Maria EdgeworthRecensioni

Maybe closer to 3.5 stars with funny moments. Well written and the reason I’ll look for more pieces to read.

Read for a graduate seminar on Romantic Era Women Writers at CU Boulder.

I want to love this novel for its entertainment factor and for the illusion of an independent heroine, but I find it impossible to get over all the stalkeresque male heroes and their racist allies. Therefore, proceed, but with caution. This is far more entertaining than most of the novels I've read from this era - but if you're a feminist, you'll probably be every bit as disgusted with the narrative arc as I was.

Multigenerational tale capturing the flaws of the English presence and landowning in Ireland.

The Absentee is basically a political book using fiction to decry the decimation of the Irish by absentee landlords. Along the way it also jabs at the pretenses of English high society and softening it all with a love story and a happier than realistic ending.

Oh what a delicious, funny and painful (as all truly deep humor is) book: a portrait, written in the early 19th century, about a series of negligent (understatement) Anglo-Irish landowners over a series of generations (supposedly in the 18th century, but . . . ) as narrated by the faithful Thady Quirk, estate agent to most of them as he lives into his 90's. Rack renting was the lamentable practice of, essentially, leasing a parcel of land to a person who would then rent said parcel out in smaller landholdings at madly overrated prices and without any restrictions or responsibilities toward the land or for those who cultivated it. Everyone made money except the folks at the bottom, who barely ended up scratching out a living and who had no security, no reason either than to practice farming at its worst (for the hope of quickest and surest profit) and in this practice lie the origins and reason for the famine. No, Edgeworth didn't prophecy the famine, how could she, and yet, a modern reader cannot help feel awe at her acuity and the sheer genius. I plan to listen to this in a recorded book form pronto -- I had to read it aloud in a pretend Irish accent, to get the full glory. *****

I did not get on with this novel. It purports to be a series of accounts of the lives and fortunes of a number of heirs to an estate in late 18th century Ireland, narrated unreliably by an estate steward. Essentially this is a novella prefaced by an introduction and other surrounding material by a narrator who is describing the real life estate of Edgeworth's own father. While it's an interesting experiment and must have been well researched, I could not get into it.½

I don’t believe this is the ‘version’ I read, but it was the only stand alone of Barring Out I could find. It was an amusing read about the theatrics and politics of being a young English boy

I really love the story of Belinda, but I've come to realize I just don't like Edgeworth's writing style. I'm not sure what it is that rankles me but as soon as I pick up one of her books, it's so slowgoing for me, because I'm just not enjoying it. I felt the same way about a few of Charlotte Smith's books as well. It's not as satirical, maybe a little preachy and earnest in its coverage of issues of the time (and really, of now--racism, gambling addiction and the way people who 'don't look sick' are treated.)

If you like Emmeline, you'll probably like Belinda as well. If you're more of an Evelina or Marchmont person, you might find it a little dry and preachy.

I read this brief novel by Irish author Maria Edgeworth because it was on the 1001 books to read before you die list and I'm always interested in female authors on the list. This book was published in 1800 and seems to have been written about a "typical" Irish gentry family for the English public. She certainly didn't give Ireland the best representation! This book is narrated by Thady, a servant for the Rackrent family, who witnesses three generations squander away their money and land through poor management, gambling, drink, and unwise marriages. Their land ends up in the hands of Thady's son.

This book is important historically because the English ate it up and took it as a real insight into the rise of the middle class in Ireland and the bad habits of the Irish landed gentry. But the writing, plot development, and character development are basically non-existent. Thady's voice gives some character and there are a few funny moments, but this is basically a long run-on sentence in 90 pages. Any book published in the early 1800s will be compared by me to Jane Austen and there is zero comparison here. I'm always impressed with Austen's tight plot and character development and coherence when compared to her contemporaries.

This was interesting from a historical perspective, but not really a pleasurable reading experience.

This was really quite enjoyable. Helped, I think, by the recent tutoured read by Liz of Edgeworth's Belinda and the quite detailed introduction. I'm not sure of those two got me in the right mindset to read this, or put it all into context, but it helped.
It's a story of an heir to an estate in Ireland who is comming of age in London where his parents reside, as absentee landlords to their estate. He has a fondness for his home and so goes on a tour of the country and finds that one part of the esatate has a good overseer and the other does not. One part of the estate has tenants who are hard working, and a credit to themselves and their landlord, the other has bribery, underhand dealings, falling down houses and an oppressed tenantry. He then takes matters into his own hands and makes his social ladder climbing mother see that actually she fits back in Ireland a lot better than in London, and that they should return. It is slightly complicated by his search for a wife. He has a fondness for the woman brought up as his cousin, who in fact is the (believed) illigitimate child of his uncle's first wife, and so not a blood relative at all.
There is a lot going on slightly off stage, for want of a better description. This is set not long after the Union of Ireland with the rest of Britian into the UK, and so there is a fair amount of them & us going on, on both sides of the irish sea. This os not always evident, but in the choice of Grace Nugent as the cousin's name, Edgeworth was tapping into a thread of folk history related to the surname and the name Grace Nugent itself that gives her position within the family and her relationship (or possible relationship) with the heir a different spin. It's all very interesting and quite easy to read. A great social portrait of society at the time, with the poorer tenants featuring as well as the upper classes.

