Provides students with specific contexts for the early novel in response to a new understanding of 18th-century Britain, tracing the social and moral representations of the period in extended
readings of major novelists and lesser-known writers. Considers the context of the transformation of Britain in the 18th century, from an agrarian to a commercial nation in the first stages of
industrialization, and looks at how 18th-century novels offered both an outline and a critique of an emerging modern society. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
