Book description
Lord and Lady Clonbrony are more concerned with fashionable London
society than with their responsibilities to those who live and work on
their Irish estates. Concerned by this negligence, their son Lord
Colambre goes incognito to Ireland to observe the situation and to
discover the truth about the origins of his beloved cousin Grace. Can he
find a solution that will bring prosperity and contentment to every
level of society, including his own family? Rich in atmosphere and local
character, The Absentee (1812) helped establish the 'regional' novel
form, which influenced such varied writers as Scott, Thackeray and
Turgenev. In this sparkling satire on Anglo-Irish relations, Maria
Edgeworth created a landmark work of morality and social realism.
Maria Edgeworth (1767-1849) was born in Oxfordshire and after being
educated in England, she went to Edgeworthstown in Ireland to act as
her father's assistant and governess to his many other children. With
her father she wrote several educational books, and as a novelist she
earned the praise of Sir Walter Scott.
Heidi Thomson is Senior Lecturer at Victoria University of
Wellington, New Zealand. In addition to her work on Edgeworth, she has
written on Gray, Wordsworth and Keats.
Edited by Heidi Thomson and Kim Walker
With an introduction by Heidi Thomson
