Author(s): Isabelle de Charriere

Classics

Born Dutch, noble, and free-spirited, Isabelle de Charriere (also known as Belle de Zuylen) was an enlightened woman whose writings - not unlike Jane Austen's - tackled the intricacies of high society, particularly in matters of love. Published when she was only twenty- two, "The Nobleman" is a Persuasion-like tale whose heroine challenges her stodgy father in order to marry a man of unassuming ancestry. But Charriere did not confine herself to simple marriage plots and country courtships. Another story, "Eagonlette and Suggestina", is a thinly veiled critique of Marie Antoinette, cleverly disguised as a fairy tale. "The Nobleman and Other Romances" will delight fans of Jane Austen and Enlightenment-era French literature.