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Helen
Written in 1834, the last and most psychologically powerful novel by Jane Austen's leading rival. Newly orphaned Helen Stanley is urged to share the home of her childhood friend Lady Cecilia. This charming socialite, however, is withholding secrets and soon Helen is drawn into a web of 'white lies' and evasions that threaten not only her hopes for marriage but her very place in society.A fascinating panorama of Britain's political and intellectual elite in the early 1800s and a gripping romantic drama. Helen was the inspiration for Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters.
444 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1834
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About the author
Maria Edgeworth
1,929 books219 followersMaria Edgeworth was an Anglo-Irish gentry-woman, born in Oxfordshire and later resettling in County Longford. She eventually took over the management of her father's estate in Ireland and dedicated herself to writing novels that encouraged the kind treatment of Irish tenants and the poor by their landlords.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 14, 2023
Can be downloaded for free from Project Gutenberg link to free copy .
3,5 stars
“... I will not adopt that ungenerous and impolitic custom, so common with novel-writers, of degrading, by their contemptuous censure, the very performances to the number of which they are themselves adding; joining with their greatest enemies in bestowing the harshest epithets on such works, and scarcely ever permitting them to be read by their own heroine, who, if she accidentally take up a novel, is sure to turn over its insipid pages with disgust. Alas! if the heroine of one novel be not patronised by the heroine of another, from whom can she expect protection and regard? I cannot approve of it. Let us leave it to the reviewers to abuse such effusions of fancy at their leisure, and over every new novel to talk in threadbare strains of the trash with which the press now groans. Let us not desert one another- we are an injured body.” Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey
“It is only Cecilia, or Camilla, or Belinda”; or, in short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language”. Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey
After reading & re-reading Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey where - next to ridiculing the exaggerations of gothic novels - she so admirably defends the merits of novels in general and novels of her contemporaries (Fanny Burney, Maria Edgeworth) in particular, I started checking them out (Henry Fielding – it will be your turn next!).
Fanny Burney’s books (Camilla, Evelina) were enjoyable enough, though her perfecty-perfect heroines and exaggerated characters were exasperating. I found Maria Edgeworth’s books, with more realism – albeit still with a proclivity of flawless heroines – and with less extravagance & embellishment, much more to my liking. On this footing, I enjoyed “Helen” a lot, though the titular main character is an undeniable, tiresome goody two-shoes.
The novel starts conveniently as a comedy of manners/courtship: impoverished orphaned Helen Stanley is offered “shelter” by her rich, recently-married childhood friend Cecilia Clarendon & her mother Lady Davenant (actually giving preference to Helen over her own daughter as H is perfect, while C, as a simple human, has her flaws). Helen –after some hethinks/shethinks misunderstandings – gets happily betrothed to Granville Beauclerc, an ideal, rich young man, and as such, another favourite of Lady Davenant.
In the second half the plot gets more dramatic & intense and the focus moves to Helen’s friend, Lady Cecilia & her marriage to the loving, but extremely straight-laced General Clarendon. Cecilia is charming and beguiling, but prone to telling little lies, which seems harmless enough, but soon entangle her, Helen, the General & Beauclerc in a dangerous web that threatens with both social & personal destruction.
Previously to marrying Cecilia, General Clarendon wanted to know, if she had loved any other man before. She, afraid that honesty – she had had a silly, indiscreet correspondence with an ignoble roué, now dead – would mean losing him, denied that she had.
Someone, however, sends the letters to the General and a terrified Cecilia tells that the letters were written to Helen. To save Cecilia’s marriage Helen goes along with the deception though its consequences are almost disastrous for more than just herself.
Despite Helen being the MC, the story seems to belong much more to Cecilia and despite her faults, Maria Edgeworth depicts her as a character you can relate to (much more than to Helen) and you can forgive. For what she does is morally condemnable, but in a way her morally upright and utterly daunting husband, whom she loves nevertheless, and the fear of losing him drove her to the deception in the first place.
However, after the almost-disaster, the requisite moralisation & teaching Cecilia and the readers some valuable lessons, Edgeworth benevolently releases us all to a happy ending.
