is Lady Caroline Lamb’s first novel. When it appeared in May 1816 it created a scandal because it appeared to be a kiss-and-tell (or as Byron crudely put it, a “F— and publish”) account of her affair with him in 1812. The characters are drawn from Lady Caroline Lamb’s social circle, the pinnacle of British Society during the “Regency” (1811-1820), when George III was declared incompetent to rule and the Prince of Wales acted the King’s role as Regent.
Glenarvonis set, however, during the brutally suppressed Irish Rebellion of 1798, and it strikes anti-establishment political notes.
Glenarvon’s protagonist, Lady Calantha, is intended to marry her cousin William, handsome son of Calantha’s aunt, Lady Margaret. Calantha and William grow up together while Lady
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Citation: Douglass, Malcolm Paul. "Glenarvon". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 October 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16597, accessed 22 November 2024.]