giovedì 5 ottobre 2017
mercoledì 4 ottobre 2017
ANNE MEADES' THE HISTORY OF SIR WILLIAM HARRINGTON
The history of sir William Harrington has some really funny moment; pure comedy in alternance with moralistic drama. An epistolary novel, it seems to be the “missing link”
Between Richardson and Jane Austen during the Sheridan’s Era.
The main characters are the three young and genteel Harrington sisters: Constance, the eldest, the Harriet Byron-like character on her way to become an Elinore Dashwood with her wise suggestions from the paternal home in the country to the sisters in Bath and London; Julia, the middle, the proto-feminist and Lizzie Bennet-like character (or “a Lady G.”, as their sisters call her, quoting Richardson); and Cordelia, the youngest, a more reserved and intellectual artist, but closer to Julia than to Constance for wit and freshness. The three become orphans in the first half of the first book, then Julia goes to London and Cordelia to Bath, guests of their aunts, while Constance stays home.
The male characters are Lord S., the morally steady and wealthy gentleman, not comic as Grandison, not ‘rigid’ as Darcy, but not yet a Knightley, who marries Constance; Lord C., an ex-libertine turned good guy falling in love with Julia; and a colonel Stanhope, the mature and wise friend future husband of Cordelia.
Then, there’s a gang of London young libertines, captained by Sir Renholds, devoted to keep the best from girls without marrying them: schemes are their profession, but for genius in their strategies and their success, they are closer to the Drones Club’s guys than to Valmont.
William Harrington, the brother of Julia, Constance and Cordelia, is a member of this libertine society; he seduces the daughter of the local minister, brings her to London and tries to bring also her sister, in order to present her to Sir Renholds. Julia understands that her brother, probably, is not really as good as he seems to be at home with his sisters and that he is scheming something, so she investigates in order to stop him.
The history of sir William Harrington is still richardsonian (it is not sure that Richardson helped Anna Meades with a revision of some part of the manuscript, but he was her ‘idol’ and he is much quoted, anyway), but the authoress seems to be aware of the necessity of a little more dialectic and change of behaviour in the characters in the evolving of the story, not only perfectly good and perfectly bad beings. So, as I told at the beginning of my post, it seems to be an affectionate and little parodic homage and farewell to Richardson, on the notes of a Sheridan’s or Goldsmith’s comedy, in the direction of the shores of Jane Austen; these shores are still quite far, but the weather is good and the course is well calculated, avoiding the Edgeworth Island and the Burney promontories.
The history of sir William Harrington has some really funny moment; pure comedy in alternance with moralistic drama. An epistolary novel, it seems to be the “missing link”
Between Richardson and Jane Austen during the Sheridan’s Era.
The main characters are the three young and genteel Harrington sisters: Constance, the eldest, the Harriet Byron-like character on her way to become an Elinore Dashwood with her wise suggestions from the paternal home in the country to the sisters in Bath and London; Julia, the middle, the proto-feminist and Lizzie Bennet-like character (or “a Lady G.”, as their sisters call her, quoting Richardson); and Cordelia, the youngest, a more reserved and intellectual artist, but closer to Julia than to Constance for wit and freshness. The three become orphans in the first half of the first book, then Julia goes to London and Cordelia to Bath, guests of their aunts, while Constance stays home.
The male characters are Lord S., the morally steady and wealthy gentleman, not comic as Grandison, not ‘rigid’ as Darcy, but not yet a Knightley, who marries Constance; Lord C., an ex-libertine turned good guy falling in love with Julia; and a colonel Stanhope, the mature and wise friend future husband of Cordelia.
Then, there’s a gang of London young libertines, captained by Sir Renholds, devoted to keep the best from girls without marrying them: schemes are their profession, but for genius in their strategies and their success, they are closer to the Drones Club’s guys than to Valmont.
William Harrington, the brother of Julia, Constance and Cordelia, is a member of this libertine society; he seduces the daughter of the local minister, brings her to London and tries to bring also her sister, in order to present her to Sir Renholds. Julia understands that her brother, probably, is not really as good as he seems to be at home with his sisters and that he is scheming something, so she investigates in order to stop him.
The history of sir William Harrington is still richardsonian (it is not sure that Richardson helped Anna Meades with a revision of some part of the manuscript, but he was her ‘idol’ and he is much quoted, anyway), but the authoress seems to be aware of the necessity of a little more dialectic and change of behaviour in the characters in the evolving of the story, not only perfectly good and perfectly bad beings. So, as I told at the beginning of my post, it seems to be an affectionate and little parodic homage and farewell to Richardson, on the notes of a Sheridan’s or Goldsmith’s comedy, in the direction of the shores of Jane Austen; these shores are still quite far, but the weather is good and the course is well calculated, avoiding the Edgeworth Island and the Burney promontories.
THE MIRROR: AN 18th CENTURY MAGAZINE QUOTED IN NORTHANGER ABBEY
Dedicated to all the Jane Austen fans:
Dedicated to all the Jane Austen fans:
“There is a very clever essay in one of the books upstairs upon much such a subject, about young girls that have been spoilt for home by great acquaintance — The Mirror, I think. I will look it out for you some day or other, because I am sure it will do you good.”
(Northanger Abbey)
(Northanger Abbey)
From the recesses of my personal Library, the pages Mrs. Morland is alluding to.
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