3,5 stars
“... I will not adopt that ungenerous and impolitic custom, so common with novel-writers, of degrading, by their contemptuous censure, the very performances to the number of which they are themselves adding; joining with their greatest enemies in bestowing the harshest epithets on such works, and scarcely ever permitting them to be read by their own heroine, who, if she accidentally take up a novel, is sure to turn over its insipid pages with disgust. Alas! if the heroine of one novel be not patronised by the heroine of another, from whom can she expect protection and regard? I cannot approve of it. Let us leave it to the reviewers to abuse such effusions of fancy at their leisure, and over every new novel to talk in threadbare strains of the trash with which the press now groans. Let us not desert one another- we are an injured body.” Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey
“It is only Cecilia, or Camilla, or Belinda”; or, in short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language”. Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey
After reading & re-reading Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey where - next to ridiculing the exaggerations of gothic novels - she so admirably defends the merits of novels in general and novels of her contemporaries (Fanny Burney, Maria Edgeworth) in particular, I started checking them out (Henry Fielding – it will be your turn next!).
Fanny Burney’s books (Camilla, Evelina) were enjoyable enough, though her perfecty-perfect heroines and exaggerated characters were exasperating. I found Maria Edgeworth’s books, with more realism – albeit still with a proclivity of flawless heroines – and with less extravagance & embellishment, much more to my liking. On this footing, I enjoyed “Helen” a lot, though the titular main character is an undeniable, tiresome goody two-shoes.
The novel starts conveniently as a comedy of manners/courtship: impoverished orphaned Helen Stanley is offered “shelter” by her rich, recently-married childhood friend Cecilia Clarendon & her mother Lady Davenant (actually giving preference to Helen over her own daughter as H is perfect, while C, as a simple human, has her flaws). Helen –after some hethinks/shethinks misunderstandings – gets happily betrothed to Granville Beauclerc, an ideal, rich young man, and as such, another favourite of Lady Davenant.
In the second half the plot gets more dramatic & intense and the focus moves to Helen’s friend, Lady Cecilia & her marriage to the loving, but extremely straight-laced General Clarendon. Cecilia is charming and beguiling, but prone to telling little lies, which seems harmless enough, but soon entangle her, Helen, the General & Beauclerc in a dangerous web that threatens with both social & personal destruction.
Previously to marrying Cecilia, General Clarendon wanted to know, if she had loved any other man before. She, afraid that honesty – she had had a silly, indiscreet correspondence with an ignoble roué, now dead – would mean losing him, denied that she had.
Someone, however, sends the letters to the General and a terrified Cecilia tells that the letters were written to Helen. To save Cecilia’s marriage Helen goes along with the deception though its consequences are almost disastrous for more than just herself.
Despite Helen being the MC, the story seems to belong much more to Cecilia and despite her faults, Maria Edgeworth depicts her as a character you can relate to (much more than to Helen) and you can forgive. For what she does is morally condemnable, but in a way her morally upright and utterly daunting husband, whom she loves nevertheless, and the fear of losing him drove her to the deception in the first place.
However, after the almost-disaster, the requisite moralisation & teaching Cecilia and the readers some valuable lessons, Edgeworth benevolently releases us all to a happy ending.
August 28, 2012
Helen is the kind of novel where one should not focus on plot. In truth, the plot is very silly; but what redeems this novel is Edgeworth’s character studies—the social and emotional impact on deception and concealment. It is truly amazing how something so insignificant and trivial—school girl deceptions and concealment—can be blown out of proportion, on the brink of becoming a social nightmare for all involved. This is the most interesting part of the novel, and I can easily understand why authors such as Elizabeth Gaskell would develop this theme in their own subsequent works.
I will give Edgeworth credit for creating a balanced work in regards to both plot and character. No one is left unscathed in this story. The characters are perfectly matched. Each character is guilty in some way or another, whether it be the cause of some deception or due to the maintenance of some unworthy principle or belief. Other characters are guilty of making hasty decisions without fully considering the consequences of their choices. By the novel’s end, it is impossible for any of the characters to say that they were more right or just in their deeds and actions over another. There is no sacrificial offering to be made; each understands that they were equally at fault. I admire Edgeworth for doing this.
