Sunday, July 08, 2012

Ten of the best wills in literature

At the Guardian, John Mullan named ten of the best wills in literature.

One entry on the list:
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

The novel is shaped by a will. Henry Dashwood's uncle leaves his wealth not to his own family, but to his son by a previous marriage and a four-year-old grandson. His wife and daughters, who have attended on the old man for years, are disinherited in favour of a child who has gained his affections by "an imperfect articulation, an earnest desire of having his own way, many cunning tricks, and a great deal of noise".
Read about another title on the list.

Sense and Sensibility is on Sam Baker's top ten list of literary stepmothers.

--Marshal Zeringue