Marie Corelli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marie Corelli
Born	Mary Mackay (1855-05-01)1 May 1855 London, England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Died	21 April 1924(1924-04-21) (aged 68) Stratford-upon-Avon, England, United Kingdom
Occupation	Novelist
Nationality	British
Genre	Gothic, Fantasy, Scientific romance
Relatives	Charles Mackay (father)

Mary Mackay (born May 1, 1855 – died April 21, 1924), also known as Minnie Mackey, was an English novelist. She used the pen name Marie Corelli (pronounced kə-REL-ee).

When her first novel, A Romance of Two Worlds, came out in 1886, she quickly became a bestselling author. Her books often explored themes like Christianity, reincarnation (the idea of being reborn), astral projection (the idea of leaving your body), and mysticism (spiritual understanding). Even though many important people admired her, critics often made fun of her writing. Corelli spent her later years in Stratford-upon-Avon, where she worked hard to protect its old buildings.

Life and Her Books

Growing Up

Marie Corelli and her pet dog

Mary Mills was born in London. Her mother, Mary Elizabeth Mills, worked for the Scottish poet Dr. Charles Mackay. Dr. Mackay was Mary's biological father. After his first wife passed away, he married Mary Elizabeth. That's when their daughter, Mary, took the "Mackay" last name. For the rest of her life, Mary, or Marie as she became known, tried to keep her early family story private. She sometimes made up exciting tales about her background, like being adopted or having noble Italian ancestors. Because of this, it's sometimes tricky to know the exact details of her life.

In 1866, when Mary was eleven, she went to a school in Paris. Some say it was a convent (a place where nuns live and work). She came back home four years later in 1870.

Becoming a Writer

Mary Mackay first started her career as a musician. She gave piano concerts and began using the name Marie Corelli for her performances. Eventually, she started writing. Her first novel, A Romance of Two Worlds, was published in 1886. For a time, she was the most popular fiction writer in the world. Famous people like Winston Churchill and members of the British Royal Family collected her books.

Even though Marie Corelli sold more books than popular writers like Arthur Conan Doyle, H. G. Wells, and Rudyard Kipling combined, many literary critics didn't like her work. They often said her writing was too dramatic. One critic called her a "woman of deplorable talent" who thought she was a genius. Another said she combined the imagination of Edgar Allan Poe with the style of other writers.

A common idea in Corelli's books was her effort to mix Christian beliefs with ideas like reincarnation and astral projection. She was also connected to a mystical group called the Fraternitas Rosae Crucis. Her books helped form some of today's spiritual and mystical philosophies.

Corelli wasn't a big fan of the press. In 1902, she wrote to a magazine to complain that her name wasn't on a list of important guests at a Scottish event. The editor wrote back saying they had left her name out on purpose. This was because she had often said she disliked the press. Both letters were then published, which caused a bit of a stir!

The writer also became famous after her letter about the curse of the Pharaohs was published. Corelli claimed she had warned George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, who helped find the tomb of Tutankhamun. She said that bad things would happen to those who disturbed Egyptian tombs. She even claimed to know this from an ancient book.

Her Later Years

Corelli lived and died in Stratford-upon-Avon from 1901 to 1924. Her house, Mason Croft, is now home to the Shakespeare Institute.

Marie Corelli spent her last years in Stratford-upon-Avon. She worked very hard to save the town's old 17th-century buildings. She even gave money to help owners remove plaster from their homes to show the original wooden frames.

Corelli was known for being a bit unusual. She would travel on the River Avon in a gondola, a special boat from Venice. She even brought a gondolier (the person who steers the gondola) all the way from Venice! The famous writer Mark Twain once visited her in Stratford. He wrote in his autobiography that meeting her changed his opinion of her.

Bertha Vyver

For more than forty years, Corelli lived with her close companion, Bertha Vyver. When Corelli passed away, she left everything to Bertha.

During World War I, Corelli's public image suffered a bit. She was found guilty of hoarding food, which was against the rules during wartime.

Marie Corelli died in Stratford and is buried there in the Evesham Road cemetery.

Marie Corelli died in Stratford and is buried in the Evesham Road cemetery. Later, Bertha Vyver was buried next to her.

Her Public Image

An illustration from a 1904 Boston Post story showing different images of Corelli.

Marie Corelli was known for making up or stretching the truth about her life. For example, she often said she was seventeen when her first novel, A Romance of Two Worlds, was published in 1886. This would have meant she was born around 1868 or 1869. However, it's now believed she was born in 1855. When she started using the name "Marie Corelli," she also created a false background. She told her first publisher that she was Venetian and related to the famous musician Arcangelo Corelli. She also claimed to be a descendant of the Doges of Venice (leaders of Venice).

Corelli usually avoided being seen in public. One biographer said she had a "positive terror of being photographed." She finally allowed a photo of herself to be published in her 1906 novel Treasure of Heaven. However, it seems the picture was changed to make her look like "a sweet young lady in her early twenties."

Her Influence

Marie Corelli is thought to have inspired at least two characters in E. F. Benson's popular "Lucia" series of novels.

A modern critic also believes Corelli was the inspiration for the main character in "Rita's" (Eliza Humphreys's) book Diana of the Ephesians. This book came out a year before Benson's first Lucia novel.

In the book The World, the Flesh and Father Smith by Bruce Marshall, a Catholic priest is recovering in the hospital. A nurse gives him Corelli's book Temporal Power, hoping it will change his religious views. But the priest finds the book "stupid and flamboyant." He puts it aside and prays for Corelli instead.

In 2007, a British film called Angel was released. It was based on a book by Elizabeth Taylor and was a story inspired by Marie Corelli's life. The film starred Romola Garai as the main character, with Sam Neill and Charlotte Rampling also appearing. The director, François Ozon, said that the character of Angel was based on Marie Corelli. He noted that Corelli was one of the first writers to become a big star, writing bestsellers for her fans. He also mentioned that today, she is mostly forgotten, even in England.

Her Published Works

Novels

Short Story Collections

Non-Fiction Books

Film Adaptations

Theatre Adaptations