Trilby

novel by du Maurier

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Article History

Trilby, novel by George du Maurier, published in 1894. The novel tells the story of Trilby O’Ferrall, an artist’s model in Paris, who falls under the spell of the compelling Svengali, a musician who trains her voice through hypnosis and turns her into a singing star. The pair travel throughout Europe on successful concert tours, Trilby as La Svengali, the famous singer, and Svengali as the accompanying orchestra conductor. When Svengali falls ill and dies, the spell is broken, and Trilby loses her voice. The story of Trilby’s total subjugation to Svengali has passed into the realm of popular mythology.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.