A review by edgeworthstan2000
Belinda by Maria Edgeworth

5.0

This was so fun. It's Austen un-hinged. It's way too long, there's murder & duelling (by women!), some other ridiculous pursuits by some of the "good" characters that would show up in an Austen novel only in the actions of her villains. Edgeworth is also much more explicitly concerned with the slave trade & issues of race, which is great to see.
Part of the fun of reading this is to see what Austen did with her influences -- Edgeworth's weaknesses highlight Austen's strengths.