| Abstrakt: |
This novel describes the difficulties and adventures of ten-year-old Maria, an orphan who is harassed and circumscribed by a pair of villainous guardians: the vicar, Mr. Hater, and her governess, Miss Brown. Her parents have died in an accident, and she seems to have no friends her own age. Although her extensive ancestral estate had been visited in former times by many famous political and literary figures, such as Queen Victoria, James Boswell, and Jonathan Swift, it is no longer being maintained because of a supposed lack of funds. The grandiose house and romantic monuments are either in ruins or overgrown, and the surrounding grounds are leased to a local farmer. |
