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Clarence: or, A Tale of Our Own Times

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This Broadview edition offers a rich selection of contextual materials, including selections from Sedgwick's correspondence and journals reconstructing the origins of the novel, engravings and lithographs of key sites in the novel, American and British reviews of the novel, and documentation of the author's revised edition of 1849

482 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1830

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About the author

Catharine Maria Sedgwick

166 books29 followers
Catharine Maria Sedgwick was born December 28, 1789 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. As a young woman, Sedgwick took charge of a school in Lenox. She converted from Calvinism to Unitarianism, which led her to write a pamphlet denouncing religious intolerance. This further inspired her to write her first novel, A New-England Tale.

With her work much in demand, from the 1820s to the 1850s, Sedgwick made a good living writing short stories for a variety of periodicals. She died in 1867, and by the end of the 19th century, she had been relegated to near obscurity. There was a rise of male critics who deprecated women's writing as they worked to create an American literature.

Interest in Sedgwick's works and an appreciation of her contribution to American literature has been stimulated by the late 20th century's feminist movement. Beginning in the 1960s, feminist scholars began to re-evaluate women's contributions to literature and other arts, and created new frames of reference for considering their work. In addition, the advent of low-cost electronic reproductions, which became available at the end of the 20th century, made Sedgwick and other nineteenth-century authors' work more accessible for study and pleasure.

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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Profile Image for katie.
257 reviews10 followers
January 22, 2016
ugh. I just really hate novels of manners. I know it's a reflection of the time period and yada yada " the American Jane Austen" but this is seriously so boring and backing stupid ass gender roles and I'm over this genre. The idea of monetary reward for correct actions in accordance to the time period's societal norms and the bourgeois opinion is just so vapid and i know it's real life, but i don't like how Sedgwick confirms the trope rather than argues it.
Profile Image for Natalie Petersen.
41 reviews
February 5, 2020
Wonderfully written and showcases the time period of the 19th century in a true light. The pace is very confusing but if you can tough it out through the slower parts then the fast bits are definitely worth it.
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