Castle Rackrent (Oxford World's Classics) [Paperback]

A social satire on Anglo-Irish relations during early nineteenth century, the asks the qustion 'What is is to be Irish'? A period of great social turmoil between the two countries heightened by the industrial revolution's impression on the working classes in England, the novel sees the author navigating through a difficult minefield writing an Irish catholic narrator for an English market place! The Anglo-Irish Rackrent landlords claim an Irish Catholic heritage, but forfeit that personal history for the ephemeral run of the estate. The disenfranchised tenant farmers are forced to yield their produce to support the Rackrents' absurd behaviours. In the middle of this dynamic stand the novel's two most developed and challenging characters, Sir Condy Rackrent and Jason McQuirk, Thady's son. Raised in identical circumstances, these two leave open to question the ultimate judgment on the future of Ireland; With Condy as a new line of Irish aristocracy or Jason, representing the model for the 'British' assimilated Irishman.

Edgeworth carefully navigates herself around the novel opening the question of Irishness to the English reader without alienating either audience through the use of a glossary and internal footnotes which are devices used to try and neutralize the foreignness and threat of the Irish for Edgeworth's intended English audience, and allow us also an attempt also to understand this position of 'Irishness'.

This book is truly a classic piece of social satire that should not be overlooked byt anybody wishing to learn more about the history of Anglo-Irish relations.

First published at the turn of the 19th century, Maria Edgeworth's surprisingly brief 'Castle Rackrent' sees the author rather uncharateristically adopt the first-person voice of an Irish worker, Thady, who looks after the master and the property of the Castle, Rackrent; and his recollections of four of the Castle's masters - Sir Patrick, Sir Murtagh, Sir Kit and Sir Condy; as well as providing a chronicle of the sorts of changes of Ireland throughout the 18th century. There's no doubting that 'Castle Rackrent' was a hugely praise text of its time, but it's sometimes a little confusing upon modern readings, to ascertain why (outside of its use of an original kind of Anglo-Irish voice). There's no doubt that the text is a fairly enjoyable read, that its mild social commentary is agreeable enough, and that it never outstays its welcome, but it's hard to find anything brilliant about Edgworth's text; and though the perceptible bias of Thady towards and against certain of the novel's figures adds another dimension, this sort of social commentary and idea of authorial subjectivity is done better in certain other novels of the time. Equally, the fact of the novel's being one of the first historical novels, and arguably the first Anglo-Irish novel are both interesting facts, but besides a general appeal, aren't really indicative in anything that exceptional within the text (at least from a present-day perspective)

Equally, though the novel's brevity saves it from becoming boring, it also means that we never get a full enough picture of any of the masters of the Castle for neither Edgeworth or the reader to be able to build up the kind of social critique which the novel hints at, but never quite puts into practice; except in its rather routine explanations of Thady's son Jason's selfishness after his return from a more urban lifestyle. For those who want a readable and somewhat useful chronicle of 18th century Irish aristocratic life, or fans of Edgeworth's other works, 'Castle Rackrent' is worth a read, and is by no means a 'bad' novel for anyone else; but there's a sense that more could have been made in the novel, and that the witty erudition of 'Belinda', or the strong social conscience of 'The Absentee', (two superb Edgeworth novels) is missing; and that 'Castle Rackrent' is more of a stable novel, than a classic.

I am buying this for a friend who was disappointed by MOLL FLANDERS. I read it years ago and was delighted by this little gem - although the satire really bites. But the touch is light, the characterisation extremely deft and the book is short - Perfect.