Written in 1800, Castle Rackrent, a Hibernian tale is arguably the first historical (or regional, as George Watson described it) novel of Western literature. Though only a mere 100 pages long, Edgeworth creates a convincing portrayal of the aristocratic Rackrent family. The novels charts the demise of the family as they succumb to chronic drinking and debts. The tale is told through the narrative of Honest Thady, the family's steward. Edgeworth's use of dialectal dialogue is debatable in terms of authenticity, Edgeworth herself lived in Ireland for some years, yet when the novel was published some of the English audience were confounded by the Gaelic phraseology.
Sir Walter Scott, perhaps the most famous historical novelist used a similar strategy in his novel Ivanhoe. Scott replicates the mannerisms and language of the reign of Richard Coeur de Lion, yet in his preface he states that he has adapted some elements of the novel to fit the current audience.
Castle Rackrent, though only a short novel, is a curious account of Hibernian life, written at a time when England held strong derogatory stereotypes of the Irish race, Edgeworth's novel does little to challenge these stereotypes yet is still an interesting read for anyone interested in old Hibernian culture.
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