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While you probably wouldn't guess it by reading this book, Edgeworth created a wealth of historical "firsts" in her humorous Irish satire. Published in 1800, it mocks the irresponsibility and lack of scruples of Irish landowners, along with poking fun at Irish stereotypes, such as the propensity to consume large amounts of alcohol and their quirky manner of honoring the deceased.
    Edgeworth was born on January 1, 1767, and died on May22, 1849, at the ripe old age of 82, spending nearly her whole life as a writer. Born in England, Maria's father moved the family to Ireland after the death of his first wife. He became a successful landowner, loved and respected by his tenants. He was known for his educational reforms, including opportunities for girls as well as boys. Maria used this support to her advantage, creating a wealth of writings throughout her long life. She is believed to have been an influence on Thackeray, Turgenev, and others.
    Castle Rackrent was born from a keen observance of Irish people: their traits, peculiarities, foibles, and habits. Wikipedia notes that it "is often regarded as the first historical novel, the first regional novel in English, the first Anglo-Irish novel, the first Big House** novel, and the first saganovel." It is told though the recollections of a very biased steward named Thady Quirk, who seems to overlook the preposterous behavior of four generations of lowlife Rackrents because of his devotion to serving the family. It is his blinded loyalty that creates the mocking humor that abounds in this book.
    The original family surname was O'Shaughlin, but when cousin Sir Tallyhoo Rackrent died during the hunt and left the estate to Sir Patrick O'Shaughlin, he was obliged to change his name to Rackrent.
    Sir Patrick was a "portly" gentleman with a pimple on his nose, and claimed to be the inventor of raspberry whiskey, which no one disputed. He was known and loved throughout the villages for his lavish parties, sometimes putting up the over swell of guests in the chicken house. One evening, after singing a song, following the drinks to his health, he died. "Never did any gentleman live or die more beloved in the country by rich and poor," says Thady.
    During the funeral procession, his body was seized for debt collection, but the new heir, Sir Murtagh put a stop to that, though he never really paid off the debts.
    Sir Murtagh and his wife, whose family name was Skinflint, were nothing like the previous inhabitant of Castle Rackrent, giving no parties, and making their living by skimming off the peasants, not only money, but food, animals and labor. According to Thady:

"However, my lady was very charitable in her own way. She had a charity school for poor children, where they were taught to read and write gratis, and where they were kept well to spinning gratis for my lady in return; for she has always heaps of duty yarn from the tenants, and got all her household linen out of the estate from first to last; for after the spinning, the weavers on the estate took it in hand for nothing, because of the looms my lady's interest could get from the Linen Board to distribute gratis. . .With these ways of managing, 'tis surprising how cheap my lady got things done, and how proud she was of it."

In the end, Sir Murtagh dug up a fairy-mount against the advice of Thady (actually it was an ant-hill), and soon the Banshee appeared. Not long after, Sir Murtagh developed a bad cough, and during a heated argument with his wife, burst a blood vessel and died. His wife, however, had good money of her own, and happily left Castle Rackrent.
    The next heir was Sir Kit, too young to settle down, so he goes off to Bath and runs up debts. He appointed an agent to collect money to pay them, but eventually returns, having married a wealthy woman. Wasn't everyone surprised to find that she was a black Jew, who knew nothing of Irish life, but had promised her diamonds to Sir Kit.
    But she went back on her promise, and to annoy her, Kit made sure there was some form of pork served at the table every meal. In a fit of anger, she went to her room, where Kit locked her in, and kept her for seven years. Unfortunately, news of her death was rumored, and several women whom Kit had promised would be next in line as Lady Rackrent came to claim their right. Kit died of a gunshot wound in the course of trying to rectify the situation, at which point, his very-much alive wife was finally released, and left the Castle immediately, diamonds and all.
    The Castle then fell into the hands of a more distant relative, Sir Conolly Rackrent, fondly known as Sir Condy, and the favorite of Thady. Though Condy was expected to marry Judy M'Quirk, a relative of Thady, Miss Isabella, of the well-to-do Moneygawl family fell for him. Though Condy claimed to be more attached to Judy, nonetheless, he flipped a coin and vowed an oath to abide by its ruling. It fell to Isabella, whom he married, and after her father's shock abated, he paid off Condy's debts. Sort of.
    If we didn't "get it" with the first three Rackrents, we certainly will with Condy, who is the epitome of irresponsibility, especially where money is concerned. Really totally clueless, even to the end, which I will let you read for yourself.
    This is quite a clever and humorous book. One word, however, to keep it from becoming frustrating: carefully read the Glossary, and even the footnotes before reading the main text. The Glossary is fairly funny in itself, but to keep flipping back and forth during the story only creates confusion and lack of continuity.

**The big house novel is one of the most fundamental genres of 19th century Irish fiction. Written by mostly the Protestant ascendancy, it is stereotypically viewed as "voyeuristic literature," meaning it is written by a class of people observing their own society and commenting on their faults and flaws but also watching the lower classes and seeing them as lower people." Definition taken from The Tutor Pages.

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