I used to think Bulwer-Lytton's reputation as a bad writer was undeserved until I tried to read this. Unfortunately, he really is as bad as critics say. However, this was one of the first English nmovels translated into Japanese, and was very influential in Meiji Japan, apparently because it combines romance with politics. I read it in preparation for teaching a class on modern Japanese literature in translation, and in that sense it was helpful. ( )