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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; ... Read more

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The lively comedy of this novel in which a young woman comes of age amid the distractions and temptations of London high society belies the challenges it poses to the conventions of courtship, the dependence of women, and the limitations of domesticity.Contending with the perils and the varied cast of characters of the marriage market, Belinda strides resolutely toward independence. Admired by her contemporary, Jane Austen, and later by Thackeray and Turgenev, Edgeworth tackles issues of gender and race in a manner at once comic and thought-provoking. The 1802 text used in this edition also confronts the difficult and fascinating issues of racism and mixed marriage, which Edgeworth toned down in later editions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Memorable Characters
Lady Delacour is by far the most intriguing character in this novel but Belinda and the two male leads, (Mr. Hervey and Mr. Vincent) can carry their own. This is a wonderful novel filled with a few surprises and mystery. For instance - who is the captive Virginia, what is her story, and how does she figure into Belinda's future?The book is highly readable and you won't want to put it down in order to find out who will end up with who and what will become of the enigmatic Lady Delacour. Typical themes of the times - sexism, colonialism, etc are woven throughout the beautiful prose. Highly recommended!

If you love Austen or Burney . . .
As I long time fan of Jane Austen, I became interested in the authors she may have read.Belinda was a nice introduction to the more affluent society of eighteenth and early nineteenth century Great Britain.Maria Edgeworth's characters are believable and engrossing.

Lady Delacour, Not Belinda
I agree with the reader who said this book should have been called Lady Delacour instead of Belinda. This book did not have the class and the flow of a Austen novel, and it was not Camilla, either. I did not stay up late reading it, and it took me three days (I read a hundred pages a minute, mind you) to get through this, forcing myself to finish it. While many english classics have characters that pop off the page and are fun and interesting, the characters in this book fell flat, including our heroine. Not enough information was given on some characters, and far too much dialogue from other (Delacour).
It's worth reading if you have nothing else to read, and have no other options, but I left without a moral and entertainment.

Arrived in Plenty of Time
I needed this book for an English class I was taking and NONE of the bookstores around me carried it. Thanks for getting to me so quickly. Why the bookstores didn't carry it I don't know...excellent piece of literature.

good read, edgeworth is classic lit!
Edgeworth is interesting and intelligent.I enjoy Dickens, Dumas and Gaskell.If you have read and enjoyed them, you should read this.You won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Administration of estates/ Fiction; Absentee landlordism/ Fiction; British/ Ireland/ Fiction; Administration of estates; Absentee landlordism; British; Landowners; Socialites; Ireland; Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Fiction / Literary; Fiction / Classics; Literary Collections / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; ... Read more

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The novel Helen by Maria Edgeworth is perhaps her most accomplished work. Written in 1834, later in her life (1767-1849), it tells the story of an orphan of tender years, Helen Stanley, whose guardian, Dean Stanley, has squandered his fortune and left Helen without visible resources. She is forced to take up residence with the local vicar, whose wife is astonished that none of the Stanleys' aristocratic friends have offered a refuge to the young orphan. Eventually, however, the Davenant family returns from abroad and invite Helen to Clarendon Park. Cecilia Davenant, daughter of Lord and Lady Davenant, has just been married to General Clarendon. Helen journeys to join her dear friend Cecilia, and the first half of the novel describes Helen's experiences among the most fortunate of Britain's elite under the tutelage of Lady Davenant, who in some ways favors Helen over her own daughter Cecilia.
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Customer Reviews (1)

Burney is to Camilla as Edgworth is to Helen
The title of my review may not make sense to readers unfamiliar with the four novels of Frances Burney, nor a bit of biography about the two great women authors, Frances Burney and Maria Edgeworth. Both Burney's Camilla and Edgeworth's Helen are later works of fiction produced after earlier successes. Both were published after a long break in time in writing.Both are perhaps "overworked," and in reading both, I often think of how much anxiety the heroines exhibit, and I sense anxiety in the authors in themselves being expressed in subtle ways in text. Both texts have great strengths, yet if they are read after the greater works of the authors (Evelina, Cecilia, Belinda, Patronage, The Absentee, Ennui), there is a sad sense of lost compactness, lost power. Both Camilla and Helen are longer than they need be, and I suspect their length is the result of excessive rewriting and anxiety on the part of the two authors.

