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Mrs. Armytage
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This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published August 22, 2015
15 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Gore
284 books13 followersaka: Mrs. Charles Gore
Catherine Grace Frances Gore (née Moody; 12 February 1798 – 29 January 1861) was a British novelist and dramatist, daughter of a wine merchant at Retford, where she was born. She is amongst the best known of silver fork writers – authors of the "long" Regency era depicting the gentility and etiquette of high society.
Gore was born in 1798 in London, the youngest child of Mary (née Brinley) and Charles Moody, a wine merchant. Her father died soon afterwards, and her mother remarried in 1801, to London physician Charles D. Nevinson. She is thus sometimes referred to as "Miss Nevinson" by contemporary reviewers and in scholarship. Catherine was interested in writing from an early age, gaining the nickname "the Poetess".
She married Lieutenant Charles Arthur Gore of the 1st Regiment of Life Guards on 15 February 1823 at St George's, Hanover Square; Gore retired later that year. They had ten children, eight of whom died at a young age. They had one surviving son, Captain Augustus Frederick Wentworth Gore, and one daughter, Cecilia Anne Mary, who married Lord Edward Thynne in 1853.
Her first novel, Theresa Marchmont, or The Maid of Honour, was published in 1824. Her first major success was Pin Money, published in 1831, but her most popular and well-known novel was to be Cecil, or Adventures of a Coxcomb published in 1841. Gore also found success as a playwright, writing eleven plays that made their way to the London stage, though her plays never quite became as famous as her witty novels.
The Gores resided mainly on Continental Europe, with Catherine supporting her family by her voluminous writings. Between 1824 and 1862 she produced about 70 works, the most successful of which were novels of fashionable English life. Among these may be mentioned Manners of the Day (1830), Cecil, or the Adventures of a Coxcomb (1841), and The Banker's Wife (1843). She also wrote for the stage, and composed music for songs.
Gore's 1861 obituary in The Times concluded that Gore was "the best novel writer of her class and the wittiest woman of her age."
(from Wikipedia)
Catherine Grace Frances Gore (née Moody; 12 February 1798 – 29 January 1861) was a British novelist and dramatist, daughter of a wine merchant at Retford, where she was born. She is amongst the best known of silver fork writers – authors of the "long" Regency era depicting the gentility and etiquette of high society.
Gore was born in 1798 in London, the youngest child of Mary (née Brinley) and Charles Moody, a wine merchant. Her father died soon afterwards, and her mother remarried in 1801, to London physician Charles D. Nevinson. She is thus sometimes referred to as "Miss Nevinson" by contemporary reviewers and in scholarship. Catherine was interested in writing from an early age, gaining the nickname "the Poetess".
She married Lieutenant Charles Arthur Gore of the 1st Regiment of Life Guards on 15 February 1823 at St George's, Hanover Square; Gore retired later that year. They had ten children, eight of whom died at a young age. They had one surviving son, Captain Augustus Frederick Wentworth Gore, and one daughter, Cecilia Anne Mary, who married Lord Edward Thynne in 1853.
Her first novel, Theresa Marchmont, or The Maid of Honour, was published in 1824. Her first major success was Pin Money, published in 1831, but her most popular and well-known novel was to be Cecil, or Adventures of a Coxcomb published in 1841. Gore also found success as a playwright, writing eleven plays that made their way to the London stage, though her plays never quite became as famous as her witty novels.
The Gores resided mainly on Continental Europe, with Catherine supporting her family by her voluminous writings. Between 1824 and 1862 she produced about 70 works, the most successful of which were novels of fashionable English life. Among these may be mentioned Manners of the Day (1830), Cecil, or the Adventures of a Coxcomb (1841), and The Banker's Wife (1843). She also wrote for the stage, and composed music for songs.
Gore's 1861 obituary in The Times concluded that Gore was "the best novel writer of her class and the wittiest woman of her age."
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 3, 2016
Full disclosure - I read this book for Librivox. So I'm a little bit biased.
