Project Gutenberg 2006-03-18 Public domain in the USA. 164 Edgeworth, Maria 1768 1849 Edgeworth, Eliza Edgeworth, Miss The Absentee Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Absentee Produced by An Anonymous Volunteer and David Widger "The Absentee" by Maria Edgeworth is a novel written in the early 19th century, reflecting the cultural and social norms of its time. The story explores the lives of Irish landlords residing in England, particularly focusing on the clashing identities and challenges faced by those, like Lady Clonbrony, who seek acceptance in English high society while neglecting their responsibilities in Ireland. The narrative centers around characters like Lord Colambre, Lady Clonbrony, and the heiress Miss Broadhurst, whose relationships and personal dilemmas provide a rich commentary on societal expectations and the concept of duty. At the start of the novel, a conversation at the opera introduces Lady Clonbrony and her family's struggles, positioning them as Irish absentees who are trying to navigate the complexities of London high society. Through Lady Langdale and Mrs. Dareville’s dialogue, we learn of Lady Clonbrony's efforts to assimilate, which are marred by the ridicule she faces for her accent and manners. Lord Colambre, her son, begins to contemplate his family's situation with a growing sense of responsibility, leading him on a journey back to Ireland to confront the reality of his family's estate and the lives affected by their absentee status. The opening chapters set the stage for the unfolding drama of social aspirations, personal identity, and the pursuit of belonging against a backdrop of class distinctions and familial duty. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 75.1 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Satire Domestic fiction Ireland -- Fiction Landowners -- Fiction Administration of estates -- Fiction Socialites -- Fiction British -- Ireland -- Fiction Absentee landlordism -- Fiction PR Text Category: Novels Category: British Literature 699034 2025-07-01T09:38:20.528798 text/html 709893 2015-12-27T10:56:12 text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 315073 2025-07-01T09:38:28.201734 application/epub+zip 322404 2025-07-01T09:38:22.451799 application/epub+zip 322403 2025-07-01T09:38:21.274760 application/epub+zip 531497 2025-07-01T09:38:32.819706 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 501153 2025-07-01T09:38:27.481732 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 471047 2022-09-01T11:07:32.078280 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 602373 2023-10-01T09:00:43.306398 text/plain 17774 2025-07-01T09:38:32.945707 application/rdf+xml 11350 2025-07-01T09:38:21.776782 image/jpeg 3126 2025-07-01T09:38:21.522799 image/jpeg 306850 2025-07-01T09:38:20.578765 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia