Product Description

Aphra Behn, the poet, playwright, novelist and political satirist was the first truly professional woman writer in English. This selection, edited and introduced by Professor Janet Todd, demonstrates the full sophistication and vitality of Aphra Behn's genius. It contains the plays The Rover and The Widow, Ranter (the first English play to be set in the American colonies) together with Love Letters to a Gentleman, a choice of poems and two short novels - The Fair Jilt and Oroonoko - which are among the most innovative prose writings of the seventeenth century.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5261 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

About the Author
Little is known of Aphra Behn's early life. She was probably born around 1640 in Kent and in the early 1660s claims to have visited the British colony of Surinam. She turned to literature for a living, producing numerous short stories, 19 stage plays and political propaganda for the Tories. Janet Todd is Francis Hutcheson Professor of English Literature, University of Glasgow and Aphra Behn's biographer.

Customer Reviews

Better Than First Thought
At first when I started to read Oroonoko, I was convinced I would not be able to get into the slow of the story. However almost as soon as I thought this, I found myself entralled by the story.
We follow the story of Oroonoko, an enslaved African who is madly in love with a young woman named Imoinda, for whom he would do anything. The story is filled with an enchanting storyline, a number of rich and wholesome characters, and some excellent descriptive writing throughout.

Though a fairly old book, written in the late 1600s, Oroonoko is definitly worth the read.