Bücher von Eliza Haywood

The Fatal Secret: Or, Constancy in Distress (1724) is a novel by Eliza Haywood. Blending tragedy and comedy, Haywood explores the intersection of ambition, family, and desire to reveal how women so often fall victim to the whims of villainous men. The Fatal Secret: Or, Constancy in Distress is considered a prime example of the popular genre of amatory fiction, which often used love triangles to expose the imbalance between male and female desire in a patriarchal society. ¿Nothing is so generally coveted by Womankind, as to be accounted Beautiful; yet nothing renders the Owner more liable to inconveniences.¿ Getting by on looks alone, young Anadea has managed to secure herself a marriage proposal from a wealthy gentleman. Pressured by her father, she believes it is up to her to renew her once-prominent family¿s fortune and status in eighteenth century Paris. One night, she falls in love with the handsome Count Blessure. Although he reciprocates her feelings, he is keenly aware of his own family¿s prejudice against the poor, no matter the nobility of their ancestors. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Eliza Haywood¿s The Fatal Secret: Or, Constancy in Distress is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

Syrena Tricksy has one dream and one dream only: to raise herself from her working-class roots and become an English noblewoman. Despite her beauty, charm, and wit, her best laid plans go frequently awry. Written in response to Samuel Richardson¿s Pamela; Or, Virtue Rewarded, Eliza Haywood¿s The Anti-Pamela: Or, Feign'd Innocence Detected is a story of identity and desire.

The Mercenary Lover (1726) is a novel by Eliza Haywood. Blending tragedy and comedy, Haywood explores the intersection of ambition, family, and desire to reveal how women so often fall victim to the whims of villainous men. The Mercenary Lover is considered a prime example of the popular genre of amatory fiction, which often used love triangles to expose the imbalance between male and female desire in a patriarchal society. Miranda and Althea are young, beautiful, and wealthy. Regardless of their individual merits, however, they both fall victim to unbridled desire in the form of the dastardly Clitander. When he chooses Miranda, she counts herself lucky and prepares for a life of passion and companionship. Meanwhile, the young man begins fantasizing about what he could do with her inheritance, and soon hatches a plan to take control of their family estate. What follows is a tale of betrayal and greed, a series of tragic events that threatens to divide two sisters forever. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Eliza Haywood¿s The Mercenary Lover is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

Fantomina: Or, Love in a Maze (1725) is a novel by Eliza Haywood. Blending tragedy and comedy, Haywood revolutionizes the novel by turning the common trope of the persecuted maiden on its head. A story of individual autonomy and sexual freedom, Fantomina: Or, Love in a Maze is considered a prime example of the popular genre of amatory fiction, which often exposes the imbalance between male and female desire in a patriarchal society. Fantomina is an independent woman, a prostitute for whom desire is a powerful tool. Celia, an innocent country girl, is a young maiden unfamiliar with the ways of love. Mrs. Bloomer, a widow, knows what it is to love and to lose. Incognita is a mysterious masked woman who meets with men in the dead of night. Each of these women is involved sexually with Beauplaisir, a vain and handsome aristocrat. But they have something else in common¿all four lovers are, in fact, the same woman, an unnamed narrator whose infatuation with freedom and innate curiosity lead her on a quest to experience desire in a multitude of ways. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Eliza Haywood¿s Fantomina: Or, Love in a Maze is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

Most critics will acknowledge the enormous contributions Eliza Haywood made towards the development of the novel, but are often silent about her shorter fiction. Included in this volume are four of her most notable shorter pieces: "The British Recluse" (1722), "Fantomina" (1724), "The Fatal Secret" (1724), and "The City Jilt" (1726).