'Selena', The 'New Favorite of My Imagination': Mary Tighe's Unpublished Novel (Critical Essay‪)‬

Mary Tighe (1772-1810) is best known as a poet--in particular, as the author of the epic poem 'Psyche; or, The Legend of Love'. But she is not well known as a novelist. This essay offers a general introduction to Tighe's unpublished novel, 'Selena' (1801-1803), and examines the writer's skills as a writer of fiction. It discusses plot, characterisation and the main themes in 'Selena', and reveals its autobiographical elements. The essay also examines the extant manuscript and considers the reasons why the novel has remained unpublished. **********