ROXANA by Daniel Defoe, John Mullan (Editor) ( 9780199536740 )

Item Details

Title:

ROXANA
THE FORTUNATE MISTRESS

By:

Daniel Defoe, John Mullan (Editor)

Format:

Paperback

List price:

£9.99

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£8.74

Discount:

12.5% off

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£1.25

ISBN 10:

0199536740

ISBN 13:

9780199536740

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Publisher:

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Pub. date:

10 July, 2008

Series:

Oxford World's Classics

Pages:

400

Description:

Roxana (1724), Defoe's last and darkest novel, is the autobiography of a woman who has traded her virtue, at first for survival, and then for fame and fortune. Its narrator tells the story of her own `wicked' life as the mistress of rich and powerful men. The novel's drama lies not in the heroine's `vast variety of fortunes', but in her attempts to understand the sometimes bitter lessons of her life as a `Fortunate Mistress'. Defoe's achievement was toinvent, in `Roxana', a gripping story-teller as well as a gripping story.This new edition features a new introduction, detailed notes, textual history, and map of contemporary London.

Synopsis:

Roxana (1724), Defoe's last and darkest novel, is the autobiography of a woman who has traded her virtue, at first for survival, and then for fame and fortune. Its narrator tells the story of her own 'wicked' life as the mistress of rich and powerful men. A resourceful adventuress, she is also an unforgiving analyst of her own susceptibilities, who tells us of the price she pays for her successes. Endowed with many seductive skills, she is herself seduced: by money, by dreams of rank, and by the illusion that she can escape her own past. Unlike Defoe's other penitent anti-heroes, however, she fails to triumph over these weaknesses. The novel's drama lies not only in the heroine's 'vast variety of fortunes', but in her attempts to understand the sometimes bitter lessons of her life as a 'Fortunate Mistress'. Defoe's achievement was to invent, in 'Roxana', a gripping story-teller as well as a gripping story. This edition uses the rare first edition text, with a new introduction, detailed notes, textual history, and a map. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe.Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Illustrations:

2 halftones, 1 map

Publication:

Imprint:

Oxford University Press

Returns:

Returnable

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