Tales and Novels - Volume 04

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Edgeworth, Maria, 1768-1849

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Tales and Novels - Volume 04" by Maria Edgeworth is a collection of narratives likely written in the early 19th century. Central to the volume is "Castle Rackrent," a story that revolves around the Rackrent family, told from the perspective of "honest Thady Quirk," the old steward who captures the idiosyncrasies and misadventures of those who have inherited the family's estate over the years. Through Thady's anecdotes, Edgeworth explores themes of social status, the folly of the gentry, and the unique character of Irish life. At the start of "Castle Rackrent," Thady Quirk introduces himself and his longstanding position within the Rackrent family, eager to share their history. He recounts the lavish life of the family's ancestors, particularly Sir Patrick, whose hospitality was renowned, followed by the more disreputable heirs, including the litigative Sir Murtagh and the careless Sir Kit. The narrative sets up a contrast between the familial pride of the Rackrents and their descent into farce, culminating in humorous, yet poignant, reflections on their decline. This opening section establishes a rich setting and a colorful cast of characters, suggesting a blend of humor and social commentary that invites readers to delve deeper into the tales of this charmingly dysfunctional family. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

Castle Rackrent

An essay on Irish bulls

An essay on the noble science of self-justification

Ennui

The dun.

Credits:

Text file produced by Jonathan Ingram, Tapio Riikonen and PG Distributed Proofreaders HTML file produced by David Widger

Notes:

Reading ease score: 70.2 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Release date is 2005-12-01