description: The scene is the village of Lyme Regis on Dorset's Lyme Bay..."the largest bite from the underside of England's out-stretched southwestern leg." The major characters in the love-intrigue triangle are Charles Smithson, 32, a gentleman of independent means &amp; vaguely scientific bent; his fiancée, Ernestina Freeman, a pretty heiress daughter of a wealthy &amp; pompous dry goods merchant; &amp; Sarah Woodruff, mysterious &amp; fascinating...deserted after a brief affair with a French naval officer a short time before the story begins. Obsessed with an irresistible fascination for the enigmatic Sarah, Charles is hurtled by a moment of consummated lust to the brink of the existential void. Duty dictates that his engagement to Tina must be broken as he goes forth once again to seek the woman who has captured his Victorian soul &amp; gentleman's heart.
language: English
title: The French Lieutenant's Woman
titlecomplete: The French Lieutenant's Woman
characters: Charles Smithson, Sam Farrow, Mrs. Poulteney, Sarah Woodruff, Ernestina Freeman, Dr Grogan
genres: Fiction, Historical, British Literature, Literature, Romance, Classics, Novels, Historical Fiction, 20th Century, Literary Fiction
ratings_count: 52059
places: Exeter, Devon, England, Dorset, England, Lyme Regis, England, London, England
awards: awardedAt: 28800000
name: WH Smith Literary Award
publisher: Harpercollins Pub Ltd