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Svengali is the name of a fictional hypnotist in George du Maurier's 1894 novel, Trilby. A sensation in its day, the novel created a stereotype of the abusive hypnotist that persists to this day.
The word "Svengali" has entered the language meaning a person who, with evil intent, tries to persuade another to do what is desired. It is frequently used for any kind of coach who seems to exercise an extreme degree of domination over a performer (especially if the person is female or believes he or she can only perform in the presence of the coach).
The character
Svengali is, in du Maurier's words, an "Oriental Israelite Hebrew Jew" with a cruel personality. He "would either fawn or bully, and could be grossly impertinent. He had a kind of cynical humour, which was more offensive than amusing, and always laughed at the wrong thing, at the wrong time, in the wrong place. And his laughter was always derisive and full of malice."
Svengali transforms Trilby into a great singer using hypnosis, but she cannot perform without his help in entering a trance state. The relation between Svengali and Trilby forms only a small portion of the novel, which is mainly an evocation of Bohemian Paris in the 1850s.
Svengali in culture
The novel has been adapted for the screen many times, the most successful being the 1931 film Svengali starring John Barrymore. A 1954 version is described by IMDb users as "unintentionally hilarious." There was a 1983 television version with Peter O'Toole and Jodie Foster.
In his album, "I Predict 1990," Steve Taylor speaks of the novel Trilby in the song "Svengali." The song includes references to "wide eyes, * mesmerize" and include Trilby's death toward the end.
In Season 4, Episode 5 ("The Wallet") of the American sitcom Seinfeld, the character Elaine refers to the power her psychiatrist boyfriend has over her, but mispronounces the name as "Svenjolly," prompting Jerry to suggest, "Maybe he has, like, a cheerful mental hold on you."
See also
External link
- Trilby Complete online text of the novel.
"Svengali"