An engaging and thought-provoking read
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Despite its length, the dramatic tensions of the story are maintained very well all the way through, making this a very readable novel. The emotional and moral blackmail inflicted on the heroine by Mr Harrel throughout the first part of the book is especially good, and the almost unstable character of young Delvile makes for an uneasy romance.
The characterisation is clever (Lady Honoria Pemberton is a gem) and there are no straightforward good or bad characters, which is refreshing for an 18th century novel. The breakdown of Cecilia’s character at the end is particularly moving.
For anybody who enjoyed Evelina, this is a more thought-provoking read, and some of the themes are an obvious influence on Jane Austen’s works, particularly Sense and Sensibility and Northanger Abbey.
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Long, but worth the effort.
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Extraordinarily long (over 900 pages) but gripping story of a girl who appears to have everything - wealth, beauty, brains and financial independence. Upon Cecilia's first arrival in London society the novel has a satirical tone, not inlike Jane Austen, but as the story progresses it becomes much darker and grimmer. Cecilia is exposed to the shallowness of her friends, the untrustworthiness of her guardians, the weakness of her lover, the snobbery of his relations and the decietful manipulation of the one man she thinks she can trust. The injustice and frustrations of her situation drive her to mental breakdown and her prized freedom turns out to be largely illusory. Well worth reading, and look out for her miserly but good-hearted and vivacious guardian, Mr Briggs.
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