Bella Donna is a 1909 British decadent novel by the British writer Robert Hichens.
Contents
Summary
Mrs. Chepstow, a disreputable English divorcée, marries Mr. Armine, an Egyptologist, much to the chagrin of the latter's friend, the Jewish physician Dr. Isaacson. Once on the archaeological site Mrs. Armine falls for Mahmoud Baroudi, a suave Egyptian prince, and plots to do away with her husband.
Reception
It was listed among the top six bestselling books in the United States in the December 1909 (ranked sixth) and January 1910 (ranked second) issues of The Bookman.
Adaptations
Film
Bella Donna (1915 film), an American silent film starring Pauline Frederick
Bella Donna (1923 film), an American silent film starring Pola Negri
Bella Donna (1934 film), a British film starring Conrad Veidt
Temptation (1946 film), an American film starring Merle Oberon
Stage
In 1912, a stage adaptation of Hitchens's novel, written by James Bernard Fagan premiered in New York. The production starred Alla Nazimova..