Robert Bage, The Fair Syrian

Pam Perkins (University of Manitoba)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.05: English Writing and Culture from the Glorious Revolution to the French Revolution, 1689-1789.
Vol. editors: Paul Baines (University of Liverpool), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Pat Rogers (University of South Florida), Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1787

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

The Fair Syrian (2 vols, 1787) Robert Bage's third novel, promises exotic adventure in its title, and it lives up to that promise, although readers expecting straightforward romantic escapism might have been somewhat startled by the opening episodes, which feature the adventures of a French and a British soldier who meet and befriend each other while serving on opposite sides in the American Revolution. Nor would readers be left in any doubt about the author's belief that fiction could transcend simple entertainment and be used to draw readers into serious political debates. Captain (later Sir) John Amington, the main hero of the novel, enlists in the British army in a burst of youthful patriotism, despite the reservations of his …

Please log in to consult the article in its entirety. If you are a member (student of staff) of a subscribing institution (see List), you should be able to access the LE on campus directly (without the need to log in), and off-campus either via the institutional log in we offer, or via your institution's remote access facilities, or by creating a personal user account with your institutional email address. If you are not a member of a subscribing institution, you will need to purchase a personal subscription. For more information on how to subscribe as an individual user, please see under Individual Subcriptions.

1028 words

Citation: Perkins, Pam. "The Fair Syrian". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 October 2004 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=915, accessed 25 November 2024.]

Save this article