Lady Audley’s Secret fits into several genres of Victorian literature. It's a complicated and multidimensional book, which encompasses questions of genre, power, morality and the reasons behind people’s choices. It is usually categorized as sensation fiction, however. This genre centers a flair for the dramatic. It focuses on evoking intense emotions and was especially popular at the mid-point of the 19th century. Sensation fiction prioritizes thrilling its audience, often via unexpected plot twists, concealed crimes, mysteries, and forbidden romances. To keep the audience’s attention rapt, every chapter attempts to provide new revelations or unearth hidden truths.
This novel is also often listed as an example of Gothic fiction. As a genre that delves into the macabre, Gothic fiction often plays with themes of the supernatural, decaying grandeur, and deep-rooted psychological anxieties. Braddon's novel—while not overtly Gothic—undoubtedly borrows a great deal from the genre's ominous atmosphere and its tropes. The looming Audley Court, with its concealed secrets and labyrinthine corridors, is a classic example of the Gothic country house. It's a welcoming place where nobody is welcome. Moreover, the psychological dimensions Braddon digs into, especially in the blurred lines between Lucy’s sanity and madness, align closely with many female characters in the Gothic tradition.
It’s more than just a riveting and unsettling narrative, however. It is also a social novel, as it focuses a critical eye on the Victorian era's cultural demands and prejudices. Social novels focus on the intricate web of gender dynamics, romantic relationships, societal expectations, and the inherent power imbalances of the 19th century. Lady Audley's ascent and eventual downfall are not just personal trajectories in this book. They are also representative of the struggles many women faced in a society that often marginalized and confined them. Braddon doesn't shy away from spotlighting the hypocrisies of the era, as Lucy and her companions are made subject to scathing and ever-present judgement and scrutiny.
