Emily Montague

By Frances Brooke

Book Overview

Emily Montague is a novel written by Frances Brooke that was first published in 1769. The story is set in Quebec City, Canada, during the mid-18th century and follows the life of a young English woman named Emily Montague. Emily has recently arrived in Canada with her father and is staying with her cousin, who is married to a French-Canadian man. Emily is immediately struck by the beauty and charm of Quebec City, and she quickly becomes enamored with a young man named Colonel Rivers, who is also an English expatriate living in Canada. Throughout the novel, Emily and Colonel Rivers engage in a complex courtship that is complicated by cultural differences, societal expectations, and personal struggles. Emily is torn between her love for Colonel Rivers and her duty to her family and society, while Colonel Rivers is haunted by his past and struggles to reconcile his feelings for Emily with his own sense of honor and duty. In addition to the central love story, Emily Montague also explores themes of colonialism, identity, and cultural exchange. The novel provides a fascinating glimpse into life in 18th-century Canada, and Brooke's vivid descriptions of the landscape and people of Quebec City bring the story to life. Overall, Emily Montague is a beautifully written and engaging novel that offers a unique perspective on the history and culture of Canada. It is a must-read for anyone interested in 18th-century literature, colonialism, or Canadian history.I could moralize exceedingly well this morning on the vanity of human wishes and expectations, and the folly of hoping for felicity in this vile sublunary world: but the subject is a little exhausted, and I have a passion for being original. I think all the moral writers, who have set off with promising to shew us the road to happiness, have obligingly ended with telling us there is no such thing; a conclusion extremely consoling, and which if they had drawn before they set pen to paper, would have saved both themselves and their readers an infinity of trouble.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 141911770X
• ISBN13: 9781419117701
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing
• Length: 376 Pages
• Weight: 1.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.5" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Eighteenth Century Canadian Tourism

The History of Emily Monatgue is not the best novel written in the Eighteenth Century. It's not the worst, either. The story line is what you would expect; girl meets boy, they fall in love, but a combination of family issues and financial problems keep the lovers from getting married. Compared to most novels of the the era, the plot lines are thin and feel contrived, character development is limited, and there is a little too much "sensibility" throughout the whole novel. However, it does have some strengths. Brooke had an excellent talent for description. You feel the winter chill, the warmth of the fires, and the mist blowing off the ocean. Brooke also had a clean and flowing writing style, especially for this period. Consequently, the reader gets an excellent picture of colonial Canada in general, and Quebec in particular. She skillfully describes interactions between English and French colonials and even has a scene or two involving aboriginal people. If Fodor or Baedecker where hiring at the time, she could have been their best travel writer. If you like novels from this period, you will like Emily Monatague. I doubt it will replace your favorite, but the interesting setting makes it worth the effort.