The Letters of Lady Arbella Stuart (Women Writers in English 1350-1850) [Paperback]

Lady Arbella Stuart (Author), Sara Jayne Steen (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1994 | Series: Women Writers in English 1350-1850

Lady Arbella Stuart (1575-1615) was a claimant to the English throne whose more than one hundred letters to relatives, her husband, the royal family, court officials, and friends reveal a powerful personal and public drama. Stuart's royal birth and demand for independence twice placed her in direct conflict with Queen Elizabeth and King James over an unauthorized marriage, once in 1603 when she attempted to marry clandestinely and again in 1610 when she did marry, then escaped from her subsequent confinement and was recaptured. In her letters, Stuart applies her considerable rhetorical skills to justify her actions, to express her anger, to create a fictional lover, to advance her family at court, and, after marriage, to seek her freedom. Her revisions in the letters, included here, offer readers unusual access to the thinking and strategies of a talented Renaissance writer. Sara Jayne Steen has transcribed, ordered, dated, and annotated the letters and drafts. A biographical and critical introduction draws on newly rediscovered papers to reassess Stuart's life and writing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[An] important addition to the `canon' in carefully edited, accessible, and affordable text."--Dr. K. Blumreich, Grand Valley State University

"Steen's splendid edition is the obvious product of careful research and transcription....Barring the discovery of a new archive, this is certain to be the definitive edition."--Sixteenth Century Journal

Language Notes

Text: English, Latin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (December 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195087186
• ISBN-13: 978-0195087185
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,025,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just the facts..., January 24, 2001

By 

K. Maxwell "katmax1" (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Letters of Lady Arbella Stuart (Women Writers in English 1350-1850) (Paperback)

This book is basically all the letters of Arbella Stuart that the author could find. They have been transcribed into readable english and presented in chronological order. The english and spelling is not changed from the original letters, which can make them difficult to read at times, but there is no better way to get the 'flavour' of Arbella's life.

The author has also written a biographical introduction on Arbella Stuart's life. This is the result of the reasearch the author has done in finding and transcribing these letters. It is almost a new biography worth reading in itself. Even if you find the letters hard going (like I did), the biography is worth the price of the book.

I've only one real complaint about this book and that is the Author's insistance on naming Arbella "stuart" throughout her text - she says because it's more respectful - but I think it tends to de-individualise the subject and found it grating.

If you have any interest in the tragic life of this lady this book is very worthwhile, and it's the first new book in *ages* on Arbella.