The Absentee: An Anglo-Irish Novel of Estate, Responsibility, and Social Reform

By Maria Edgeworth

Book Overview

A novel of social observation in which Maria Edgeworth examines the effects of absentee landownership and the obligations of class and estate.

In The Absentee, Edgeworth follows the fortunes of a young heir whose family estate in Ireland has long been managed from a distance. As he becomes more directly acquainted with the conditions of the property and its tenants, the narrative traces a movement from detachment to responsibility, set against the expectations of society and family influence.

Edgeworth's approach combines narrative with social analysis, presenting questions of management, conduct, and reform within a controlled and often lightly ironic framework. The novel reflects early nineteenth-century concerns with land, class, and governance, while maintaining a focus on individual character and decision. It remains a representative work of Anglo-Irish fiction, offering a considered account of the relationship between ownership and obligation.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1617207519
• ISBN13: 9781617207518
• Release Date: April 2012
• Publisher: SMK Books
• Length: 236 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Anglo-Irish Look at Ireland

Too often remembered solely as a British author, Maria Edgeworth's "The Absentee" provides a wonderful depiction of Ireland during the height of England's attempts to colonize Ireland through plantations. The historical problem with these estates was the often absence of the Lord. Edgeworth's novel reveals her Anglo-Irish stature. It depicts the Irish as either primitive and lacking ethics or as child-like and pure. Both of these reflect England's propaganda that was paired with the attempts at colonization. Edgeworth's style reminds me very much of Jane Austen in that she focuses on the manners of the characters. In many ways, the characters resemble Austen's. The way Edgeworth depicts the individuals of Ireland, the way she represents the different class distinctions through the use of syntax and accents is deft. Edgeworth's novel is an invaluable tool for experiencing Ireland during its period of colonization. It combines the political, religious and economic aspects of Ireland. "The Absentee" demands an understanding of Irish history. It is a superb novel and highly enriching for anyone seeking a greater knowledge of Ireland.

The Prominent Son

Duty, Loyalty, and Honor is the foremost part on his mind for our hero, Lord Colambre. To resolve his parents financial troubles and follies in London, he venture back to his homeland, Ireland, in disguise to investigate the agents who are governing his father's estate. Witnessing the corruption but also the beauty, he determine to bring those corrupter to justice and hope to stay in Ireland. And of course, there is a romance, but as you all know the hero always get his girl.