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Castle Rackrent
A Norton Critical Edition
Series: Norton Critical Editions
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Castle Rackrent
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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?
The only edition of this 1800 novelβwidely regarded as the first historical novelβto include material on the importance of Maria Edgeworth as a writer and the influence of contemporary history on this novel.
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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 (1832β33). 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.
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
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 βThe Child Is Father of the Manβ: Importance of Juvenilia in the Development of the Author. He is co-editor of Maria Edgeworthβs The Double Disguise and of William Harrison Ainsworthβs The December Tales: A Selection.
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