This book is the story of a young orphan boy, Ormond and is the story of his coming of age. Written in 1817 by female author Maria Edgeworth this book has a bit of flavor of Austen only with a male hero instead of females and lots of comedy of manners, a bit of moralizing, and a romance. It was an easy read.

Set in Ireland, The Black Islands, England, Paris. The time period is set in the 1700's during Louis the Fifteenth and Madame du Barry, just before the reign of terror. Here we see the court behaviors and distaste for the common people. We also see the rent between Protestant and Catholic in Ireland with the debate of whether a Catholic boy can sit on the same school bench with a Protestant student.½

Belinda Portman has come of age, and her Aunt Stanhope has made arrangements for her to stay in London with Lady Delacour. Aunt Stanhope has a reputation as a matchmaker for her young female relations, and Belinda is to be her next success story. Lady Delacour is an odd choice of chaperon. Lord and Lady Delacour lead largely separate lives, and Lady Delacour has a reputation as a flirt. Belinda is on her guard after she overhears a conversation not meant for her ears, and she comes to realize that it’s up to her to guard her own reputation and her own heart.

This early 19th century novel reads like a mashup of Shaw’s Pygmalion and Austen’s Emma, occasionally wandering into a Dickens novel. Perhaps this is an indication of Edgeworth’s influence on later generations of authors.

This was a group read, helped along with informative commentary by Liz. Belinda is our titular heroine, but she doesn;t exactly fit the mould of the time. She's a niece of the matchmaking Selina Stanhope, who has thus far launched the society careers of a number of nieces and amrried them all off sucessfully. Not always happily, but happiness and social success are in no way the same thing, as this book makes plain. Belinda is duly lodged with Lady Delacour, who might be seen as the antithesis of how BBelinda should behave. She was once a society heiress and made a splash in society, with numerous offers for her hand. She herself had lost her heart to one Mr Peveril, and while he returned her love, he declined to put her on a pedestall and be blind to her faults, so she spurned him. In a fit of pique (or on the rebound, maybe) she marries Lord Delacour and they are now somewhat unhappy. Always at cross purposes, with a child being cared for by relatives, they really have no point of contact. Another example to Belinda of what making a good match but poor marriage might entail.
Of Belinda's own prospects, there are several. Sir Phillip Baddesley is a bore and a cad and deserves the comeuppance he gets. Clarence Hervey is another and he is more promising, only he is not the marrying type, is engaged in a flirtation that is rumoutred to be an affair with Lady Delacour and is believed to have a mistress. All of which are black marks against his name. But he also comes with that society gallantry that makes it hard to know if he's telling the truth at any point and appears a little hypocritical. And has a superiority complex that, to be frack, he does not deserve. He's not exactly hero material. Our final suitor is Mt Vincent, from the West Indies, he has a fortune to his name and comes with the benefit of being the mentor of Mr Peveril (who is taken as a model round these parts). All is not as it appears here either, and that which looks good form one angle can be flawed from another.
Having had all these different examples and lessons (there is something to learn from each incident - but it isn't all that didactical) Belinda uses her head to make rational decisions. These can appear cold, and she is accused of being cold hearted by not being swept away on a tide of feeling. I liked her, but can see that she was not necessarily a creature of her time. Like Mary Wollstencraft in the Vinicaiton of the Richts of Women, I feel that Maria Edgeworth is pushing for women to be educated and use their heads more, as being a creature of nothing but emotion gets very wearing and is not necessarily goood for anyone. It took a bit of time to read, it is quite dense and the style of writing takes a little getting used to (as with anything of this vintage). I enjoyed it.

'How my eyes have been blinded by her artifice! This last stroke was rather too bold, and has opened them effectually, and now I see a thousand things that escaped me before.' (181)

Like The Romance of the Forest, I read this because I was told I might find some female proto-scientists in it; I found less science and less enjoyment in it than Romance of the Forest. The book sort of meanders an uninteresting protagonist through the Pride and Prejudiceesque but slightly more scandalous society of the early nineteenth century. Not much seems to happen, and it does so quite slowly.

