The School for WidowsClara Reeve's 1791 novel tells the stories of childhood friends Frances Darnford and Rachel Strictland, both of whom have lived hard lives as the virtuous wives of improvident and immoral husbands, and of another tragic widow Isabella di Soranzo. The introduction to this new edition of Reeve's novel challenges accepted critical views of Reeve's writing and includes newly unearthed material about the author's life. |
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Common terms and phrases
accept affection answer Antonio asked assistance attend begged believe called character comfort conduct Darnford daughter dear desired dinner duty Elton expect father fear fortune Frances friendship gave Gilson give hand happy hear heard heart honour hope husband Isabella Italy keep kind lady leave letter live London looked Lord Madam manner Marney married master mean mind Miss nature never novel obliged offered perhaps person pleased poor pray present promised proposal reason received Reeve Reeve's respect School seemed sent servant shewed situation soon speak story Strictland suffer tell thanked thing thought tion told took turned wait wanted Widows wife wish woman women writing young
Popular passages
Page 32 - To abolish a status which in all ages God has sanctioned, and man has continued, would not only be robbery to an innumerable class of our fellow-subjects, but it would be extreme cruelty to the African savages, a portion of whom it saves from massacre, or intolerable bondage in their own country, and introduces into a much happier state of life ; especially now when their passage to the West Indies and their treatment there is humanely regulated. To abolish that trade would be to " shut the gates...
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Page 344 - A new commandment I give unto you : That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another.
Page 171 - Pastoral Writers, I shall endeavour to draw a Parallel of them, by setting several of their particular thoughts in the same light, whereby it will be obvious how much Philips hath the Advantage. With what Simplicity he introduces two Shepherds singing alternately: Hobb.
Page 51 - The business of Romance is, first, to excite the attention; and, secondly, to direct it to some useful, or at least innocent, end; Happy the writer who attains both these points, like Richardson! and not unfortunate, or undeserving praise, he who gains only the latter, and furnishes out an entertainment for the reader!
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Bibliographic information
| Title | The School for Widows |
| Authors | Clara Reeve, Francois M La Rochefoucauld |
| Editor | Jeanine M. Casler |
| Edition | annotated |
| Publisher | University of Delaware Press, 2003 |
| ISBN | 0874138043, 9780874138047 |
| Length | 382 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |