Delarivier Manley: 'The New Atalantis'

"An erotic scandal chronicle so popular it became a byword... Expertly tailored for contemporary readers. It combines scurrilous attacks on the social and political celebritites of the day, disguised just enough to exercise titillating speculatuion, with luscious erotic tales."
—Belles Lettres

This story concerns the return of to earth of the goddess of Justice, Astrea, to gather information about private and public behavior on the island of Atalantis. Manley drew on her experience as well as on an obsessive observation of her milieu to produce this fast paced narrative of political and erotic intrigue.

"An erotic scandal chronicle so popular it became a byword... Expertly tailored for contemporary readers. It combines scurrilous attacks on the social and political celebritites of the day, disguised just enough to exercise titillating speculatuion, with luscious erotic tales."
—Belles Lettres

This story concerns the return of to earth of the goddess of Justice, Astrea, to gather information about private and public behavior on the island of Atalantis. Manley drew on her experience as well as on an obsessive observation of her milieu to produce this fast paced narrative of political and erotic intrigue.

Booknews

Manley (1663-1724) was in her day as well known and potent a political satirist as Jonathan Swift. A fervent Tory, she interweaves sexual and political allegory in an acerbic vilification of her Whig opponents. The story concerns the return to earth of the goddess of Justice, Astrea, to gather information about private and public behavior on the island of Atalantis. Originally published in 1709 as Secret Memoirs and Manners of Several Persons of Quality of Both Sexes, from the New Atalantis. Edited with an introduction by Rosalind Ballaster. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Rosalind Ballaster is Lecturer in English at the University of East Anglia.