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William Harrison Ainsworth

British gothic novelist (1805-1882)

About William Harrison Ainsworth

William Harrison Ainsworth, now mostly forgotten, was in his time a popular writer of historical novels, of which probably the best known were The Lancashire Witches and The Tower of London, which helped renew public interest in the then mostly unused London landmark. For many years his stories were published in his own magazine, Ainsworth's.

Ainsworth's serials rely less on character and more on dramatic (or melodramatic) plot twists to keep the reader interested. He shared Alexandre Dumas' penchant for including historical figures, especially royal ones, in his stories, as well as his swashbuckling sensibility, but lacked the French master's talent for description and characterization.

William Harrison Ainsworth Novels Available at Mousehold Words

The Star-Chamber (1853)
37 parts of about 5,000 words each.

The Star-Chamber tells the story of a young nobleman's adventures in the court of James I, intertwined with a story of scandal and intrigue among the nobility of the time.

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