Glenarvon

is Lady Caroline Lamb’s first novel. When it appeared in May 1816 it created a scandal because it appeared to be a kiss-and-tell (or as Byron crudely put it, a “F— and publish”) account of her affair with him in 1812. The characters are drawn from Lady Caroline Lamb’s social circle, the pinnacle of British Society during the “Regency” (1811-1820), when George III was declared incompetent to rule and the Prince of Wales acted the King’s role as Regent.

Glenarvon

is set, however, during the brutally suppressed Irish Rebellion of 1798, and it strikes anti-establishment political notes.

Glenarvon’s protagonist, Lady Calantha, is intended to marry her cousin William, handsome son of Calantha’s aunt, Lady Margaret. Calantha and William grow up together while Lady

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Citation: Douglass, Malcolm Paul. "Glenarvon". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 October 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16597, accessed 19 March 2024.]

16597 Glenarvon 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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