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Oroonoko

A Norton Critical Edition
By Aphra Behn
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
Oroonoko by Aphra Behn tells the tale of an African prince who is tricked into slavery and taken to Surinam, exploring themes of love, power, and betrayal. The narrative delves into the prince's struggle to retain his dignity and freedom amidst the oppressive colonial system. This poignant story is one of the earliest English novels to address issues of race and colonialism.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3199
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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?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by classic literature that explores themes of love, power, and colonialism. This story, penned by one of the first English female writers, offers a poignant narrative of an African prince and his tragic encounters in the New World, making it a compelling read for those interested in historical fiction and early feminist literature.

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This long-awaited Norton Critical Edition of Aphra Behn’s best-known and most influential work makes available the original 1688 text, the only text published in her lifetime.

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

The editor supplies explanatory annotations and textual notes.

Historical Backgrounds is an especially rich collection of seventeenth-and eighteenth-century documents about colonisers and slaves in the new world. Topically arranged—"Montaigne on America," "The Settling of Surinam," "Observers of Slavery, 1654–1712," "After Oroonoko: Noble Africans in Europe," and "Opinions on Slavery"—these selections create a revealing context for Behn's unusual story. Illustrations and maps are also included.

Criticism begins with an overview of responses to Behn and Oroonoko, from learned and popular writers of her time to Sir Walter Scott and Virginia Woolf, among others. Current critical interpretations are provided by William C. Spengemann, Jane Spencer, Robert L. Chibka, Laura Brown, Charlotte Sussman, and Mary Beth Rose.

A Chronology of Behn's life and a Selected Bibliography are included.

Series: Norton Critical Editions

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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?

Oroonoko by Aphra Behn is often praised for its poignant exploration of colonialism and slavery, capturing readers with its tragic narrative and vivid character portrayal. Critics appreciate Behn's innovative storytelling and the novel's reflection on moral and social issues of the 17th century. While some reviews highlight the complexity and rich emotional depth of the story, others note its historical significance in shaping early English literature.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780393970142

Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 19 February 1997

Country: United States

Imprint: WW Norton & Co

Edition: Critical edition

Contributors:

  • Edited by Joanna Lipking

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 132.0mm

Height: 213.0mm

Weight: 245g

Pages: 288

Collections

Aphra Behn Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Series: Norton Critical Editions

About the Author

Aphra Behn flourished in the cosmopolitan world of the London playhouse and the court. It was she, Virginia Woolf wrote, "who earned [women] the right to speak their minds." Joanna Lipking is Lecturer in English at Northwestern University, where she has taught since 1979. A Columbia Ph.D., she writes on women’s emergence in print culture. Her articles and reviews on Aphra Behn and other early women writers appear in Studies in the Eighteenth Century, The Eighteenth Century: A Current Bibliography, and the recent Cambridge University Press collection, Aphra Behn Studies.

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