I was glad I read this because it has such a prominent place in literary history, but I did not find it as amusing as it is meant to be.

Full Review: http://wp.me/pns82-145

Maria Edgeworth was a popular author in the early 19th century that has almost been forgotten today. I never heard of her before I saw this Penguin edition at the used book store. Intrigued by a story focusing on the Anglo/Irish aspect of Regency life and bought it. Plus, I liked the cover.

Edgeworth did not like novels, she thought they were frivolous, and instead called her stories “moral tales.” While she does deal more directly with the lower class than Austen did, The Abesntee shares many characteristics of Austen’s best novels: honorable children with weak, fault filled parents, a personal journey of growth through learning for the main character, a romance, characters with extreme prejudices. Edgeworth main theme of The Absentee, that Anglo-Irish landowners should be resident stewards of their estates and not leave the managing to agents while the owners live in London, is admirable but she never delves into the Anglo/Irish question or the religious differences that permeated Ireland. So, while there is a “moral” to the novel, it is a very one-sided ideal and as such, weakens the point. Especially when seen 200 years on.

Edgeworth was a skilled writer that created some of the most uncomfortable scenes and situations I’ve read in a long time. She skewered not only the vacuous attempts of an Anglo-Irish gentlewoman to be admitted into London society, a society that would never accept her no matter what she did, but she also lambasted the haughty, condescending, cruel and pettiness of those same society ladies. Only a few characters are safe from Edgeworth’s wrath and those characters border on being a little too perfect. There were a few too many coincidences to be believable but, unlike real life, plots hinge on coincidental acquaintances. Part romance and part adventure, The Absentee would be an enjoyable read for any fan of Regency literature.

This was a novella of 89 pages about the Rackrents as told by Sir Condy's loyal servant, Thad or "Old Thady." This is hailed as the first British novel. I found the narrator to be unreliable and babbling. I found the the story boring and plotless.½

Published in 1800, Castle Rackrent is described in the introduction as one of the most famous unread novels in English.

Also from the introduction, 'combining the subtle wit of the French tale, the Gaelic cadences of Irish oral tradition, and Gothic intrigue over property and inheritance, Castle Rackrent has gathered a dazzling array of firsts - the first regional novel, the first socio-historical novel, the first Irish novel, the first Big House novel, the first saga novel.'

How all this could fit in 114 pages, which includes a preface and a glossary by the author, is pretty amazing. But on reflection I guess it does! I read this along with the glossary and explanatory notes - the glossary was so much more than a glossary, taking 3 pages to explain the Irish lamentation for the dead, a couple of pages on Fairy Mounts and explaining well and truly what a raking pot of tea is (raised eyebrows...). It's about four inhabitants of the Castle Rackrent, Sir Patrick, Sir Murtagh, Sir Kit and Sir Conolly and how the run their estate.

I picked this up ostensibly to fit in a short 1001 book that also met the March RandomCAT and I'm so glad I did!½

This satire on early nineteenth century society, published as part of Edgeworth's series Tales of a Fashionable Life in 1809, pokes fun at a pose commonly held in the high society of the time - that of being bored of everything. In addition to lampooning the rich, Edgeworth includes some social commentary about the Irish (and the Anglo-Irish landlords). A quick and easy read that has grown on me a bit since I finished it. I may end up increasing my rating at some time...½

Gentlemanen er idealet i masser af engelsk litteratur, men hvad skal der egentlig til for at forme et ungt menneske, så adgangen til privilegier ikke bliver en kilde til dårlig moral? Det undersøger irske Maria Edgeworth i denne klassiske dannelsesroman fra 1817.

Harry Ormond kommer som dreng i pleje hos sir Ulick O’Shane, og det er ikke den bedste løsning for ham. Ulick er ganske vist en gentleman, der er vant til at bevæge sig på de bonede gulve, men han er uden et fast moralsk kompas, og hans søn Marcus er i endnu højere grad dårligt selskab. Det er derfor en stor fordel, at Harry bliver sendt i eksil hos Ulicks bror Cornell på The Black Islands. Her er manererne ikke er så finpudsede, men han møder ægte kærlighed og moralsk integritet. Den bliver kun styrket af venskabet med Lady Annaly, der anbefaler ham gode bøger, og siden med den retlinede præst Dr Cambray.

Romanens mest renfærdige personer genkender potentialet i Ormond, men han skal forme sin karakter for at udvikle det. Og så skal han selvfølgelig have en passende formue, men i en 1800-talsroman er det aldrig et problem at lade tilsyneladende forsvundne slægtninge dukke op igen i form af en solid arv, og selvom den typisk er optjent gennem handel og hårdt arbejde, så kan den sætte hovedpersonen fri til at leve et renfærdigt liv og uden at bruge for meget tid på forretninger.

