# Has Anyone Actually READ Bulwer-Lytton's "Paul Clifford?"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-actually-read-bulwer-lyttons-paul-clifford/119241>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 16, 2002, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-actually-read-bulwer-lyttons-paul-clifford/119241 "2002-07-16T15:00:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-actually-read-bulwer-lyttons-paul-clifford/119241/1 "2002-07-16T15:00:35Z")

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You know, that 1830 novel that infamously begins, “It was a dark and stormy night,” and inspired so much silliness? The results of this year’s Bulwer-Lytton Contest have me wondering if it’s worth actually buying an old copy of _Paul Clifford_ on a used-book site. Is it enjoyably bad? Boringly bad? Or maybe not really bad at all?

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**Author:** ![Umbriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de053/32.png) [@Umbriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-actually-read-bulwer-lyttons-paul-clifford/119241/2 "2002-07-16T17:14:21Z")

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I know I haven’t. But Bulwer-Lytton is definitely well represented on my short list of “weighty books I’d like to have the time to tackle some day”. From the brief excerpts I’ve read, I don’t think he’s any more turgid than Poe at his most excessive (and I am fond of Poe, but I don’t even try to read him if I’m the least bit sleepy).

The infamous _Paul Clifford_ actually interests me less than his proto-science-fiction and occult fantasy works, such as _Zanoni_ and _The Coming Race_, which may have influenced Madame Blavatsky, and by extention, much of late-19th and 20th century spiritualism and “new age” movements.

Here’s one fellow’s effort at a rehabilitation:  
[http://www.mith.demon.co.uk/Bulwer.htm](http://www.mith.demon.co.uk/Bulwer.htm)

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**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-actually-read-bulwer-lyttons-paul-clifford/119241/3 "2002-07-16T17:23:56Z")

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Here’s a link to this year’s winners:

[http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/english/2002.htm](http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/english/2002.htm)