The Early Life and Adventures of Sylvia Scarlett, is a 1918 novel by the British writer Compton Mackenzie. Sylvia was celebrated as one of literature's truly great female characters, known for her vitality and unforgettable spirit. The novel sees Sylvia navigating a life of adventure, cons, and romance after fleeing France with her embezzler father. The heroine of the story had previously appeared in Mackenzie's Sinister Street. It was followed by a sequel Sylvia and Michael in 1919. Sylvia becomes orphaned during the story, losing both parents; her mother dies early on, and her father, Henry Scarlett, dies later, leaving her to navigate life independently with her con-artist companions. Also a film 1935 described as the most famous unsuccessful movie of the 1930s.