A Fair Barbarian: Classics

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Fair Barbarian (1881) tells the story of Miss Octavia Bassett's relationship with the town of Slowbridge. Miss Bassett is a young American woman from Nevada who comes to rural England and teaches the populace about fashion, demeanor, and respect for their elders. This light-hearted novel humorously contrasts American and English societies.

• ISBN10: 1976254809
• ISBN13: 9781976254802
• Publish Date: 10 September 2017 (first published 1 November 1995)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 126
• Language: English

Reviews

[Metaphorosis Reviews]

As, I suspect, with most, my previous exposure to Frances Hodgson Burnett was through [b:The Secret Garden|2998|The Secret Garden|Frances Hodgson Burnett|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327873635s/2998.jpg|3186437], [b:A Little Princess|3008|A Little Princess|Frances Hodgson Burnett|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327868556s/3008.jpg|1313599], and [b:The Lost Prince|646351|The Lost Prince|Frances Hodgson Burnett|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1176700431s/646351.jpg|1718667]. Those books are better.
A Fair Barbarian is a harmless and mildly entertaining shift from those child-oriented books to more a young adult's realm. It's pleasantly reminiscent of Jane Austen, though less complex.

The book's strength is the characters, who are interesting and moderately likeable. However, despite a fair-size crew of young men and women looking to fall in love with each other, there's no strong resolution; the ending comes disappointingly ex machina, and the story simply stops.

Recommended for Burnett fans, and pleasant but not compelling for others.