The Meaning of Night
The Meaning of Night is a novel that was first published by Michael Cox in 2006.
It is set in the Victorian era, in England, from 1819 to 1855.
A man who calls himself Edward Glyver writes the novel in the form of a confession. There is also a fictional editor, who adds information through footnotes at the bottom of most pages; however, this is a relatively small part of the text.
The plot revolves around Edward Glyver and his obsession both with his nemesis, Phoebus Daunt and with regaining his right to the Tansor Barony. It explains how Glyver was raised by a foster mother, and was kept secret from his real father, the Baron of Tansor, who desperately wanted a son, to be an heir. After Glyver discovers this he sets out on a mission to prove who he really is and stop Lord Tansor from naming his nemesis, Phoebus Daunt as his heir. The book has many twists and turns and Edward always seems to be one step behind, will he exact his revenge?
The Meaning of Night has been extensively researched and planned. It is a very engaging book and the author has done well to weave several themes into the book in a way that encourages the reader to sympathise with the protagonist. These themes include revenge, which is possibly the driving force behind the story. Love, which is touched on in great detail in relation to Edward’s mother and his own love interests.
Deceit is also a very powerful theme in the book, as much of Edward’s life has become a lie, as he attempts to prove who he believes himself to be. And of course, deceit is the very thing that has been instigated by Edward’s mother in order to keep his birth a secret and he must now unravel the thread to find hard evidence of his birth right.
Michael Cox is a professor of Victorian studies at the University of Cambridge. His idea for this particular novel occurred to him 30 years before it was published, however he only began writing it once he was diagnosed with brain cancer...