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Castle Rackrent and the Absentee
Paperback
Classic FictionHistorical FictionLiterary Fiction
ISBN13: 9781025492704
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 376
Weight: 1.16
Height: 0.78 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Castle Rackrent and the Absentee brings together two of Maria Edgeworth's most influential works, providing a vivid and satirical portrait of Irish life and the decline of the landed gentry. Castle Rackrent is widely regarded as the first regional novel in English literature, told through the voice of the loyal yet observant Thady Quirk. It chronicles the mismanagement and eventual ruin of the Rackrent family across four generations, offering a sharp critique of the Anglo-Irish landlord class through dark humor and a unique narrative perspective.
In The Absentee, Edgeworth shifts her focus to the social and economic consequences of absenteeism. The story follows Lord Colambre, a young heir who travels incognito to his family's Irish estates. There, he witnesses the corruption of unscrupulous agents and the suffering of the peasantry, leading him to confront his parents' neglect of their duties. Together, these stories explore themes of inheritance, cultural identity, and social responsibility. Edgeworth's keen observations and mastery of character make this collection a cornerstone of 19th-century literature and an essential study of the complexities of Irish history and society.
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2 different editions
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