipulation and unhappiness.
F. Scott (Francis Scott) Fitzgerald
The Beautiful and Damned
"The Beautiful and Damned" by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel published in 1922. Set in Jazz Age New York, it follows young heir Anthony Patch and his beautiful flapper wife Gloria Gilbert as they pursue a life of parties and excess. Their vow to live without regret and seek happiness at any cost soon tests their marriage as infatuation fades and selfish attitudes collide. While awaiting Anthony's inheritance, the couple descends into hedonism and cynicism, facing consequences that threaten to destroy everything they once were.
Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility
"Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austen is a novel published in 1811. When the Dashwood sisters are forced from their family estate into reduced circumstances, two very different personalities face the trials of love and heartbreak. Elinor embodies prudent sense while Marianne follows passionate sensibility. As romantic attachments form and unravel, both sisters must navigate social expectations, financial realities, and the painful gap between appearance and truth in matters of the heart.
Charles Dickens
Our Mutual Friend
"Our Mutual Friend" by Charles Dickens is a novel published in 1864–1865. Dickens's final completed work centers on money and its power to shape lives. When heir John Harmon is presumed dead, beautiful Bella Wilfer loses her arranged marriage and fortune. Meanwhile, the illiterate Boffins suddenly inherit wealth, and the Hexam siblings struggle to escape poverty. Through interconnected lives spanning London's social classes, Dickens delivers savage satire and sharp social analysis, exploring themes of identity, greed, and moral transformation in Victorian society.
Charles Dickens
Little Dorrit
"Little Dorrit" by Charles Dickens is a novel published in serial form between 1855 and 1857. Amy Dorrit, born and raised in London's Marshalsea debtors' prison, captures the attention of Arthur Clennam upon his return from twenty years abroad. As Arthur investigates a cryptic message from his dying father, their lives intertwine amid questions of debt, family secrets, and social class. Dickens satirizes Victorian society's failures—from debtors' prisons to government bureaucracy—while exploring how sudden fortune can transform lives and relationships.
E. M. (Edward Morgan) Forster
Howards End
"Howards End" by E. M. Forster is a novel published in 1910. Three families collide in turn-of-the-century England: the wealthy capitalist Wilcoxes, the intellectual Schlegel sisters, and the struggling working-class Basts. When idealistic Margaret Schlegel befriends the Wilcox matriarch, a deathbed wish concerning the country house Howards End sets off a chain of events involving concealed inheritances, broken engagements, financial ruin, and forbidden affairs. Their intertwined fates will ultimately determine who inherits England's social future.
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