Castle Rackrent by Maria EdgeworthMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I began reading Castle Rackrent because I was interested in the author, as an influence of her contemporaries such as Jane Austen and Walter Scott, but also because I knew it was a satire about the Irish gentry of the 18th century. While I became quite intrigued by the story I cannot claim to have totally enjoyed it, or even to be amused by the suspected humour contained within it. For me it became a sad reflection of the abuse and indulgence displayed by an irresponsibly despotic upper class of the society of those times.
An ancient retainer, Thady Quirk, to four of the Lords of Rackrent tells the story throughout and, while he observes a suitably subservient position, he is so exact in his descriptions of their behaviour there is plenty for the reader to feel critical about the aristocrats. The land and all its possessions eventually are lost to the family through the profligacy of the various Lords. It is a tale well told by Maria Edgeworth, with irony and a few comic touches through the servants’ language. I was pleased in the end to have read one of the first historical novels in the English language and was at least quite entertained by the book.
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