Publisher's Synopsis
The Manufacturers is a novel written by Maria Edgeworth. It was first published in 1809 and is set in the late 18th century in the town of Birmingham, England. The story revolves around two rival families, the Shaw family and the Falconer family, who are both manufacturers of metal goods.The Shaw family is led by Mr. Shaw, a successful businessman who is determined to maintain his family's position in the industry. His son, Philip, is a talented engineer who is passionate about his work but struggles to balance his love life with his professional ambitions.The Falconer family is led by Mr. Falconer, a wealthy and influential man who is determined to outdo the Shaws in the industry. His daughter, Caroline, is a strong-willed young woman who is determined to prove herself as a capable businesswoman and engineer.As the two families compete for dominance in the industry, they become embroiled in a series of conflicts and betrayals. Philip and Caroline find themselves drawn to each other, but their relationship is threatened by their families' rivalry.The novel explores themes of love, ambition, and family loyalty, as well as the challenges faced by women in male-dominated industries. It offers a vivid portrayal of the industrial revolution and its impact on society, as well as a compelling story of love and rivalry.He was sensible that he hazarded the loss of his uncle's favour by the avowal of his prejudices; yet such was his habitual conceit, that he could not suppress frequent expressions of contempt for Mr. Darford's liberal notions. Whenever his uncle's opinion differed from his own, he settled the argument, as he fancied, by saying to himself or to his clerk, ""My uncle Darford knows nothing of the world: how should he, poor man! shut up as he has been all his life in a counting-house?""This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.