The Absentee (Oxford World's Classics) [Paperback]

Maria Edgeworth (Author), W. J. McCormack (Editor), Kim Walker (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 24, 2002

Lord Clonbrony and his ambitious, worldly wife lead an extravagant social life in London on the proceeds of their estates in Ireland. Their son, Lord Colambre, refusing to marry the heiress arranged for him by his mother, decides instead to investigate, incognito, the management of the family estates in Ireland. Appalled by the corruption, mismanagement, and poverty he discovers, he sets about finding a solution to his father's debts and the family's wilful indifference. Maria Edgeworth's classic novel combines a fast-miving depiction of national manners with a brilliantly witty expose of the pernicious system of absentee landownership.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`a welcome addition to the World's Classics series ... The editors give us a good text ... a useful essay on Edgeworth's revisions ... and a scholarly introduction.' Michael Baron, English

About the Author

Dr W.J. McCormack is Secretary of the Irish Writers' Union. He is the author of Ascendency and Tradition in Anglo-Irish Literary History 1789-1939 (OUP 1985), and he has edited Trollope's The Eustace Diamonds for The World' Classics series. he also writes under the name Hugh Moxton. Dr Kim Walker is Assistant Lecturer in English at University College Dublin.

Product Details

• Paperback: 366 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (January 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019283830X
• ISBN-13: 978-0192838308
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,696,838 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anglo-Irish Look at Ireland, July 9, 2006

By 

Matthew Reznicek "Irish Literature Scholar, C... (Belfast, Northern Ireland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Absentee (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Too often remembered solely as a British author, Maria Edgeworth's "The Absentee" provides a wonderful depiction of Ireland during the height of England's attempts to colonize Ireland through plantations. The historical problem with these estates was the often absence of the Lord. Edgeworth's novel reveals her Anglo-Irish stature. It depicts the Irish as either primitive and lacking ethics or as child-like and pure. Both of these reflect England's propaganda that was paired with the attempts at colonization.
Edgeworth's style reminds me very much of Jane Austen in that she focuses on the manners of the characters. In many ways, the characters resemble Austen's. The way Edgeworth depicts the individuals of Ireland, the way she represents the different class distinctions through the use of syntax and accents is deft. Edgeworth's novel is an invaluable tool for experiencing Ireland during its period of colonization. It combines the political, religious and economic aspects of Ireland. "The Absentee" demands an understanding of Irish history. It is a superb novel and highly enriching for anyone seeking a greater knowledge of Ireland.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Prominent Son, October 12, 2003

By 

P. Fan "Amaranth" (new york, ny United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Absentee (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Duty, Loyalty, and Honor is the foremost part on his mind for our hero, Lord Colambre. To resolve his parents financial troubles and follies in London, he venture back to his homeland, Ireland, in disguise to investigate the agents who are governing his father's estate. Witnessing the corruption but also the beauty, he determine to bring those corrupter to justice and hope to stay in Ireland. And of course, there is a romance, but as you all know the hero always get his girl.