I will give Edgeworth credit for creating a balanced work in regards to both plot and character. No one is left unscathed in this story. The characters are perfectly matched. Each character is guilty in some way or another, whether it be the cause of some deception or due to the maintenance of some unworthy principle or belief. Other characters are guilty of making hasty decisions without fully considering the consequences of their choices. By the novel’s end, it is impossible for any of the characters to say that they were more right or just in their deeds and actions over another. There is no sacrificial offering to be made; each understands that they were equally at fault. I admire Edgeworth for doing this.
July 13, 2016
Helen is of the moralistic novel variety, and while it is more character driven than typical of the style IMO, the characters do serve (and suffer a little from) the overarching point of the story.
The length got a little tedious, I must admit, but it did serve to illustrate the value of truth and honesty, even when falsehood seems necessary for the happiness of the deceived party, in reality it only causes more pain and distrust.
Helen is one of those angelically virtuous heroines that are a little hard to believe. She is entirely lovable and so unselfish she continually allows her friend Cecilia to take advantage of her, eventually to the agony of both. Cecilia is one of those good people without strong moral character who take the easiest route through life, lying whenever the truth seems like it would cause pain, much to her gradual sorrow.
The heroes of the story, Granville Beauclerc and General Clarendon are rather severely underdeveloped. Both are too good to be true (they do have their little faults, though they seem tacked on for effect), and spend the entire story urging Helen and Cecilia to be frank and truthful. Honestly, while I like him, I never saw much in Beauclerc. He's headstrong and too fanciful for my taste, and Helen is a little flat. Other than her goodness, about all we know of her is that she plays the harp, has handwriting almost identical to Cecilia, and is a pushover.
Lady Davenant is the most interesting character of the book in my opinion. She is certainly the voice of reason throughout.
As I said, the characters serve the theme, and their personal quality is low because of it. The contrasts between characters, and the teaching moments created by them are their great purpose. The good are very good, and the bad are very bad.
Helen is worth reading as a classic, and also for it's thought provoking content, but don't go in expecting plot, or Austen quality wit and commentary.
The length got a little tedious, I must admit, but it did serve to illustrate the value of truth and honesty, even when falsehood seems necessary for the happiness of the deceived party, in reality it only causes more pain and distrust.
Helen is one of those angelically virtuous heroines that are a little hard to believe. She is entirely lovable and so unselfish she continually allows her friend Cecilia to take advantage of her, eventually to the agony of both. Cecilia is one of those good people without strong moral character who take the easiest route through life, lying whenever the truth seems like it would cause pain, much to her gradual sorrow.
The heroes of the story, Granville Beauclerc and General Clarendon are rather severely underdeveloped. Both are too good to be true (they do have their little faults, though they seem tacked on for effect), and spend the entire story urging Helen and Cecilia to be frank and truthful. Honestly, while I like him, I never saw much in Beauclerc. He's headstrong and too fanciful for my taste, and Helen is a little flat. Other than her goodness, about all we know of her is that she plays the harp, has handwriting almost identical to Cecilia, and is a pushover.
Lady Davenant is the most interesting character of the book in my opinion. She is certainly the voice of reason throughout.
As I said, the characters serve the theme, and their personal quality is low because of it. The contrasts between characters, and the teaching moments created by them are their great purpose. The good are very good, and the bad are very bad.
Helen is worth reading as a classic, and also for it's thought provoking content, but don't go in expecting plot, or Austen quality wit and commentary.
Want to read
January 9, 2016Free download available at Project Gutenberg.
August 22, 2025
Having bailed on the last fat novel I attempted for my Jane Austen's Bookshelf project, I felt obliged to force myself to finish this one. I am tempted to convert to Roman Catholicism just so I can claim it as a work of penance. It was very long, rather dull, very long, poorly paced, very long, populated by characters who needed a smack upside the head, very long, and also very long.
The LibriVox readers...bless their hearts! Some of them are pretty decent in terms of affect, but every single one needs to get her eyes out of a book from time to time and get her ears attuned to English speakers who know how their language is pronounced. And then the very last chapter was read by an ESL fellow I struggled to comprehend.
The LibriVox readers...bless their hearts! Some of them are pretty decent in terms of affect, but every single one needs to get her eyes out of a book from time to time and get her ears attuned to English speakers who know how their language is pronounced. And then the very last chapter was read by an ESL fellow I struggled to comprehend.
