Anne Hatton ["Anne of Swansea"]

Anne of Swansea. Lovers and Friends; or, Modern Attachments; a Novel in Five Volumes. By Anne of Swansea.

London:  Minerva Press for A. K. Newman and Co., 1821.

Contemporary Reviews

"Lovers and Friends" by Anne of Swansea." The Ladies' Monthly Museum, n.s. 13 (1821): 218.

This novel is interesting throughout, through containing nothing marvelous. It has much sound truth and morality blended with pleasing fiction, and characterized by smart and lively dialogue, and occasional playfulness. It holds up a faithful picture of what friends too generally are when we really want their aid. The lady seems to have had in her mind the two verses of Edwin and Angelina, on love and friendship, when she formed her plot-"And what is friendship but a name," &c. and "Love is still an emptier sound."

"Lovers and Friends; or, Modern Attachments; a Novel. By Anne of Swansea." The Ladies' Monthly Museum, 3rd ser. 12 (Dec. 1820): 325.

This novel will be found generally attractive; it has, however, no superior claims either to originality of incident or beauty of language; but the events are sufficiently varied to keep the attention on the alert, and the style is tolerably correct, and, in some instances, lively. The episode of Lady Jacintha Fitzosborne's marriage is very well managed; and the little sketch of Jonathan Blackburne the miser, is extremely spirited, as is likewise the portrait of the young pedant; indeed, we were so much pleased with this last personage, that we regretted we did not see more of him; for there is something at once original and ludicrous in his character. The remainder of the dramatis persona have nothing remarkable. The heroine has all the requisite accomplishments, and endures with the most heroine-like patience and resignation, a large share of those miseries which that little mischievous tyrant, Cupid, delights to shower upon his faithful votaries. Her trials, however, end at last in the good old way,--a marriage with the man of her heart. Poetical justice is also strictly preserved in the rewards and punishments distributed to the other characters; and the work may, upon the whole, be fairly pronounced unexceptionable in a moral point of view. Its greatest fault we think is its length, but we believe the generally of readers will not quarrel with the author on this score.

"Lovers and Friends; or, Modern Attachments; a Novel. By Anne of Swansea." The Literary Chronicle and Weekly Review, no. 95 (10 Mar. 1821):149.

Although, we believe, the imaginative effusions of this lady, (who is said to be a sister of Mrs. Siddons,) have not come immediately within our notice, so as to give them a distinguished place in our review, we are not unacquainted with her writings as readers, nor will we lose this opportunity of saying a few words on the value of this her last production. But in the performance of this task, we intend to deviate from our usual track, by not giving any extracts, there being many very profound secrets in five volumes, which it would be a pity to disclose. Suffice it to observe, that the work delineates who are 'lovers and friends,' and expressly shows, but too faithfully, what are 'modern attachments.' The history has nothing of the marvelous to give it effect; much truth, blended with fiction, described in natural sentiments and flowing language, cannot fail to render to the reader a suitable portion of instruction for his amusement, his time, and his patience. Even those who are sometimes obliged reluctantly to forego the favourite glass, when the temperature changes and the biliary secretions are irregular, might fill up the chasm of leisure in a less commendable manner than by dipping into the chapters of Anne of Swansea, whose productions have morality to recommend, interest to support, and smart dialogue to secure them an acquaintance with us and our associations.

-- Prepared by Vicki L. Martin, University of Nebraska, April 2006.
© Vicki L. Martin, 2006.