The RecessFirst published in an era when most novels about young women concentrated on courtship and ended with marriage, The Recess daringly portrays women involved in political intrigues, overseas journeys, and even warfare. The novel is set during the reign of Elizabeth I and features as narrators twin daughters of Mary, Queen of Scots, by a secret marriage. One of the earliest Gothic novels, The Recess pioneered the genre of historical fiction. The novel was also one of the first to describe characters and events from conflicting points of view and was wildly popular in its day. |
From inside the book
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Page xxiii
... resolved in a balanced and quasiomniscient portrait. Lee instead dramatizes the inevitable partialities of point of view in the perception and construction of historical character.” Montague Summers once lamented that so few readers ...
... resolved in a balanced and quasiomniscient portrait. Lee instead dramatizes the inevitable partialities of point of view in the perception and construction of historical character.” Montague Summers once lamented that so few readers ...
Page xli
... resolve this conflict, and we are left with a text embodying attitudinal contradictions and allowing the reader more freedom of realisation, it is fair to say, than any other novel of the period” (Literature of Terror, p. 57). 50 ...
... resolve this conflict, and we are left with a text embodying attitudinal contradictions and allowing the reader more freedom of realisation, it is fair to say, than any other novel of the period” (Literature of Terror, p. 57). 50 ...
Page 17
... resolved to make her escape to Lord Scrope;—she effected it, and found in his house the treasure of all her hopes, her child; but as she was not of an age to be independent, on her being discovered by her kindred, she was again torn ...
... resolved to make her escape to Lord Scrope;—she effected it, and found in his house the treasure of all her hopes, her child; but as she was not of an age to be independent, on her being discovered by her kindred, she was again torn ...
Page 19
... resolved to secure to herself the privilege of keeping one of her children, by consenting. They were united by a holy father then on board, who, at Mr. Colville's desire, gave out that he had married them two months before in London ...
... resolved to secure to herself the privilege of keeping one of her children, by consenting. They were united by a holy father then on board, who, at Mr. Colville's desire, gave out that he had married them two months before in London ...
Page 20
... resolved on it, and as constantly given up the design. At last, my dear child, you rendered it easier to me, by proposing to visit England, and I suffered you to go with less regret, because I hoped you there would find another parent ...
... resolved on it, and as constantly given up the design. At last, my dear child, you rendered it easier to me, by proposing to visit England, and I suffered you to go with less regret, because I hoped you there would find another parent ...
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Common terms and phrases
affection alike Ann Radcliffe appeared arms behold bosom Cecil character charm conduct Court cried danger dared daughter dear death Dornock dreadful Duke duke of Norfolk Earl Elizabeth Ellinor England eyes fancy fatal fate favorite fear fortune Frances Burney gave Goldsmith Gothic Gothic fiction Gothic Novel grief hand happy heart Heaven Hester Piozzi hope Hume idea indulgence Kenilworth Kenilworth Castle King knew Lady Arundel Lady Pembroke Lady Southampton Lee's letter London Lord Arlington Lord Burghley Lord Essex Lord Leicester lover Madam marriage married Mary Matilda mind misfortune Mortimer mother nature never noble Norfolk novel once passion perhaps Piozzi pleasure Prince prison Queen of Scots Recess resolved retired Robertson safety secret seemed sense sensible shewed sighed silence sister Sophia Lee soul suffer sunk surprize sweet tears tender thee thou thought tion voice wish wretch youth