Overview

A radical outsider, a fearless heroine and a society laid bare Volume I of a three-volume edition First published in 1796, Robert Bage’s Hermsprong; or, Man as He is Not is a daring novel of social satire and progressive thought. Hermsprong, an American-raised gentleman untouched by Britain’s rigid class system, confronts the corruption, pretension and hypocrisy of the English elite. At the centre of the story is Maria Fluart, one of the most striking heroines of the age. Witty, outspoken and unafraid to challenge the men around her—even brandishing a pistol when pressed—she embodies a spirited independence rarely seen in fiction of the period. Bage himself was admired by Sir Walter Scott, yet Hermsprong has long been overlooked. Satirical and humane, it offers a fearless defence of equality, sincerity and freedom of thought. This new three-volume P-Wave Classics edition features an original introduction and extensive notes, situating Bage’s remarkable novel in the ferment of the late Enlightenment and the early Romantic age. With notes and an introduction by L.A. Davenport. This volume contains the Biographical Introduction, Editorial Note and the opening part of the novel.

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9781916937284

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Robert Bage (1728–1801) was an English novelist, paper manufacturer and thinker aligned with Enlightenment and radical ideas. Born in Derbyshire, he combined business with wide intellectual interests, moving in dissenting and reformist circles that included Erasmus Darwin and members of the Lunar Society. Between 1781 and 1796 he published six novels, culminating in his most celebrated work, Hermsprong; or, Man as He is Not. Noted for its satire of privilege and its proto-feminist heroine Maria Fluart, the novel challenged religious orthodoxy, social hierarchy and gender roles. Admired by contemporaries such as Sir Walter Scott, Bage’s fiction remains distinctive for its wit, candour and commitment to equality, even as his works have been neglected in modern times.

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