Publisher's Synopsis
Belinda is an English Society novel originally published in three volumes in 1801 by Joseph Johnson, with subsequent publications in 1802 and 1810. The novel was considered controversial in its day, particularly for its depiction of interracial marriage. In the 1810 publication, perhaps due to the editorial influence of Edgeworth's father; some characters were replaced and the interracial plot lines were omitted completely. With Belinda, Edgeworth pushed the envelope of the traditional courtship novel of the day typically depicting the struggles of bright, young women in search of good marriages. In Belinda, Edgeworth creates a revolutionary character who foregoes mercenary fortune-hunting in favor of celebrating the importance of marital compatibility and championing irrationality and love over reason and duty. By doing so, Edgeworth prefigures Jane Austen, her contemporary, and Austen's more well-known treatment of similar themes.
