Customer Reviews

Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister (Penguin Classics)

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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.

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.