Mrs Armytage is a widowed landowner, spirited, independent and very much used to having her own way and exercising total dominance over her family. She is acutely aware of social distinctions, proud of her power and prestige, and stands on her dignity to the point of becoming cold, judgemental and aloof. Her character flaws bring her into conflict with her children when her son Arthur announces his choice of a wife who is very much below their rank, and much will happen before Mrs Armytage learns to repent her behaviour.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It's not perfect by any means, but it's an engaging story, and an intriguing reflection of its time. The author is a bit loquacious, and occasionally gets carried away cramming as many polysyllabic words as she can manage into a sentence (especially, for some reason, the word 'involuntarily'. She really loves that word!). And there's a good dollop of Victorian melodrama and sentimentality mixed in - which wouldn't appeal to everyone.
Having said that though, there is a great deal to recommend this book. Catherine Gore had an ascerbic wit (her little asides about polite society occasionally remind one of Austen), and a fantastic eye for character. Mrs Armytage herself is really interesting: strong, intelligent, determined, proud, and deeply flawed. The message of the book seems to be that women really oughtn't to overstep their roles or take on positions of power, as it corrupts their better instincts. Tough to take for the modern reader, admittedly. But the message isn't heavy handed, and she does seem to have an admiration for these strong women, even in the midst of her censure. She also gives even the more docile, feminine characters a lot more strength, intelligence and depth than many writers of her time.
She manages vast set pieces - balls, race meetings - and intimate domestic scenes with equal skill. And she has plenty to say about the world of the upper classes in the early 1800s, reflecting on the changes brought about by the increasing popularity of newspapers, getting in a few digs about politics, fashion, and the nouveau riche - among other things.
The 'silver fork' movement, of which Gore was a prominent star, has fallen out of favour. But if this entertaining novel is anything to go by, she is deserving of a revival.
Well worth a read. (And if you can't be bothered to read it, why not download my free recording?! https://librivox.org/mrs-armytage-or-...)
Mrs Armytage is a widowed landowner, spirited, independent and very much used to having her own way and exercising total dominance over her family. She is acutely aware of social distinctions, proud of her power and prestige, and stands on her dignity to the point of becoming cold, judgemental and aloof. Her character flaws bring her into conflict with her children when her son Arthur announces his choice of a wife who is very much below their rank, and much will happen before Mrs Armytage learns to repent her behaviour.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It's not perfect by any means, but it's an engaging story, and an intriguing reflection of its time. The author is a bit loquacious, and occasionally gets carried away cramming as many polysyllabic words as she can manage into a sentence (especially, for some reason, the word 'involuntarily'. She really loves that word!). And there's a good dollop of Victorian melodrama and sentimentality mixed in - which wouldn't appeal to everyone.
Having said that though, there is a great deal to recommend this book. Catherine Gore had an ascerbic wit (her little asides about polite society occasionally remind one of Austen), and a fantastic eye for character. Mrs Armytage herself is really interesting: strong, intelligent, determined, proud, and deeply flawed. The message of the book seems to be that women really oughtn't to overstep their roles or take on positions of power, as it corrupts their better instincts. Tough to take for the modern reader, admittedly. But the message isn't heavy handed, and she does seem to have an admiration for these strong women, even in the midst of her censure. She also gives even the more docile, feminine characters a lot more strength, intelligence and depth than many writers of her time.
She manages vast set pieces - balls, race meetings - and intimate domestic scenes with equal skill. And she has plenty to say about the world of the upper classes in the early 1800s, reflecting on the changes brought about by the increasing popularity of newspapers, getting in a few digs about politics, fashion, and the nouveau riche - among other things.
The 'silver fork' movement, of which Gore was a prominent star, has fallen out of favour. But if this entertaining novel is anything to go by, she is deserving of a revival.
Well worth a read. (And if you can't be bothered to read it, why not download my free recording?! https://librivox.org/mrs-armytage-or-...)
August 14, 2018
This story reminded me a lot of Anthony Trollope's stories. Well put together, interesting characters - an enjoyable listen. The only thing I didn't care for was the amount of French the author expects us to know. It was common at the time, but almost incomprehensible now.
April 21, 2020
Very dated novel, with some good period detail.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews