Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister (Paperback)

by Aphra Behn (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Homemade Candy Recipes from the early 1900s

About the Author
Aphra Behn was a prolific Restoration-era playwright and one of England's first professional women writers. In 1663, she visited a Venezuelan sugar colony and met a slave trader, and what she saw there formed the basis for what is now her most famous work Oroonoko. Behn was a Catholic supporter and a Tory, a bisexual and a political spy. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Echo Library (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140683579X
• ISBN-13: 978-1406835793
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,238,208 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars sexuality and desire, May 20, 2000

By	Mimy Mac (california) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Aphra Behn's Love Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister reveals the progress of the consciousness of the once innocent and naive Sylvia, who, after being seduced into an affair with her brother-in-law, Philander, learns of her own sexuality and desires.

Behn's novel is not only an exploration of the sexual politics of the socety in which she lived in, but also, an examination of the notions of gender and identity. The exchange of love letters between Sylvia and Philander allows readers to sense the intimacy between the two couple, but most importanly, it allows readers to follow the transformantion of Sylvia's identity from lady to whore. Behn conveys the double standard that exists in her society, and perhaps our society as well. Philander, after his lover affair and scandal is still a lord, but unfortunately for Sylvia, once 'undone' is no longer a lady.

This book was useful in helping me understand the sexual politics of seventeenth-century English society.

2.0 out of 5 stars Have a barf bag ready, July 2, 2009

By	Phil - See all my reviews

The 'sister' in the title is actually a sister-in-law. During the Huguenot wars in France (the late 1500s), Philander married Myrtilla and then ran off with her sister Sylvia. These letters are between Philander and Sylvia, and at first they are thoroughly nauseating. They're loaded with trembling sighs and heaving bosoms and anguished glances, and frequent uses of Oh! and Alas! This goes on for hours. Things improve in the second half of the book, as the previous reviewer describes. I recommend doing a lot of skimming until you notice the exclamation points reducing in frequency, and then the characters start to mature a little.