For en ung mand med penge er der selvfølgelig masser af rygklappere og fristelser på hans vej, og selvom han har gode hjælpere, så er det i sidste ende op til Ormond selv at vælge den rette sti og finde vejen til den udkårne, der selvfølgelig også skal være både smuk og formet af det bedste moralske materiale.

Det lyder lidt skematisk, og sådan er det også at læse bogen. Der er masser af drama – Harry kommer f.eks. til at skyde en mand, deltage i en duel, lede efter strandrøvere efter et forlis og meget andet – og selvfølgelig bliver han også fristet af både kvinder, spil og det overfladiske liv blandt den storfestende overklasse i Paris. Jeg blev bestemt rørt af enkelte kapitler og scener, men desværre er den moralske udlægning fra forfatteren aldrig langt væk, og der blev taget for mange genveje og ”tilfældigheder” for at få plottet til at gå op.

Let's see, a summary of all of my complaints: it's elitist and racist to the point of being painful to read and the writing is so over-the-top and ham-fisted that it is almost impossible to bear. If it were just one of these things I could have made it through; it is after all a product of the times it was written in. I tried valiantly but gave up after yet another reference to the "inferiority" of the poor mulatto woman while the bad education the bad rich boy (as opposed to the good rich boy--poor boys are of an inferior nature throughout and are not the heroes) received was beat over my head yet again. I'm glad some of my favourite authors could find something in this dunghill that was worth salvaging, but I couldn't.

'I who have no secrets of my own- why should I be forced to keep the secrets of another?'
By sally tarbox on 23 Sept. 2012
Format: Paperback
Slow to get going but by Volume 2 starts to become really gripping.
Helen Stanley, left impoverished on her uncle's death, is offered a home with her childhood friend Lady Cecilia and her husband, the stern but righteous General Clarendon. Another important character is the wise Lady Davenant (Cecilia's mother) whose thoughts on morals and life are much valued by Helen - only Lady Davenant could pronounce a character 'constitutionally wilful and metaphysically vacillating'!

Problems start to arise through Cecilia's untruthful nature, where ultimately she leaves her friend to take the blame for her own doings... Helen is utterly righteous all the time, so I started to get fed up with her self sacrificing spirit. This is where for me, Maria Edgeworth cannot reach the levels of her 'rival' Jane Austen.
Nonetheless turns out to be quite an exciting read!

I skipped the lengthy introduction (~25% of this Kindle book!).

I wonder whether Susanna Clarke (author of "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell") was a fan of this classic because Edgeworth's glossary and Clarke's footnotes were similar in style!

I found many of the anecdotes amusing but the final story about Sir Condy struck me as rather sad.

Belinda is a silly, naive girl who is sent to stay with the glamorous Lady Delacour. Her worldly aunt wants her to find a rich husband, Lady Delacour wants her to be entertaining, and Belinda just wants to fall in love. She is initially dazzled by the high-flying life of the Delacours and the rest of the Ton, but rapidly sees the dark side to the sparkling diamonds and scathing witticisms.

Although the novel was published in 1801, this is a very readable book, with dialog that still scintillates to the modern ear. Alas, Edgeworth lost her nerve half way through this fascinating novel. Abruptly, everything becomes black or white. Belinda becomes a paragon of such utter virtue that she never puts a foot wrong, and thus loses all individuality. The battle between the ideals of Harriet Freke (a proto-feminst character) and the perfect Percivals is never truly joined, because the author explicitly calls one side monstrous and the other virtuous. Edgeworth also doesn't trust the reader to judge rightly which love interest Belinda should marry--she suddenly writes one as though all he does is rescue curates and innocent girls, and the other as an inveterate gambler and liar. The only character who survives this reformation is Lady Delacour, whose courage and satiric mind remain undimmed despite her adoption of a more domestic (and thus, virtuous) lifestyle. Lady Delacour is a character for the ages, as witty as Wilde's and as emotionally complex as Woolf's. For her alone, this book is worth reading.

Thady Quirk, aged retainer of the Rackrent family, recounts the family history in typically Irish style. The Quirk family's association began with Sir Patrick O'Shaughlin, who changed his name to Rackrent as a condition of inheritance from a childless cousin. The story concludes with the last of the Rackrents, Sir Conolly, and his loss of the estate. Edgeworth had an ear for dialect. Unfortunately, the flow of Thady's story is interrupted by footnotes and endnotes. Even the footnotes have footnotes.

Edgeworth was a contemporary of Jane Austen. Austen referred to Edgeworth's novels in her own novels. Readers who have read their way through Austen's novels might enjoy branching out into works by an author that Austen herself read.½