The eighty-ninth book: #1014 Ormond - Maria Edgeworth
I struggle with how to feel about Edgeworth's works. On one hand, I started off enjoying Ormond, its characters and the description of the title character's early life. The same applies to its descriptions of French life - you're not meant to feel opposed to their excesses, but it's enjoyably described and explored. On the other hand, the hardships of Irish life are described and the feudal system somewhat glorified, in a way that her novels have ended up doing. At a time where I feel Jane Austen started to move this genre ahead, this one just doesn't feel as satisfying.