William Godwin, Mandeville

Graham Allen (University College Cork)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.06: English Writing and Culture of the Romantic Period, 1789-1837.
Vol. editors: Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Daniel Robinson (Widener University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1817

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

Mandeville, as its sub-title suggests, is a novel set in the revolutionary period of English history which fascinated Godwin throughout his writing. Despite its status as a meticulously researched and detailed historical novel, however, it can be argued that the main focus of the novel is psychological. In his “Preface” to the single edition published during his lifetime, Godwin alerts the reader to the novel’s connection to Charles Brockden Brown’s Weiland and Joanna Baillie’s play De Monfort, both of which deal with the subject of fraternal jealousy. Mandeville, despite its obvious relations to Caleb Williams, St. Leon and Fleetwood, is in many senses the darkest fiction …

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2954 words

Citation: Allen, Graham. "Mandeville". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 27 September 2004 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=3751, accessed 06 May 2024.]

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