Tales and Novels — Volume 05 / Tales of a Fashionable Life

Name: Tales and Novels — Volume 05 / Tales of a Fashionable Life
Author: Maria Edgeworth

By Maria Edgeworth

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British Literature Novels

About This Book

A linked set of tales depicts fashionable society where social ambition, flattery, and prudence determine reputations and relationships. Episodes examine family maneuvers, romantic entanglements, and the management of appearances, revealing hypocrisy, vanity, and the fallout of imprudence. Characters navigate courtship, misunderstandings, and potential scandal through etiquette, strategic speech, and appeals to honor, while parental influence and social expectation shape choices. Wry observation and moral reflection run through the narratives, combining satirical portraits of manners with instructive attention to virtue, candor, and the costs of affectation.

About the Author

Maria Edgeworth

Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849) was an Anglo-Irish writer known for her contributions to the development of the novel and for her insightful explorations of social issues. Her most famous work, "Castle Rackrent," is often regarded as one of the first historical novels in English, offering a vivid portrayal of Irish society through the eyes of a servant. Edgeworth's writing is characterized by its moral complexity and keen observations of human behavior, as seen in her various collections of tales and novels, such as "Belinda" and "Murad the Unlucky, and Other Tales." In addition to fiction, she also wrote extensively on education, advocating for practical approaches to learning.