Author Description

First published in 1853, The Heir of Redclyffe was the most successful novel of the century. Adopted by William Morris and Burne-Jones "as a pattern for life," the protagonist, Guy, was a popular role model of noble virtue, while another character, Amy, was seen as the ideal Victorian wife--redeemer and inspirer, supporter and guide. This novel is a virtual paradigm of the trends of thought which marked the middle decades of the nineteenth-century. It is also deeply marked by the influence of the Oxford Movement, an aspect explored in Barbara Dennis's Introduction to this unique critical edition.