Selected Letters (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Mary Wortley Montagu (Author), Isobel Grundy (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1997 | Series: Penguin Classics

This is a revised selection of Lady Montagu's letters. Besides presenting a vivid picture of manners in a picturesque age, they contain a unique series of impressions from foreign courts seldom visited and nowhere else so intimately described. Lady Mary was the wife of a popular ambassador and, wielding the charm of a strong personality, was enabled to see and hear many things of which the ordinary traveler, or resident abroad, knew - and knows - little or nothing. Originally written, for the most part, to her sisters, her daughter, or to very intimate friends, her Letters are unusually detailed and frank. She was a keen observer, not superior to the love of gossip with a quick eye for the telling features of a story or situation, and an easy, effective style.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762) was a brilliant English writer and essayist of the 18th Century.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140434909
• ISBN-13: 978-0140434903
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #859,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Your Normal Page-turner, September 13, 1999

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"[e-mail]" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Selected Letters (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

A page-turner is what this turned out to be for me. I first read about Lady Mary while reading another book whose author described her as 'an intrepid 18th-century traveler'. That intrigued me. I meant to get Lady Mary's 'Travels' and found this delightful book instead. Her letters were so enjoyable it was hard for me to put this book aside. There's so much humor, wisdom and intelligence in her writing. She had a true spirit of adventure. I came away from this book admiring Lady Mary very much. It's a real shame her work is not more well known.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Interesting Lady......, June 23, 1999

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[e-mail] (Western Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Selected Letters (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

I stumbled upon this book while researching an essay on early modern women writers and quickly came to admire this wonderful woman. She has an intelligent and amusing way of describing and relating people and incidents. She has all the intelligence, brilliance and wit of Jane Austen. I highly recommend this for all those who love the lives of intelligent, spirited and talented women.