The contrast, Volume 1 (of 3): Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
The contrast, Volume 1 (of 3): author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
The contrast, Volume 1 (of 3) is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Normanby, Constantine Henry Phipps, Marquess of (1797–1863).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
The contrast, Volume 1 (of 3) by Marquess of Constantine Henry Phipps Normanby is a novel written in the early 19th century. It contrasts the calculated polish of London society with the unspoiled candor of a remote coastal community, centering on young Lord Castleton’s tug-of-war between a jaded liaison with Lady Madelina Manfred and a sudden fascination with the innocent Lucy Darnell. Around them orbit the self-advertising host Sir North Saunders and a gallery of clergy, tradespeople, and tenants, through whom questions of class, sincerity, and female character are sharply observed. The opening of the novel follows a London party to Sir North’s newly vaunted Hornscliff Abbey, where theatrical landscaping and social pretensions meet rugged cliffs and a sublime bay. On a guided excursion, Castleton trades flirtations with Lady Madelina for a first encounter with Lucy and her cousin George, a sturdy lad about to go to sea; over a picnic of politics and gossip, Castleton’s interest shifts decisively toward the quiet grace he sees by the fishing boat, punctuated by his impulsive gift of a watch. The scene then turns to the Darnell household: kind, easy Farmer Richard; his precise, grievance-prone wife; and solitary, thoughtful Aunt Alice, who nurtures Lucy’s imagination with Shakespeare. George’s farewell ride to Mayton with his uncle ends at the Queen’s Head, amid a convivial widow landlady and two idle townsmen, before he catches the night coach. Four years later a sketching “stranger” arrives—soon lodged with the Darnells—while a private letter reveals him as Castleton, disillusioned by past worldly entanglements and resolved to test pure affection by concealing his rank as he seeks the simple heart he once glimpsed on that northern shore.
Book and edition facts
- Title: The contrast, Volume 1 (of 3)
- Author credits: Normanby, Constantine Henry Phipps, Marquess of (1797–1863)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- English fiction -- 19th century
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Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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