The School for WidowsUniversity of Delaware Press, 2003 - 382 pages Clara 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
answer asked Balderson begged called Captain Maurice Castle of Otranto Clara Reeve comfort Darnford daugh daughter dear desired dine dinner Don Antonio duty enquired expences father fear fortune Frampton Frances friendship gave Gentleman's Magazine Gilson give hand happy hear heard heart Heaven Henry Marney honour hope husband Ilford Isabella Jane Austen kind lady Lady's Magazine Langston leave letter live lodgings London Longford looked Lord Madam Madame de Genlis marriage married master mind Miss Elton never novel obliged Old English Baron person pity pleased poor pray Rachel received Reeve's Samuel Richardson School for Widows seemed sent servant shewed situation soon Southgate speak staid story Strictland surprized Susan tell thanked thing thought tion told took virtue wait wanted wife William Shenstone wish woman women Woodlands 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...
Page 27 - The Novel gives a familiar relation of such things as pass every day before our eyes, such as may happen to our friend or to ourselves ; and the perfection of it is to represent every scene in so easy and natural a manner and to make them appear so probable as to deceive us into a persuasion (at least while we are reading) that all is real, until we are affected by the joys or distresses of the persons in the story as if they were our own.
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!
Page 27 - The Novel is a picture of real life and manners, and of the times in which it is written. The Romance in lofty and elevated language, describes what never happened nor is likely to happen. The Novel gives a familiar relation of such things, as pass every day before our eyes...
Page 374 - A man is in general better pleased when he has a good dinner upon his table than when his wife talks Greek. My old friend, Mrs. Carter," he added, " could make a pudding as well as translate Epictetus from the Greek, and work a handkerchief as well as compose a poem.
Page 372 - The Roman History, from the Foundation of the City of Rome to the Destruction of the Western Empire.
Page 378 - The Phoenix; or, the History of Polyarchus and Argenis, translated from the Latin, by a Lady.