March 10, 2013
Maria Edgeworth was the best-selling author in Jane Austen's time, and it's not hard to see why. In Helen, she sketches some really excellent characters so that you sympathise with almost all of them. This novel is the inspiration behind Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters, except there's actually more drama in Helen than there is in WaD.
My favourite character would have to be Esther Clarendon, even though she does not appear very often. She is a very clear sighted young woman and brutally honest and straightforward, completely unlike the other young highborn ladies of her day. If Elizabeth Bennet were richer, and less of a romantic, she'd be Esther Clarendon.
The story is based on a web of lies spun by Lady Cecilia Clarendon, wife of General Clarendon, Esther's brother. Cecilia probably rates as one of the worst friends ever, as she convinces her friend Helen Stanley to lay claim to a series of scandalous love letters that she wrote, and thus take the fall for her. At first, Cecilia promises Helen she'll tell the whole truth to her husband, but then she backs out, afraid that her husband might scorn her for it. Therefore, Helen is left to take the blame.
If you like Austen, I'd encourage you to give this a try.
My favourite character would have to be Esther Clarendon, even though she does not appear very often. She is a very clear sighted young woman and brutally honest and straightforward, completely unlike the other young highborn ladies of her day. If Elizabeth Bennet were richer, and less of a romantic, she'd be Esther Clarendon.
The story is based on a web of lies spun by Lady Cecilia Clarendon, wife of General Clarendon, Esther's brother. Cecilia probably rates as one of the worst friends ever, as she convinces her friend Helen Stanley to lay claim to a series of scandalous love letters that she wrote, and thus take the fall for her. At first, Cecilia promises Helen she'll tell the whole truth to her husband, but then she backs out, afraid that her husband might scorn her for it. Therefore, Helen is left to take the blame.
If you like Austen, I'd encourage you to give this a try.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2011
A really super book. Apparently she was Jane Austen's greatest rival at the time, but she is obviously nowhere near as popular these days.
The book has similarites to Austen but is slightly racier (!) and really does involve you in the lives of the characters.
The book has similarites to Austen but is slightly racier (!) and really does involve you in the lives of the characters.
April 19, 2018
This is a fairly hefty book but so worth it. I loved Maria Edgeworth's Belinda and this novel (no. 10 in the Kindle series of her complete works which are available FREE is equally brilliant). In the novel, Helen, the impoverished friend of the rich and newly married Cecilia, moves in with her friend as her companion. At first all is well, but then secrets start to be revealed and Cecilia asks Helen to cover for her so that she doesn't get into trouble with her stern husband. Helen is so obliging and kind that she does this and ends up in a right pickle, nearly losing her own reputation and risking her own marriage and happiness in the end. At the end of the novel, it is shown that Cecilia is utterly unworthy of Helen's virtuous and constant friendship, although Edgeworth cleverly hints that this is the case along the way by using the free indirect discourse narrative technique that authors like Jane Austen and Charlotte Smith use to such good effect.
It may seem that there's a lot of superfluous information in the first volume, but there is not a thing here that is unnecessary - it's all required to set the scene successfully so that the reader can make accurate judgements about the characters Helen is living amongst during her trials. By the end, I was reading breathlessly - I couldn't get through it fast enough. There are points when I could hardly bear to watch as poor Helen's better nature led her into one devious trap after another by a conniving and corrupt upper-class society. This is just such a fantastic novel - highly recommended and completely FREE so there's no way you can go wrong with this.
It may seem that there's a lot of superfluous information in the first volume, but there is not a thing here that is unnecessary - it's all required to set the scene successfully so that the reader can make accurate judgements about the characters Helen is living amongst during her trials. By the end, I was reading breathlessly - I couldn't get through it fast enough. There are points when I could hardly bear to watch as poor Helen's better nature led her into one devious trap after another by a conniving and corrupt upper-class society. This is just such a fantastic novel - highly recommended and completely FREE so there's no way you can go wrong with this.
August 13, 2024
(4.5 stars)
I think this book will honestly always be remembered as a fever dream in my mind… it was so emotive and just so.. clever. Maria Edgeworth was such a visionary and a talented author.. why her work wasn’t carried through to modern times is beyond me.
