Castle Rackrent

Abstract

Castle Rackrent appears to be an innocent text. Although we now see it as an important development in the regional novel, and although it remains one of the few major British narratives to use the vernacular voice as its medium, the author proved singularly unconscious of its significance, nor did she regard it as part of her contribution to serious writing. As we have seen, she was eager to ascribe its genesis to her chance friendship with John Langan, and to emphasize how little care and attention she had bestowed upon it.