First published in 1796, Hermsprong is a bold work of social satire and radical thought. Through the figure of its American-raised hero—a gentleman untouched by Britain's rigid hierarchies—Bage subjects class, privilege, religion and the treatment of women to sharp and often unsettling scrutiny.
At the heart of the novel stands Maria Fluart, one of the most remarkable heroines of her age. Witty, independent and unwilling to submit to social expectation, she remains a strikingly modern presence. Together, Hermsprong and Maria challenge the moral complacency and inherited authority of the English elite with a clarity that continues to resonate.
Though admired by Sir Walter Scott, Bage's fiction has too often been overlooked in modern accounts of the period. This new P-Wave Classics edition restores Hermsprong to its original three-volume format and presents the text with a new introduction and extensive notes.
Volume I includes the Biographical Introduction, Editorial Note and full Introduction to the edition, situating Bage's work within the ferment of the late Enlightenment and the early Romantic age. Volumes II and III will follow later in the year.
With this publication, P-Wave Classics continues its commitment to producing editions that balance accessibility with authenticity—neither stripped of historical context nor burdened by unnecessary apparatus.
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Source: P-Wave Press
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