This book covers deceit, love, truth, honour. It also had romantic elements, but at the helm is friendship and the importance of honesty. It would seriously make such an intriguing adaptation.. who knows maybe one day i’ll get to work on it…
I think this book will honestly always be remembered as a fever dream in my mind… it was so emotive and just so.. clever. Maria Edgeworth was such a visionary and a talented author.. why her work wasn’t carried through to modern times is beyond me.
This book covers deceit, love, truth, honour. It also had romantic elements, but at the helm is friendship and the importance of honesty. It would seriously make such an intriguing adaptation.. who knows maybe one day i’ll get to work on it…
January 22, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Maria Edgeworth’s novel “Helen”. To me Helen seemed to be a novel about lying. The small, little lies we tell and how destructive even they can be. The heroine of the novel, Helen Stanley, is orphaned and goes to live with her dearest friend, Lady Cecelia Clarendon and her husband. Cecelia is a sweet, charming girl; but she has the habit of telling small seemingly harmless lies, that build up and destroy her relationships and her marriage.
Now I did enjoy the novel, but there seemed to be quite a few people in the book who would never dream of telling a lie, any type of lie at all. Helen, Cecelia’s husband General Clarendon; her mother Lady Davenant; her sister-in-law Miss Clarendon; none of these people would ever tell the smallest white lie. I think it would be very hard to go through life and never lie to anyone about anything. It leaves me wondering how many lies have I told during my marriage? During the week? Or just today? It was definitely worth reading.
Now I did enjoy the novel, but there seemed to be quite a few people in the book who would never dream of telling a lie, any type of lie at all. Helen, Cecelia’s husband General Clarendon; her mother Lady Davenant; her sister-in-law Miss Clarendon; none of these people would ever tell the smallest white lie. I think it would be very hard to go through life and never lie to anyone about anything. It leaves me wondering how many lies have I told during my marriage? During the week? Or just today? It was definitely worth reading.
September 5, 2015
As others have noted, Maria Edgeworth was one of the most popular and esteemed authors of her time. Roughly a contemporary of Jane Austen, she wrote along simiar lines, i.e., novels of domestic affairs rather than of larger social movements or "great" events such as wars. Her strength is in her exploration and development of character and a style that remains quite readable nearly 200 years later. I would agree with others' observations, however, that the moralistic tone, drawn-out agonizing (with accompanying fainting spells), and generally humorless perspective, are dated and for that reason it is not surprising that she is far less well known and highly regarded than Jane Austen. It was worthwhile for me to read this book, though, given the stature Edgeworth had in her own day.
July 23, 2014
Miserable. I began this book because I read that Maria Edgeworth was a contemporary of Jane Austin and was exponentially more popular in her time. It is not poorly written but the humorless agony the characters experience goes on for far longer than I can stomach. Helen is the last book Edgeworth wrote and is alledgedly free of moralizing. Instead the characters stop every two pages to deliver long lectures about how to be really racist, or the proper place for women, or how to be horrid to persons not of your class, or any number of other terrible things so the author is relieved of the duty.
Basically, I hated it.
Basically, I hated it.
November 15, 2015
There is much to recommend this, including the invigorating common sense of Edgeworth's writing about women and marriage and honesty. But there is plenty of baggy histrionics to bulk out the paper thin plot over 500 pages and the ending is full on emotional excess.
October 7, 2017
Maria Edgeworth was, apparently, a role model of sorts for Jane Austen. It's very clear in "Helen," a story whose title character is a young woman of perfect integrity and maturing judgement. An enjoyable read for lovers of this literature, which I am.
April 29, 2019
Written in an age during which females found themselves hostage to the whims, gossip and petty scandals of patriarchal Society, Maria Edgeworth's Helen is a morality tale that warns of the folly of naivety. Like Fanny Burney's Evelina, the titular Helen is an orphan, raised by a kindly clergyman and sent into an unfamiliar and dangerous world that preys upon the youthful and innocent. In her naivety, generous and kind Helen is soon ensnared in a web of lies that will leave her reputation in tatters and her heart in shreds. How will she survive the deceitful abandonment of her friends? Will her good name ever be restored? Read the book to find out....
The world into which Helen is thrust is filled with interesting characters: The droll and sarcastic Horace Churchill, who, charmed by Helen's innocence, seeks to open her eyes to Society's darkside. Idealistic do-gooder Granville Beauclerc, who, like Helen, suffers from a surfeit of compassion. Vain and spoiled Lady Cecilia Clarendon, Helen's childhood bestie, who does not really have Helen's best interest at-heart. Lady Davenant, Cecilia's hot-and-cold mama, who is Jiminy Cricket in pearls. And the rigidly moralistic General Clarendon, whose good opinion, once lost, may be gone forever -- or, maybe not.
