In January 1862, Charles Godwin courted Harriet Russell, ultimately unsuccessfully, with the following lines: "Like cadences of inexpressibly sweet music, your kind words came to me: causing every nerve to vibrate as though electrified by some far off strain of heavenly harmony." Almost ten years later, Albert Janin, upon receiving a letter from his beloved Violet Blair, responded with, "I kissed your letter over and over again, regardless of the small-pox epidemic at New York, and gave myself up to a carnival of bliss before breaking the envelope." And in October 1883, Dorothea Lummis wrote candidly to her husband Charles, "I like you to want me, dear, and if I were only with you, I would embrace more than the back of your neck, be sure." In Karen Lystra's richly provocative book, Searching the Heart, we hear the voices of Charles, Albert, Dorothea, and nearly one hundred other nineteenth-century Americans emerge from their surprisingly open, intimate, and emotional love letters. While historians of nineteenth-century America have explored a host of private topics, including courtship, marriage, birth control, sexuality, and sex roles, they have consistently neglected the study of romantic love. Lystra fills this gap by describing in vivid detail what it meant to fall in love in Victorian America. Based on a vast array of love letters, the book reveals the existence of a real openness--even playfulness--between male and female lovers which challenges and expands more traditional views of middle-class private life in Victorian America. Lystra refutes the common belief that Victorian men and women held passionlessness as an ideal in their romantic relationships. Enabling us to enter the hidden world of Victorian lovers, the letters they left behind offer genuine proof of the intensity of their most private interactions, feelings, behaviors, and judgments. Lystra discusses how Victorians anthropomorphized love letters, treating them as actual visits from their lovers, insisting on reading them in seclusion, sometimes kissing them (as Albert does with Violet's), and even taking them to bed. She also explores how courtship rituals--which included the setting and passing of tests of love--succeeded in building unique, emotional bonds between lovers, and how middle-class views of romantic love, which encouraged sharing knowledge and intimacy, gave women more power in the home. Through the medium of love letters, Searching the Heart allows us to enter, unnoticed, the Victorian bedroom and parlor. We will leave with a different view of middle-class Victorian America.

"While disguised as a boy, Jacky Faber experiences adventure and romance on the high seas"--

This carefully crafted ebook: "Emma & Persuasion" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. "Emma" – Emma Woodhouse has just attended the wedding of Miss Taylor, her friend and former governess, to Mr. Weston. Having introduced them, Emma takes credit for their marriage, and decides that she likes matchmaking. Against the advice of her brother-in-law, Emma forges ahead with her new interest, causing many controversies in the process. Set in the fictional village of Highbury, Emma is a tale about youthful hubris and the perils of misconstrued romance. "Persuasion" – Anne Elliot is a young Englishwoman of 27 years, whose family is moving to lower their expenses and get out of debt, at the same time as the wars come to an end, putting sailors on shore. They rent their home to an Admiral and his wife. Brother of Admiral's wife is Navy Captain Frederick Wentworth, a man who had been engaged to Anne when she was 19, and now they meet again, both single and unattached, after no contact in more than seven years. First time the engagement was broken up because Anne's family persuaded her that Frederick wasn't good enough opportunity. The new situation offers a second, well-considered chance at love and marriage for Anne Elliot in her second "bloom".

Set in Paris and rich with historical detail, the characters in this title are lively and compelling.

These essays document and examine the transformation of children's literature during the Romantic period, and trace Romanticism's influence on Victorian children's literature using a variety of critical approaches, including neo-historicist, feminist, mythic, reader-response, and formalist.

As any historian will testify, a nineteenth-century woman’s place was very much at home. Or was it? For a lucky (and plucky) few, who had a little determination, and the ability to withstand lice infestations, climbing mountains in corsets, rascally guides and occasional certain death - as well as the raised eyebrows of the society they left behind – then the world really was their oyster. In this lively re-telling of twenty-two extraordinary ladies who did just that, Caroline Roope invites you to journey to the further corners of the earth along with them. From humble missionary Annie Royle Taylor, who knew God would keep her safe, to the haughty aristocrat, Lady Hester Stanhope who defied convention and dressed as a Turkish man including pistol, knife and turban, their collective voices still resonate hundreds of years later. Drawing on their original accounts and archival sources, this expertly researched book brings to light a wealth of stories that are full of grit (sometimes literally), courage, and just enough humor to wish we’d been there with them on their adventures on the other side of the horizon. So, pack a suitcase, along with a ‘good thick skirt’ à la Mary Kingsley, and prepare to go beyond the garden gate…

"A Romance of Youth — Complete" is a captivating novel written by the acclaimed French author François Coppée. Set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Paris, the narrative unfolds as a poignant exploration of younger ardour, societal expectations, and the pursuit of inventive desires. The story revolves across the protagonist, Julien Leclercq, a talented and aspiring poet, and his romantic entanglements with the vivacious and enchanting Marguerite. As they navigate the demanding situations of love and ambition, Coppée skillfully weaves a story that reflects the colourful surroundings of bohemian Paris, portraying the struggles and aspirations of the inventive teenagers of the time. François Coppée, known for his poetry and prose that captures the spirit of his technology, offers a wealthy and evocative portrayal of Parisian lifestyles. The novel delves into topics of idealism, the clash among inventive pastimes and societal norms, and the complexities of relationships. With eloquent prose and a keen information of human nature, "A Romance of Youth — Complete" stands as a testomony to Coppée's literary prowess. The novel stays a undying exploration of the goals and tribulations of teenagers, providing readers a compelling glimpse into the creative and romantic landscapes of 19th-century France.

Now available in a single volume paperback, this advanced reference resource for the novel and novel theory offers authoritative accounts of the history, terminology, and genre of the novel, in over 140 articles of 500-7,000 words. Entries explore the history and tradition of the novel in different areas of the world; formal elements of the novel (story, plot, character, narrator); technical aspects of the genre (such as realism, narrative structure and style); subgenres, including the bildungsroman and the graphic novel; theoretical problems, such as definitions of the novel; book history; and the novel's relationship to other arts and disciplines. The Encyclopedia is arranged in A-Z format and features entries from an international cast of over 140 scholars, overseen by an advisory board of 37 leading specialists in the field, making this the most authoritative reference resource available on the novel. This essential reference, now available in an easy-to-use, fully indexed single volume paperback, will be a vital addition to the libraries of literature students and scholars everywhere.