Yet having said that, I would argue that second-rate Edgeworth is superior to a great many authors' best efforts.Helen is at heart a story about friendship and betrayal, selflessness and selfishness, social lies and their cost.As usual, once I start to try to narrow down a theme of Edgeworth's, more and more lessons on life and great human issues emerge from her writing.Edgeworth understands people and the social games they play, and this perceptive power is still fresh and relevant in 2004.The role of women in politics, political intrigue, and power is an important theme in the book; here some women will struggle with Edgeworth's ambiguity and long for the absolute world of Mary Wollstonecraft.But Edgeworth tackles issues on a practical level-unlike Wollstonecraft she is not able to say, "This is how it should be,"but rather Edgeworth explores issues in social context. She shows us behavior and the diverse reactions of people in society, leads us to look at different values, different lifestyles. There is in all of Edgeworth's novels, a level of common sense and the way of the world that keeps her novels from becoming too didactic, too formulaic, too visionary, and too melodramatic.Just as things seem to become too serious, too moral, or (horrors!) boring, Edgeworth makes us laugh at the silly ways people try to protect or feed their vanity, self-esteem, or social reputation. ... Read more

Product Description
Lord and Lady Clonbrony are more concerned with fashionable London society than with their responsibilities to those who live and work on their Irish estates. Concerned by this negligence, their son Lord Colambre goes incognito to Ireland to observe the situation and to discover the truth about the origins of his beloved cousin Grace. Can he find a solution that will bring prosperity and contentment to every level of society, including his own family? Rich in atmosphere and local character, The Absentee (1812) helped establish the ?regional? novel form, which influenced such varied writers as Scott, Thackeray and Turgenev. In this sparkling satire on Anglo-Irish relations, Maria Edgeworth created a landmark work of morality and social realism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Anglo-Irish Look at Ireland
Too often remembered solely as a British author, Maria Edgeworth's "The Absentee" provides a wonderful depiction of Ireland during the height of England's attempts to colonize Ireland through plantations.The historical problem with these estates was the often absence of the Lord.Edgeworth's novel reveals her Anglo-Irish stature.It depicts the Irish as either primitive and lacking ethics or as child-like and pure.Both of these reflect England's propaganda that was paired with the attempts at colonization.
Edgeworth's style reminds me very much of Jane Austen in that she focuses on the manners of the characters.In many ways, the characters resemble Austen's.The way Edgeworth depicts the individuals of Ireland, the way she represents the different class distinctions through the use of syntax and accents is deft.Edgeworth's novel is an invaluable tool for experiencing Ireland during its period of colonization.It combines the political, religious and economic aspects of Ireland."The Absentee" demands an understanding of Irish history.It is a superb novel and highly enriching for anyone seeking a greater knowledge of Ireland.

The Prominent Son
Duty, Loyalty, and Honor is the foremost part on his mind for our hero, Lord Colambre.To resolve his parents financial troubles and follies in London, he venture back to his homeland, Ireland, in disguise to investigate the agents who are governing his father's estate.Witnessing the corruption but also the beauty, he determine to bring those corrupter to justice and hope to stay in Ireland.And of course, there is a romance, but as you all know the hero always get his girl. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Classics; Fiction / Literary; Fiction / Family Life; History / Europe / Ireland; Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Boring, boring!
This book is simply boring.There are fun things to it, especially if you know your Irish history, but these out-of-date parodies are still not good enough to make it worth reading.Under the narrative of Thady Quirk, which is -- at least to me -- fairly hard to get through, we are taken through the history of a protestant landlord family. If you truly dissect the book, there are interesting sides of it, but just as a plain reading, I found it simply boring. It is short and doesn't go into any detailed description of the many events that are told to the reader/listener, it's value were supposedly the mocking of the protestant ruling class of Ireland. Since that value is lost to most contemporary readers, there isn't all that much left. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Seven Treasures Publications paperback version: No Frills
Belinda was a good read, but beware when considering purchasing the paperback version from Seven Treasures Publications. This is an absolutely-no-frills version. There is only the text of the novel, and it looks like it was created from an OCR scan of the text. There is no introduction, no forward and there are no explanatory notes at all. Also, there are many instances of what must be a letter mis-read by the scanner: numerous instances of "he" instead of "be", etc. This is distracting but with a little perseverance you can get through it.

Also, this version claims to contain "the complete text of the controversial original first edition." I am no expert, but other sources indicate one controversy to be the marriage of Juba (a black Jamaican servant) and Lucy (a white English farmgirl). In this version, Chapter XIX has Lucy marrying James Jackson, which reportedly distinguishes a later edition that removed the Juba-Lucy union to please Edgeworth's father.

Why did only HALF the book arrive?!
I invariably fall for an idealized heroine who must meet life's challenges and learn life's lessons as she waits for her Prince Charming to wake up.Belinda is a delight.However, the hardbound copy which I received for Christmas only included the first half of the book!I have written the publisher, and received no response--this is a mystery.I would have liked to give 2.5 stars to represent the half of the book received.

Should have been called "Lady Delacour"
While it didn't keep my heart racing or the midnight oil burning like Evelina, this was still an entertaining read. Belinda, first published in 1801, is the story of a young woman who comes of age amid the distractions and dangers of London society. From her stays at both the extravagant, aristocratic Delacours and the sober, rational Percivals, she molds her views on love and marriage and much more.

