02460cam a22003253u 45000010005000000030007000050050017000120060002000290070005000310080041000360400011000770410017000880500007001051000033001122450035001452640051001803000047002313360026002783370026003043380036003305000031003665050123003975080126005205201361006465340045020076530012020526530011020648560042020759990017021179439UtSlPG20260610133232.0mcr n260607r2005||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPR1 aEdgeworth, Maria,d1768-184910aTales and Novels — Volume 04 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2005 a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats atextbtxt2rdacontent acomputerbc2rdamedia aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier aRelease date is 2005-12-010 aCastle Rackrent -- An essay on Irish bulls -- An essay on the noble science of self-justification -- Ennui -- The dun. aText file produced by Jonathan Ingram, Tapio Riikonen and PG Distributed Proofreaders HTML file produced by David Widger a"Tales and Novels — Volume 04" by Maria Edgeworth is a collection of narratives likely written in the early 19th century. Central to the volume is "Castle Rackrent," a story that revolves around the Rackrent family, told from the perspective of "honest Thady Quirk," the old steward who captures the idiosyncrasies and misadventures of those who have inherited the family's estate over the years. Through Thady’s anecdotes, Edgeworth explores themes of social status, the folly of the gentry, and the unique character of Irish life. At the start of "Castle Rackrent," Thady Quirk introduces himself and his longstanding position within the Rackrent family, eager to share their history. He recounts the lavish life of the family's ancestors, particularly Sir Patrick, whose hospitality was renowned, followed by the more disreputable heirs, including the litigative Sir Murtagh and the careless Sir Kit. The narrative sets up a contrast between the familial pride of the Rackrents and their descent into farce, culminating in humorous, yet poignant, reflections on their decline. This opening section establishes a rich setting and a colorful cast of characters, suggesting a blend of humor and social commentary that invites readers to delve deeper into the tales of this charmingly dysfunctional family. (This is an automatically generated summary.) nOriginal publication data not identified aFiction aEssays40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9439 c51174d51174