I think the modern reader is immune to much of the Sensationalism of the 19th century. I remember finishing The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, which was supposedly scandalous and shocking for the time, and being entirely unmoved.

Of course, this 19th century trend really had its natural death once too many had been written, and the criminal plots became expected rather than shocking, but that hasn't stopped the slow escalation into the violent media that assaults modern audiences today.

So many of the most popular movies and television shows and best-selling books feature murder, adultery, abuse and deception that it's almost surprising if it doesn't, and so visiting the Sensational after this gradual escalation of what is considered 'shocking' makes these previous iterations quite droll.

Trilby is a book about an evil Jew who uses hypnosis to enslave and transform a beautiful (but tone-deaf) woman into a world celebrity known for her singing. It doesn't quite live up to a biopic of a serial killer.

With the sensationalism dulled, I think the book suffers quite a bit. It's still an enjoyable read, and there is a lot of funny dialogue as well, but I wouldn't rush to recommend it unless you want a cultural history of hypnosis.