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Rating: 
Summary: A joy to read
Review: Besides this being as readable as Jane Austen, this book is witty and intelligent. It raises thought provoking questions about gender roles and transgression that suggest that Edgeworth was not an ordinary woman. Unfortunately, like many other 18th C. novels, the book ends with all the usual conventions intact. The women who cross dress (and the man who cross-dresses!) are returned to their spheres and/or married. Don't get me wrong though, this book is quite innovative. I don't know of many literary women having duels and stepping in iron traps that cut up their legs. Also particularly interesting is Edgeworth's treatment of colonialism: there is a cross-racial marriage that is entirely sanctioned. And yet the thought of the heroine marrying a creole is not approved. It is much better for her to marry an Englishman in the parliament. This is a delightful book that would entertain romantics and scholars. I would like to think that I am both, though.
Rating: 
Summary: I think there's been a mistake !
Review: I know. No one ever wants to read a book for class. But in my 18th Century Women Novelists class we read Edgeworth's _Belinda_ and as a self-indulgent lover of romance novels, I found this to be right up there with Devereaux and McNaught. (I know...I wince as I even type their sacred names...much less dare to compare their masterful works with a 200 year old novel). I promise, this book is a treat and a treasure. _Belinda_ is the story of a young woman who is entering her first season in London under the tutledge of Lady Delacour. Delacour is a classic yet entertaining example of the creation of a facade. We all knew people like her in high school. Other characters include Mrs. Freke (pronounced "freak") who duels with pistols and dresses in men's clothing--now keep in mind this is the 18th century. She was supposed to be wearing a corset and some petticoats. Then there's Lord Delacour, who can't decide if he's a whipped husband or the lord of his manor, or if he should just have another drink. The entire story revolves around the theme of how life and people are not always what they seem. It also touches upon racism, sexual identity, gender roles and self-image of both women and men. But the delightful discovery of a character as intelligent and resourceful as Belinda makes this book truly worthwhile. She is cut from the same mold as Austen's Elizabeth Bennet or Emma-- she learns from the follies of others and in the end becomes a very admirable character that the reader is, well, proud of. After a semester of women ruined by this lord or that one, finding Belinda restored my battered sense of pride in my ancestral gender. I recommend this book to any one who likes Austen, anyone who loves a good romance--of course she falls in love!-- and most of all, anyone who has had to read a doldrum of a book for class and needs some restoration.
Rating: 
Summary: no Jane Austen...
Review: I read the book based on reader recommendations that equated 'Belinda' with Jane Austen's work. I had high expectations but struggled to read the book to the end. I found the writing at certain points more like an essay than a novel. Her character development seems forced, and there is little ambient description. Those interested in tracing literary associations of Jane Austen should probably read the book, but if you've read all of Austen's work and are desperately looking for something 'similar' to her style and quality, I would recommend you look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: A joy to read
Review: I started reading Belinda around 6pm and finally around 2:30am I decided that I had best go to bed and finish the book later. Well, 10 minutes later my light was back on and I stayed up until 6:30am finishing the book. Not even all of Jane Austen's work has done that to me!The themes of gender and sexual attitudes, colonialism, religion, etc can easily be found in this work if you're interested in it for its scholarly value. However for the lay person it is a beautifully written, light read that is reminiscent of Austen's Mansfield Park or Sense and Sensibility (I certainly don't see many parallels to Pride and Prejudice as one reviewer did). If you're looking to go past Austen into early 19th century English literature, I would certainly recommend this book highly.
Rating:
Summary: A good read!
Review: Why I never heard about this book until I stumbled upon it online, I will never know! This is as good as any Jane Austen novel, and should have a BBC film of it's own.
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