Edward Buwler-Lytton

A towering figure of Victorian literature, Edward Bulwer-Lytton was a prolific novelist, dramatist, and politician whose works once rivalled Dickens in popularity. Best known today for coining phrases such as “the pen is mightier than the sword” and the infamous opening “It was a dark and stormy night,” Bulwer-Lytton crafted historical romances, gothic thrillers, and social novels that captured the complexities of 19th-century England. His novels—ranging from the occult-infused Zanoni to the class-conscious The Caxtons—blend melodrama with philosophical depth. Though his reputation waned in the 20th century, Bulwer-Lytton remains an essential voice of the Victorian imagination, rich in style and cultural insight.