During my reading, I sometimes thought the book should have been called Lady Delacour rather than Belinda. I found Lady Delacour an amusing character and greatly enjoyed her parts of the novel. There is an interesting back-story to which Edgeworth devotes and entire chapter about a Lady Delacour's wild days with estranged friend Harriet Freke. It includes a duel between women, cross dressing, and an angry town mob. I thought it would be quite interesting to read a whole novel about Lady Delacour's past!

But this is Belinda's story, and a delightful one it is. Belinda learns from the mistakes of others (and many does she witness) rather than rashfully committing the mistakes herself. From her tutelage by Lady Delacour and the Percivals, we see Belinda grow from a confused little girl into a confident young lady that is admired and eventually depended upon by all. In love, her suitors find they must grow and prove their worth to her, rather than the reverse.

In Belinda one can find some semblance to her contemporary and admirer, Jane Austen. Personally, I find Austen a tad bit more accessible, I suppose for the simple fact that Austen didn't tackle as many "touchy" issues as Edgeworth (such as interracial marriage, colonialism, and the above-mentioned female dueling and cross dressing!). But however outdated her treatment of these issues, the main story remains the same, which is an engaging one and highly recommended.

A sloppy edition of an interesting book
Belinda is Edgeworth at her best -- full of social comment and satire, gender- and other kinds of politics. It's great to have this novel in print, as a companion and contrast to the very dominant Austen. But I have to say this edition needs reworking; not only are there typos, but the notes are very spotty. Example: one character plays an early form of roulette, called E.O.; do we get a note on social attitudes to new games of chance other than cards? No. Further example: a character goes to visit the Chevalier D'Eon. Do we get a note explaining that this is a real person -- a crossdressing swordfighting real person?!!!!! No. Shame, World's Classics! How can you expect people to keep reading the notes when they're no help?

I confess. I had to read it for class
I know. No one ever wants to read a book for class. But in my 18th Century Women Novelists class we read Edgeworth's _Belinda_ and as a self-indulgent lover of romance novels, I found this to be right up there with Devereaux and McNaught. (I know...I wince as I even type their sacred names...much less dare to compare their masterful works with a 200 year old novel). I promise, this book is a treat and a treasure._Belinda_ is the story of a young woman who is entering her first season in London under the tutledge of Lady Delacour. Delacour is a classic yet entertainingexample of the creation of a facade. We all knew people like her in high school. Other characters include Mrs. Freke (pronounced "freak") who duels with pistols and dresses in men's clothing--now keep in mind this is the 18th century. She was supposed to be wearing a corset and some petticoats. Then there's Lord Delacour, who can't decide if he's a whipped husband or the lord of his manor, or if he should just have another drink. The entire story revolves around the theme of how life and people are not always what they seem. It also touches upon racism, sexual identity, gender roles and self-image of both women and men. But the delightful discovery of a character as intelligent and resourceful as Belinda makes this book truly worthwhile. She is cut from the same mold as Austen's Elizabeth Bennetor Emma-- she learns from the follies of others and in the end becomes a very admirable character that the reader is, well, proud of. After a semester of women ruined by this lord or that one, finding Belinda restored my battered sense of pride in my ancestral gender. I recommend this book to any one who likes Austen, anyone who loves a good romance--of course she falls in love!-- and most of all, anyone who has had to read a doldrum of a book for class and needs some restoration. ... Read more

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Murad the Unlucky and Other Tales is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Maria Edgeworth is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Maria Edgeworth then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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Maria Edgeworth (1767-1849) was an Anglo-Irish novelist. She was born at Black Bourton, Oxfordshire, the second child of Richard Lovell Edgeworth, a well-known author and inventor. On her father’s second marriage in 1773, she went with him to Ireland, where she eventually was to settle on his estate, Edgeworthstown, in County Longford. She acted as manager of her father’s estate, later drawing on this experience for her novels about the Irish. Maria’s first published work was Letters for Literary Ladies in 1795, followed in 1796 by her first children’s book, The Parent’s Assistant; or, Stories for Children, and in 1800 by her first novel Castle Rackrent. Mr. Edgeworth encouraged his daughter’s career, and has been criticized for his insistence on approving and editing her work. After her father’s death in 1817 she edited his memoirs, and extended them with her biographical comments. She was an active writer to the last, and worked strenuously for the relief of the famine-stricken Irish peasants during the Irish Potato Famine (1845-1849). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

great edition, great book
Not only is this edition, like all editions by Broadview, wonderful with a beautiful cover, great research, nice pages, clear text, but this is also a wonderful book. Harrington is really ahead of its time. I think it should be required 19th C British/Irish reading. This is perfect for the classroom as well as it discusses the complexities of ethnicity (or 'race' for them) in a British context (something usually ignored in American classrooms). It is an easy read and also has a sort of mysterious, almost Gothic, subtext which I think is interesting to read in conjunction with its cultural context. Edgeworth demonstrates the extent to which she is Anglo/Irish here with the ostensible context being Britain and Jewishness, but the Irish context can be seen just under the surface. ... Read more

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Castle Rackrent, a novel by Maria Edgeworth published in 1800, is often regarded as the first true historical novel and the first true regional novel in English.
It is also widely regarded as the first family saga, and the first novel to use the device of a narrator who is both unreliable and an observer of, rather than a player in, the actions he chronicles.

