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A review by pixieauthoress
Belinda by Maria Edgeworth, Kathryn Kirkpatrick
4.0
Read for EN4363: Romantic Writing and Women.
Given that most of the novels so far on this course have been rather depressing in nature or badly edited, this was a very pleasant surprise. Maria Edgeworth's writing is far more similar to that of Frances Burney than Mary Wollstonecraft or Mary Hays. I tried to read this book in 50 page chunks in order to finish it in time for my tutorial, but I probably could have finished it earlier as it was a relatively easy read.
My main reasons for not rating this book higher stem from the characterisation of Belinda and Clarence. As others have commented, Belinda was a bit too much of a Mary Sue in that she always did what was right and moral and never made any mistakes. One reviewer compares her to Jane Bennett from Pride and Prejudice, and I agree with this comparison. It seemed, to me, that Belinda was more the vehicle for telling a story about Lady Delacour and polite society at the turn of the nineteenth century. The novel wasn't so much about Belinda as it was those around her.
I never really warmed up to Clarence, except many in the last chapter of the novel. Initially he seemed too sure of himself and cocky, but most of my dislike of him stems from his treatment of Virginia. He's obviously a very idealistic young man, but I struggled to admire a "hero" who attempted to create the perfect woman for him. I wish he'd admitted how wrong his actions were earlier than the final pages of the novel, because as it is, I struggled to be happy for him and Belinda based on his past actions.
Ultimately, this was a very entertaining read which provided plenty to think about regarding propriety and woman's place in late eighteenth/early nineteenth century society. It's probably the most enjoyable novel so far on this course. That said, it's definitely not just for students of literature; I'd highly recommend this novel to fans of Frances Burney, and maybe even Jane Austen. 4*
Also, if you plan to read this novel, make sure you read the 1801 or 1802 text, as the 1810 was highly censored by Edgeworth's father and took out several interesting sections relating to issues of race. For footnotes, I definitely recommend the 2009 Oxford World Classics edition.
Given that most of the novels so far on this course have been rather depressing in nature or badly edited, this was a very pleasant surprise. Maria Edgeworth's writing is far more similar to that of Frances Burney than Mary Wollstonecraft or Mary Hays. I tried to read this book in 50 page chunks in order to finish it in time for my tutorial, but I probably could have finished it earlier as it was a relatively easy read.
My main reasons for not rating this book higher stem from the characterisation of Belinda and Clarence. As others have commented, Belinda was a bit too much of a Mary Sue in that she always did what was right and moral and never made any mistakes. One reviewer compares her to Jane Bennett from Pride and Prejudice, and I agree with this comparison. It seemed, to me, that Belinda was more the vehicle for telling a story about Lady Delacour and polite society at the turn of the nineteenth century. The novel wasn't so much about Belinda as it was those around her.
I never really warmed up to Clarence, except many in the last chapter of the novel. Initially he seemed too sure of himself and cocky, but most of my dislike of him stems from his treatment of Virginia. He's obviously a very idealistic young man, but I struggled to admire a "hero" who attempted to create the perfect woman for him. I wish he'd admitted how wrong his actions were earlier than the final pages of the novel, because as it is, I struggled to be happy for him and Belinda based on his past actions.
Ultimately, this was a very entertaining read which provided plenty to think about regarding propriety and woman's place in late eighteenth/early nineteenth century society. It's probably the most enjoyable novel so far on this course. That said, it's definitely not just for students of literature; I'd highly recommend this novel to fans of Frances Burney, and maybe even Jane Austen. 4*
Also, if you plan to read this novel, make sure you read the 1801 or 1802 text, as the 1810 was highly censored by Edgeworth's father and took out several interesting sections relating to issues of race. For footnotes, I definitely recommend the 2009 Oxford World Classics edition.