Fiction, World Literature, Fiction Subjects
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Overview
Maria Edgeworth won the admiration of her contemporaries Jane Austen and Walter Scott as well as later writers such as Thackeray and Turgenev. In Belinda (1801) she tackles issues of gender and race in a manner at once comic and thought-provoking. Braving the perils of the marriage market, Belinda learns to think for herself as the examples of her friends prove singularly unreliable. Edgeworth's varied cast includes the bewitching aristocrat, Lady Delacour, whose dreadful secret puts her in the power of her volatile servant; the dashing Creole gentleman, Mr. Vincent, who almost succeeds in winning Belinda's hand if not her heart; the eccentric Clarence Hervey, whose attempts to create an ideal wife backfire; and the outrageous Harriet Freke, whose antics as social outlaw land her in a mantrap. This lively comedy challenges the conventions of courtship, examines questions of female independence, and exposes the limits of domesticity. The text used in this edition (1802) also confronts the difficult and fascinating issues of racism and mixed marriage, which Edgeworth toned down in later editions.Editorials
Library Journal
In these two volumes published in 1801 and 1795, respectively, Edgeworth pokes fun at London upper crust. In addition to their humor, these volumes are noteworthy for their early feminist leanings. These Everyman editions include scholarly introductions, textual notes, and a chronology of the author's life. A big package for a small price.Book Details
Published
October 1, 2012
Publisher
Wilder Publications
Pages
402
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9781617207655