Post by demonik on Dec 20, 2006 3:14:07 GMT -5
Charles W. Goddard - The Perils Of Pauline (Hard Press, 2006: originally ?)
Rocco sullenly helped the others in the grim task. The trunk, large as
it was, was not deep enough to permit Pauline a sitting posture, nor
long enough to prevent the painful cramping of her limbs. But she was
deadened to physical pain. With the words of her doom still ringing in
her ears--the calm discussion of her death--her terror was her
torture. The choking gag, the cutting bonds, the stifling trunk--in
which the knife of Wrentz had cut but a few air holes--these were as
nothing to the agony of her spirit--the agony of a lingering journey
toward a certain but mysterious end.
Pauline had been a prisoner before, had been through many and desperate
dangers, but her heart had never failed her utterly until she felt the
pressure of the trunk lid on her bent shoulders and heard the clamping
of the locks that bound her in.
I was delighted to find this as a free download at Project Gutenberg, especially as I didn't even know of its existence. The Perils Of Pauline (1914) was a was a top damsel in distress feature that ran for twenty short episodes starring Pearl White as the much put-upon but resourceful heroine who narrowly survived death by buzz-saw, oncoming train, balloon-crash , drowning, etc., etc., before eventually claiming her inheritance. I've never seen it but from what I've read it is the epitome of "with one bound she was free!" melodrama and hopefully this novelisation (?) will be equally improbable.
If you find it as off-putting reading off screen as I do, and you've money to burn, Hard Press have seized on its public domain status and brought out a hardcover version.
The screen-grabs on this page are from the much later The Perils Of Pauline (1947), a Pearl White biopic (of sorts) starring Betty Hutton. But I'm sure you'll agree, they're better than nothing. You can download the short video clip they've been surgically removed from at Dr. Macro.
Rocco sullenly helped the others in the grim task. The trunk, large as
it was, was not deep enough to permit Pauline a sitting posture, nor
long enough to prevent the painful cramping of her limbs. But she was
deadened to physical pain. With the words of her doom still ringing in
her ears--the calm discussion of her death--her terror was her
torture. The choking gag, the cutting bonds, the stifling trunk--in
which the knife of Wrentz had cut but a few air holes--these were as
nothing to the agony of her spirit--the agony of a lingering journey
toward a certain but mysterious end.
Pauline had been a prisoner before, had been through many and desperate
dangers, but her heart had never failed her utterly until she felt the
pressure of the trunk lid on her bent shoulders and heard the clamping
of the locks that bound her in.
I was delighted to find this as a free download at Project Gutenberg, especially as I didn't even know of its existence. The Perils Of Pauline (1914) was a was a top damsel in distress feature that ran for twenty short episodes starring Pearl White as the much put-upon but resourceful heroine who narrowly survived death by buzz-saw, oncoming train, balloon-crash , drowning, etc., etc., before eventually claiming her inheritance. I've never seen it but from what I've read it is the epitome of "with one bound she was free!" melodrama and hopefully this novelisation (?) will be equally improbable.
If you find it as off-putting reading off screen as I do, and you've money to burn, Hard Press have seized on its public domain status and brought out a hardcover version.
The screen-grabs on this page are from the much later The Perils Of Pauline (1947), a Pearl White biopic (of sorts) starring Betty Hutton. But I'm sure you'll agree, they're better than nothing. You can download the short video clip they've been surgically removed from at Dr. Macro.