This volume also includes Ennui, the entertaining confessions' of the Earl of Glenthorn, a bored, spoiled aristocrat. Desperate to be free from the demon of ennui, Glenthorn's quest for happiness takes him through violence and revolution, and leads to intriguing twists of fate. Both novels offer a darkly comic and satirical expose of the Irish class system, and a portrait of a nation in turmoil. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great novel
Thank you for the quick shipment!The novel is in great condition and will be a nice edition to my library.

Amazingly wonderful
Maria Edgeworth was a pioneer Irish writer who was justifiably popular about 200 years ago, and whose work continues to be read with great pleasure to this day.Ennui is a masterpiece of humorous satire, brilliantly phrased in the way only great literature can be.To read Edgeworth is to find a "new" author of the caliber of Fielding, Dickens, Hardy, or Scott.Her style is more entertaining and pithy than any of these. The topics she writes about are of universal interest and lack nothing in the way of contemporary applicability.Human nature quite obviously has not changed in two centuries, and is unlikely to change in two more - when her books are likely still to be read.Give Edgeworth's work a try, you are almost certain to have a wonderful experience.

Not bedtime reading.
Edgeworth wrote about the protestant upper class in Ireland around theturn of the 18th/19th century.At the time, especially in Rackrent, hermost famous work, she wrote of the machinations of bad landlords and howtheir families died out.It is interesting that she was writing about thedemise of these bad landlords, suggesting that things had improved in thismore enlightened age, at a time when the Irish Peasant was worse off thanever.Edgeworth wrote of a society that was on the brink of extinction,but she was not aware of this, since she was part of that society. Thisbook is noteworthy for what it is not.It is not Irish literature.It ispoor british literature and would have no merit at all if it did not serveto contrast with the high quality scribblings of the uneducated andunwashed downtrodden masses. Like the protestant ruling class it is sparse,stilted and haughty.Not a fun read. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Biography ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Biography ... Read more

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An examination of comedy and feminism in the works of early women British novelists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

scholarly but accessible feminist look at Austen et al.
I was anxious to read this book because I've always enjoyed 18th and 19th century literature, and believed that the humor found in the works of Austen and Burney were overlooked and undermentioned.Author Bilger examines the works of Frances Burney, Maria Edgeworth and Jane Austen, and posits that the humor they used was subversive -- laughter at the expense of the overbearing patriarchal culture in which they lived.

While this isn't exactly what I'd hoped it would be, it was more accessible than many scholarly works, and after I got into the rhythm and jargon of the academic writing, I found myself entertained as well as informed -- such a lovely combination.

Laughter is a commodity too often ignored and a tool too often overlooked, but the author makes her case that these three authors consciously used satire, burlesque and parody to criticize their culture while maintaining the guise of docile co-conspirators.Bilger begins with interesting chapters on women & comedy and Mary Shelley's feminism before discussing the lives of her subjects, their beliefs and their use of comedic technique and characters to undermine the dominant paradigm, as it were.Naive observers, female tricksters, competitive women, nimcompoop suitors and ignorant patriarchs are described and then illustrated with short excerpts from the many works by these talented authors -- in particular Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and Northanger Abbey; Burney's Camilla and The Wanderer; and Edgeworth's Belinda and Helen.

I thought the most interesting chapter was on "goblin humor", dark humor that is still considered distasteful by many and seems shocking when found in these quiet comedies of manners.Here the author displayed a mastery of comic theory as well as the literature, and made her case admirably, without descent into the jargon-laden victimization theory that dominates feminist film theory, for example.Rather, Bilger posits that Austen, Burney and Edgeworth found an outlet for what they could have considered a hopeless situation, and that they consciously and actively did their best to undermine the system in which they lived, reflecting and building upon the work of earlier feminists, and sending out beacons of camaraderie to women living under cultural and personal subjugation.

The book concludes with a fine Notes section, a bibliography and a good index. ... Read more

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This title has fewer than 24 printed text pages. Letters to his wife Mary Borrow is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by George Henry Borrow is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of George Henry Borrow then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Literary; Juvenile Fiction / General; Juvenile Fiction / Social Issues / Friendship; Juvenile Fiction / Social Issues / Values ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Christian / Short Stories; Fiction / Short Stories; ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; ... Read more