The Female Quixote (1752) is a novel by Charlotte Lennox. A parody of
Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote, Lennox's novel was an immediate
critical and commercial success. Boosted by praise from Samuel Johnson,
Henry Fielding, and Samuel Richardson, The Female Quixote launched
Lennox's career as a leading author of English plays, poetry, and
novels. Although she failed to regain her early heights as an author,
Lennox and her work have undergone positive reappraisal by twentieth
century feminist scholars, securing her long-underrecognized reputation
as an important precursor to Jane Austen and countless other
writers.Raised in a remote English castle by her father, Arabella makes
up for a lack of formal education with an endless appetite for French
romance novels. Although exceedingly intelligent, her lack of experience
and overactive imagination lead her to fantasize about the world
outside. Envisioning a life of adventure and romance, she receives a
rude awakening when, upon the death of her father, she is to be left his
estate on the condition she marry her cousin Glanville. Making her way
to London via Bath, Arabella makes a positive impression on the young
gentleman, who recognizes her innocence but remains determined to love
her. As he attempts to educate her on the realities of city life, his
friend Sir George Bellmour tries to take advantage of her through a
courtship veiled in the chivalry of her beloved novels. When a case of
mistaken identity leads to Arabella being gravely injured, Glanville is
forced to decide whether the young woman he cares for will ever manage
to come to terms with their shared reality. With a beautifully designed
cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Charlotte
Lennox's The Female Quixote is a classic of English literature
reimagined for modern readers.
