Ann Radcliffe, The Romance of the Forest

Caroline Webber (Independent Scholar - Australia)
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Mrs Barbauld, in her essay on Ann Radcliffe, considers that

The Romance of the Forest

(1791) is in some respects “perhaps the best” of all her novels. Mrs Barbauld writes that the story:

Turns upon the machinations of a profligate villain and his agent against an amiable and unprotected girl, whose birth and fortunes have been involved in obscurity by crime and perfidy. The character of La Motte, the agent, is drawn with spirit. He is weak and timid, gloomy and arbitrary in his family, drawn by extravagance into vice and atrocious actions; capable of remorse, but not capable of withstanding temptation. (Barbauld, ii)

Turns upon the machinations of a profligate villain and his agent against an amiable and unprotected girl, whose birth and fortunes have been involved in…

2082 words

Citation: Webber, Caroline. "The Romance of the Forest". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 October 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7611, accessed 19 March 2024.]

7611 The Romance of the Forest 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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