num_pages: 326
description: First published in an era when most novels about young women concentrated on courtship and ended with marriage, The Recess daringly portrays women involved in political intrigues, overseas journeys, and even warfare. The novel is set during the reign of Elizabeth I and features as narrators twin daughters of Mary, Queen of Scots, by a secret marriage. One of the earliest Gothic novels, The Recess pioneered the genre of historical fiction. The novel was also one of the first to describe characters and events from conflicting points of view and was wildly popular in its day."[This] critical edition of The Recess; or, A Tale of Other Times is based on the text of the second edition, published in London by T. Cadell in 1786." - from Notes on the Text
language: English
title: The Recess
titlecomplete: The Recess (18th-Century Novels By Women)
characters: Elizabeth I of England, Mary, Queen of Scots
genres: Fiction, Classics, Gothic, 18th Century, British Literature, Womens, Historical Fiction, Adult
ratings_count: 71
publisher: University Press of Kentucky