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Castle Rackrent

A Norton Critical Edition
By Maria Edgeworth
Series: Norton Critical Editions
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth is a satirical novel set in Ireland, narrated by the loyal servant, Thady Quirk. It provides a critical commentary on the decline of an Anglo-Irish estate, illustrating the mismanagement and moral failings of the Rackrent family. The story weaves a humorous yet poignant depiction of the era's social and political dynamics.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you have a keen interest in the intricacies of Irish society during the 18th century, portrayed with wit and sharp social commentary. It offers a humorous yet critical look at the decline of an Anglo-Irish estate, filled with colourful characters and engaging narrative style.

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The only edition of this 1800 novel—widely regarded as the first historical novel—to include material on the importance of Maria Edgeworth as a writer and the influence of contemporary history on this novel.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Castle Rackrent's publication in 1800 signalled many firsts: the first historical novel, the first regional novel in English, the first "big house" novel, the first Anglo-Irish novel, and the first novel with a narrator who is neither reliable nor part of the action.

This Norton Critical Edition is based on the Baldwin & Cradock edition that appeared as part of an eighteen-volume collected edition titled Tales and Novels of Maria Edgeworth (1832–33). It is accompanied by detailed explanatory annotations.

Ryan Twomey focuses the volume's "Backgrounds and Contexts" on Edgeworth's importance as a writer, the influence of contemporary historical events on her writing (most importantly, the Act of Union of 1800, which united Ireland and Great Britain), and Castle Rackrent's impact on the development of the novel. These include a selection of Edgeworth's letters; five major contemporary reviews; biographical pieces; Sir Walter Scott on Edgeworth and her response to him; and excerpts from Edgeworth's juvenilia, The Double Disguise.

"Criticism" is thematically organised to give readers a clear sense of Castle Rackrent's major themes: Irish writing and specifically the Irish novel, narrative voices, patriarchy and paternalism, and Edgeworth's Hiberno-English writing. Contributors include Seamus Deane, Marilyn Butler, Katherine O'Donnell, Julia Nash, Joyce Flynn, and Brian Hollingworth, among others.

A chronology of Edgeworth's life and work and a selected bibliography are also included.

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth is often praised as a groundbreaking work in the realm of Anglo-Irish literature. Reviewers commend it for its satirical yet poignant portrayal of the decline of an Irish estate through the mismanagement of its landlords, captured through the witty and astute voice of the servant narrator, Thady Quirk. The novel is heralded for its innovative narrative style and is recognised as a precursor to the modern novel, offering sharp insight into socio-political issues of its time.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780393922417

Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 12 February 2014

Country: United States

Imprint: WW Norton & Co

Edition: Critical edition

Illustration: 4

Contributors:

  • Edited by Ryan Twomey

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 132.0mm

Height: 213.0mm

Weight: 223g

Pages: 224

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Maria Edgeworth Series: Norton Critical Editions

About the Author

Ryan Twomey is Lecturer in English at Macquarie University. A University of New South Wales Ph.D., he is the author of “The Child Is Father of the Man”: Importance of Juvenilia in the Development of the Author. He is co-editor of Maria Edgeworth’s The Double Disguise and of William Harrison Ainsworth’s The December Tales: A Selection.

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