What I love about Maria Edgeworth: She does an admirable job of entwining plots and sub-plots and sub-sub-plots into an interesting, but not overly complex morality tale. We truly do care about her characters. And she's Regency-era hip and fluent in French buzzwords. What's not to like? If you like Austen and Burney, you'll LOVE Maria Edgeworth. Next on my Classics List: Edgeworth's Belinda.
The world into which Helen is thrust is filled with interesting characters: The droll and sarcastic Horace Churchill, who, charmed by Helen's innocence, seeks to open her eyes to Society's darkside. Idealistic do-gooder Granville Beauclerc, who, like Helen, suffers from a surfeit of compassion. Vain and spoiled Lady Cecilia Clarendon, Helen's childhood bestie, who does not really have Helen's best interest at-heart. Lady Davenant, Cecilia's hot-and-cold mama, who is Jiminy Cricket in pearls. And the rigidly moralistic General Clarendon, whose good opinion, once lost, may be gone forever -- or, maybe not.
What I love about Maria Edgeworth: She does an admirable job of entwining plots and sub-plots and sub-sub-plots into an interesting, but not overly complex morality tale. We truly do care about her characters. And she's Regency-era hip and fluent in French buzzwords. What's not to like? If you like Austen and Burney, you'll LOVE Maria Edgeworth. Next on my Classics List: Edgeworth's Belinda.
November 16, 2020
Wives and Daughters (1864) by Elizabeth Gaskell and this one (1834) share a common plot; that is some love letters that when written were harmless, but become much more serious at a later date. In Elizabeth's book this is just an issue for a handful of chapters but in this one the entire second half of the book centres around this issue. It is a bit of a silly topic but the book is very much about personalities and how many of those contributed to the events that pan out. The General, while strict, seems to be a decent enough bloke, but it was his "conditions" placed on his prospective wife that was at the route of the issue and her inabiliity to be honest. On top of this rejected lovers/hot-headed lovers, jealous family members, people rising into a level of society in which they are out of place, all contribute to a situation sprialing completly out of control. Above all these players lay Lady Davenant (and in the later stages Miss Clarendon) who could see what was really going one.
Like many of these type of books Helen is a bit too prefect. We never really get to know the love interest that well, he is a decent naive bloke. But to give him his due, his faith never faltered. By no means one of my favourite books from this era, but I did enjoy it.
Something I have learned, gambling must have been a big issue back then, in so many of these books we have seen both men and women destroyed by gambling and this one has just been added to that list.
Like many of these type of books Helen is a bit too prefect. We never really get to know the love interest that well, he is a decent naive bloke. But to give him his due, his faith never faltered. By no means one of my favourite books from this era, but I did enjoy it.
Something I have learned, gambling must have been a big issue back then, in so many of these books we have seen both men and women destroyed by gambling and this one has just been added to that list.
December 2, 2018
I wanted to love this book so much. I am really disappointed that I did not enjoy it more.
This is a book of two halves. I can see what Maria Edgeworth was trying to do with the first three hundred pages, as she sets the scene for the lies that Cecilia tells and how the situation builds up and gets out of control, but I found it dull and tedious to read. However, there was something in the characters that made me continue. I did like the remaining two hundred or so pages alot more. When the plot shifts from scene building to drama then the book becomes really quite good. It just takes so long to get there! And she managed to rush the ending! I was not fully satisfied by it.
The two main characters, Helen and Granville Beauclerc are bland but okay. My favourite was Lady Davenant.
I am glad I read the book but overall, I was disappointed. I have two other books by this author on my shelves (The Absentee and Patronage) so hopefully I will enjoy them more.
This is a book of two halves. I can see what Maria Edgeworth was trying to do with the first three hundred pages, as she sets the scene for the lies that Cecilia tells and how the situation builds up and gets out of control, but I found it dull and tedious to read. However, there was something in the characters that made me continue. I did like the remaining two hundred or so pages alot more. When the plot shifts from scene building to drama then the book becomes really quite good. It just takes so long to get there! And she managed to rush the ending! I was not fully satisfied by it.
