The Reason Why

"The Reason Why" by Elinor Glyn is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story centers around the complex lives of its characters, including the enigmatic financier Francis Markrute, his niece Zara Shulski, and Lord Tancred, a young nobleman. The narrative explores themes of love, marriage, social status, and the intricacies of human relationships against a backdrop of wealth and aristocracy. At the start of the novel, readers are introduced to Francis Markrute, a wealthy and influential man in London society, who discusses matters of life and finances with Lord Tancred. The dialogue reveals Tancred’s financial troubles and Markrute’s proposition to arrange a marriage between Tancred and his niece, the widow Zara, who is portrayed as a strikingly beautiful yet emotionally complex character. The tension builds as Zara grapples with her past and her uncle’s controlling nature, setting up a narrative filled with emotional stakes and societal expectations. As the opening unfolds, readers are drawn into the lives of these characters, each wrestling with their own desires and the roles they play in a game of love and duty. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Elinor Glyn was a British novelist and scriptwriter who specialised in romantic fiction, which was considered scandalous for its time, although her works are relatively tame by modern standards. She popularized the concept of the it-girl, and had tremendous influence on early 20th-century popular culture and, possibly, on the careers of notable Hollywood stars such as Rudolph Valentino, Gloria Swanson and, especially, Clara Bow.