Belinda

De: Maria Edgeworth

Narrado por: Lucy Scott

Published in 1801, Maria Edgeworth’s Belinda is an absorbing novel that mirrors social and domestic life among the English gentry. In her pursuit of a suitable marriage, Belinda encounters an array of characters including the dazzling socialite Lady Delacourt, the feminist Harriet Freke, the wealthy and handsome West Indian Mr Vincent and the impulsive Clarence Hervey.

Belinda follows the tradition of society novels charting the journey of an intelligent young woman in search of an ideal husband, with its heroine Belinda eschewing material wealth in favour of happiness and self-fulfilment. Anticipating the realism of Jane Austen’s female heroines, the novel presents a vivid portrayal of life in late 18th-century London, depicting leisured society in all its aspects.

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Public Domain (P)2022 Naxos AudioBooks UK Ltd.

Editor Was Needed

I read this book because it was published before Jane Austen's books. Unfortunately, it wasn't about the title character, Belinda. It was about Lady Delacour, who is one of the most irritating characters I've ever read. She's worse than Mrs. Bennett, notwithstanding her "redemption" at the end of the book. The work is too long; story interesting if an editor had trimmed it down.

Does Not Stand The Test Of Time

I'd hoped to discover a lost masterpiece. Oh, dear. Perhaps this novel helped people pass long wet afternoons reading to each other back in the early 1800s. The authored used 100 words when she could have used one. I'm not sure anything actually happened in the book. It certainly confirms my belief that Jane Austen was a genius.