Oroonoko (The Art of the Novella) (Bedford Cultural Editions) (The Norton Library)

by Aphra Behn

Janet Todd (Editor)

Restoration-era poet, playwright and novelist Aphra Behn was the first truly professional woman writer in English, and Oroonoko is her sophisticated and insightful condemnation of slavery. This Penguin Classics edition is edited with an introduction by Janet Todd.

When Prince Oroonoko's passion for the virtuous Imoinda arouses the jealousy of his grandfather, the lovers are cast into slavery and transported from Africa to the colony of Surinam. Oroonoko's noble bearing soon wins the respect of his English captors, but his struggle for freedom brings about his destruction. Inspired by Aphra Behn's visit to Surinam, Oroonoko reflects the author's romantic view of native peoples as noble savages in 'the first state of innocence, before man knew how to sin'. The novel also reveals Behn's ambiguous attitude to African slavery - while she favoured it as a means to strengthen England's rule, her powerful and moving work conveys its injustice and brutality.

This new edition of Oroonoko is based on the first printed version of 1688, and includes a chronology, further reading and notes. In her introduction, Janet Todd examines Aphra Behn's views of slavery, colonization and politics, and her position as a professional woman writer in the Restoration.

Little is known of Aphra Behn's (1640-1689) early life. She was probably born 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.

If you enjoyed Oroonoko, you might like Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders, also available in Penguin Classics.

• ISBN10: 0140439889
• ISBN13: 9780140439885
• Publish Date: 30 October 2003 (first published 17 December 1973)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 10 March 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
• Imprint: Penguin Classics
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 144
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780140439885

Reviews

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Definitely does not come across well in the modern age, both for the structure of the story and the racial commentary. The plot does have some sensational points, so I can't that's not interesting.

[journalingirl]

Why I read it?:

Required for my literature course.

What I thought of it?:

It was a really good book. It was dramatic and sad and just interesting. It’s a tale of jealousy and though I rooted for Oroonoko in the beginning, by the end my loyalties had changed. I’m not sure how factual this account is, but it does give readers a depressing look into the slave trade. If you are bored and happen to find a copy of the book, it is a good quick read.