Castle Rackrent and Ennui (Penguin Classics)

Maria Edgeworth

ISBN 10: 0140433201 / ISBN 13: 9780140433203

Published by Penguin Books Ltd, United Kingdom, London, 1992

Thady Quirk, devoted steward to the decaying estate of the Rackrent family, narrates a riotous story of four generations of a dying dynasty in Castle Rackrent (1800). Thady will defend his masters to the end, but eventually his naivety and blind loyalty cause him to ignore the warning signs as the family's excesses lead them to ruin. This volume also includes Ennui, the entertaining 'confessions' of the Earl of Glenthorn, a bored, spoiled aristocrat. Desperate to be free from 'the demon of ennui', Glenthorn's quest for happiness takes him through violence and revolution, and leads to intriguing twists of fate. Both novels offer a darkly comic and satirical expose of the Irish class system, and a portrait of a nation in turmoil. A readable copy of the book which may include some defects such as highlighting and notes. Cover and pages may be creased and show discolouration. Seller Inventory # GOR002089994

Synopsis:

"I could not but admire my lady's spirit, and was proud to see Castle Rackrent again in all its glory"

Thady Quirk is the ever-present steward to four generations of a dying dynasty in Castle Racrent, hilariously flattering and encouraging his hapless masters on their road to ruin. Ingeniously drawing on an actual chronicle of Maria Edgeworth's family experiences, the narrative subtly emerges as a devastating commentary on the Anglo Irish occupation of rural Ireland. This volume also includes Ennui, a natural sequel to Castle Rackrent with its family nurse of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, the lazy and gullible English earl, Lord Glenthorn, learns a shocking secret that will drive him and his nurse apart

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

About the Author: Maria Edgeworth (1767–1849) was born in Oxfordshire and, after being educated in England, went to Edgeworthstown in Ireland to act as her father's assistant and governess to his many other children. With her father she wrote several educational books, and as a novelist she earned the praise of Sir Walter Scott.

Marilyn Butler (1937–2014) was rector of Exeter College, Oxford. She was educated at the University of Oxford and taught both there and at Cambridge, where she was the King Edward VII Professor of English Literature from 1986 to 1993. Her books include Jane Austen and the War of Ideas, Peacock Displayed, and The Collected Works of Maria Edgeworth. Butler also edited Castle Rackrent and Ennui by Maria Edgeworth.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Castle Rackrent and Ennui (Penguin Classics)
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd, United Kingdom, London
Publication Date: 1992
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Fair