Belinda (Everyman Paperback Classics) [Paperback]

Maria Edgeworth (Author), Eilean Ni Chuilleanain (Author)

Book Description

Series: Everyman's Library (Paper) | Publication Date: July 15, 1993

Maria Edgeworth won the admiration of contemporaries Jane Austen and Walter Scott and later writers such as Thackeray. In BELINDA (1801) she tackles issues of gender and race in a manner at once comic and thought-provoking, as her heroine Belinda braves the perils of the marriage market and learns to think for herself.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In these two volumes published in 1801 and 1795, respectively, Edgeworth pokes fun at London upper crust. In addition to their humor, these volumes are noteworthy for their early feminist leanings. These Everyman editions include scholarly introductions, textual notes, and a chronology of the author's life. A big package for a small price.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers these extensive materials at a price that competes with the most inexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks have durable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial and scholarly standards.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 474 pages
• Publisher: Everyman Paperbacks (July 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0460872281
• ISBN-13: 978-0460872287
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,375,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I confess. I had to read it for class, December 5, 1997

By 

Sarah H. Wendell "SB Sarah" (NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Belinda (The World's Classics) (Paperback)

I know. No one ever wants to read a book for class. But in my 18th Century Women Novelists class we read Edgeworth's _Belinda_ and as a self-indulgent lover of romance novels, I found this to be right up there with Devereaux and McNaught. (I know...I wince as I even type their sacred names...much less dare to compare their masterful works with a 200 year old novel). I promise, this book is a treat and a treasure. _Belinda_ is the story of a young woman who is entering her first season in London under the tutledge of Lady Delacour. Delacour is a classic yet entertaining example of the creation of a facade. We all knew people like her in high school. Other characters include Mrs. Freke (pronounced "freak") who duels with pistols and dresses in men's clothing--now keep in mind this is the 18th century. She was supposed to be wearing a corset and some petticoats. Then there's Lord Delacour, who can't decide if he's a whipped husband or the lord of his manor, or if he should just have another drink. The entire story revolves around the theme of how life and people are not always what they seem. It also touches upon racism, sexual identity, gender roles and self-image of both women and men. But the delightful discovery of a character as intelligent and resourceful as Belinda makes this book truly worthwhile. She is cut from the same mold as Austen's Elizabeth Bennet or Emma-- she learns from the follies of others and in the end becomes a very admirable character that the reader is, well, proud of. After a semester of women ruined by this lord or that one, finding Belinda restored my battered sense of pride in my ancestral gender. I recommend this book to any one who likes Austen, anyone who loves a good romance--of course she falls in love!-- and most of all, anyone who has had to read a doldrum of a book for class and needs some restoration.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A sloppy edition of an interesting book, April 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Belinda (The World's Classics) (Paperback)

Belinda is Edgeworth at her best -- full of social comment and satire, gender- and other kinds of politics. It's great to have this novel in print, as a companion and contrast to the very dominant Austen. But I have to say this edition needs reworking; not only are there typos, but the notes are very spotty. Example: one character plays an early form of roulette, called E.O.; do we get a note on social attitudes to new games of chance other than cards? No. Further example: a character goes to visit the Chevalier D'Eon. Do we get a note explaining that this is a real person -- a crossdressing swordfighting real person?!!!!! No. Shame, World's Classics! How can you expect people to keep reading the notes when they're no help?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Seven Treasures Publications paperback version: No Frills, April 12, 2010

By 

K. McMahan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Belinda : Contains the Complete Text of the Controversial Original First Edition (Paperback)

Belinda was a good read, but beware when considering purchasing the paperback version from Seven Treasures Publications. This is an absolutely-no-frills version. There is only the text of the novel, and it looks like it was created from an OCR scan of the text. There is no introduction, no forward and there are no explanatory notes at all. Also, there are many instances of what must be a letter mis-read by the scanner: numerous instances of "he" instead of "be", etc. This is distracting but with a little perseverance you can get through it.

Also, this version claims to contain "the complete text of the controversial original first edition." I am no expert, but other sources indicate one controversy to be the marriage of Juba (a black Jamaican servant) and Lucy (a white English farmgirl). In this version, Chapter XIX has Lucy marrying James Jackson, which reportedly distinguishes a later edition that removed the Juba-Lucy union to please Edgeworth's father.