The two main characters, Helen and Granville Beauclerc are bland but okay. My favourite was Lady Davenant.
I am glad I read the book but overall, I was disappointed. I have two other books by this author on my shelves (The Absentee and Patronage) so hopefully I will enjoy them more.
April 3, 2023
I found Helen a great book. She was an orphan who was raised by her uncle who seemed to move in the first circles of society but died with a mountain of debt and penniless. Helen gave up her fortune, which was all she had to live on for the rest of her life, so she could pay all his debts. She went to live with a newly married friend. She was invited to make her home with them. This friend's mother treated Helen like a daughter. So she felt that she had a family. But soon Helen was drawn into a deception she wanted no part of but pulled in, she was. It cost her dearly. Some say that Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters had a plotline loosely based on this book. When comparing the regency time to modern times, one can see that these young women were indeed young. A decision or mistake made at sixteen or seventeen years of age can ruin you. These young people's brains are not fully developed yet so how can they make adult decisions when they know nothing about being an adult. But life happened quickly at that time. This story has stayed with me. I enjoyed it a great deal.
December 18, 2025
Helen gets adopted by her uncle and aunt then she marries ? No Cecilia gets married and her husband is Congress man or something and c’s mom tells her that if she had any sway on her husband she would get her the salon she wanted. C then goes onto ask her husband for the money the H says no that’s money for the public not for your mothers salon. Then Helen (MC) wants to marry some guy of high society but she somehow gets involved with Cecilia’s shenanigans and the wedding is almost called off due to that scandal. Someone’s sis in law comes for a visit and she despises the Cecilia but in the end she takes her to live with her because Cecilia’s husband divorces her. I’m still not sure what happened but that’s what I remember.
not-finished
July 24, 2025I have been "listening" to this audiobook from librivox for a while now and can honestly tell you that I have NO IDEA what is going on.
Whether it is the continual time in between listens (I only listen in the car on my way to work); the inconsistent narrators and volume or the book itself I can not say. I can say, I'm giving up. Can't do it any longer.
Because I have no clue - I'm not going to rate this book. It may be good. I have no idea.
Whether it is the continual time in between listens (I only listen in the car on my way to work); the inconsistent narrators and volume or the book itself I can not say. I can say, I'm giving up. Can't do it any longer.
Because I have no clue - I'm not going to rate this book. It may be good. I have no idea.
March 29, 2020
I read this a while ago, for one of my book groups. It was picked by a big Jane Austen fan, as Edgeworth was a contemporary not hers. It made me realise why Jane Austen is still read and enjoyed today yet I had never heard of Maria Edgeworth. But the detail of his guests in big houses had to pay for things themselves was fascinating.
September 15, 2017
Great fun! Jane Austen-ish but more author intrusion and instruction on morality. Malre characters a bit cardboard, but females good and she build tension very well in second part! It was a good light read while ploughing through Capital!
June 16, 2023
Definitely feels like a significant shift in style from her earlier works - still moralistic, but less in your face about it. I found the last 150 pages or so very engaging, and I'd say it's probably one of the Edgeworths I'd rate higher.
February 15, 2024
'Oh what a tangled web we weave'....a bit of a slog in places and I often felt like taking hold of the central character and giving her a good shake. The ending was predictable almost from the beginning but a fairly enjoyable journey to get there.
March 31, 2019
What a fantastic story! Begins slowly, then suddenly comes alight. Maria Edgworth should be better known.
January 9, 2020
Fiction
Read
March 20, 2020nice
May 29, 2022
I enjoyed this, though it did take me a while to get into it. A very interesting storyline about how things can spiral out of control.
October 7, 2023
It was good
I liked because if like Jane Austen, but it set in different places of England. It needs yo be explored by more people
I liked because if like Jane Austen, but it set in different places of England. It needs yo be explored by more people
August 11, 2024
Actual rating: 2.5 generous stars
My favorite thing about this book is that it is now over.
There is a reason Jane Austen continues to be one of the most beloved British authors of all time and Maria Edgeworth... does not.
My favorite thing about this book is that it is now over.
There is a reason Jane Austen continues to be one of the most beloved British authors of all time and Maria Edgeworth... does not.
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