The Female Quixote

The Female Quixote (1752) is a novel by Charlotte Lennox that parodies Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote. It was an immediate critical and commercial success, launching Lennox's career as a leading author of English plays, poetry, and novels. Despite failing to regain her early heights, feminist scholars have reappraised her work, securing her long-underrecognized reputation as an important precursor to Jane Austen and other writers. Arabella, raised in a remote English castle, fantasizes about adventure and romance but is forced to marry her cousin Glanville. When a case of mistaken identity leads to her injury, Glanville must decide whether she can come to terms with their shared reality. This edition of the novel features a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript.

Format: Hardback
Length: 428 pages
Publication date: 15 February 2022
Publisher: West Margin Press

Charlotte Lennox's The Female Quixote (1752) is a novel that parodies Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote. The novel achieved immediate critical and commercial success, thanks to praise from notable figures such as Samuel Johnson, Henry Fielding, and Samuel Richardson. This success launched Lennox's career as a prominent author of English plays, poetry, and novels. While she may not have regained her earlier heights as an author, Lennox and her work have been positively reappraised by twentieth-century feminist scholars, securing her long-underrecognized reputation as an important precursor to Jane Austen and countless other writers.

Raised in a remote English castle by her father, Arabella compensates for her lack of formal education with an insatiable appetite for French romance novels. Despite her intelligence, her lack of experience and overactive imagination often lead her to fantasize about the world beyond her immediate surroundings. Envisioning a life of adventure and romance, she receives a rude awakening when, upon the death of her father, she is left his estate on the condition that she marries her cousin Glanville. Making her way to London via Bath, Arabella makes a positive impression on the young gentleman, who recognizes her innocence but remains determined to love her. As he attempts to educate her on the realities of city life, his friend Sir George Bellmour attempts to take advantage of her through a courtship that is cloaked in the chivalry of her beloved novels.

When a case of mistaken identity leads to Arabella being gravely injured, Glanville is forced to decide whether the young woman he cares for will ever be able to come to terms with their shared reality. This edition of Charlotte Lennox's The Female Quixote is a classic of English literature, featuring a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript.

Dimension: 203 x 127 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781513132952