Precious Bane is a novel by Mary Webb that was first published in 1924. The story is set in rural Shropshire in the early 19th century and follows the life of Prue Sarn, a young woman with a cleft lip who is shunned by her community due to her appearance. Despite her hardships, Prue is a determined and resilient character who dreams of a better life.The novel explores themes of love, family, and social class, as Prue falls in love with a wealthy landowner named Kester Woodseaves, despite the disapproval of her family and ...
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Precious Bane is a novel by Mary Webb that was first published in 1924. The story is set in rural Shropshire in the early 19th century and follows the life of Prue Sarn, a young woman with a cleft lip who is shunned by her community due to her appearance. Despite her hardships, Prue is a determined and resilient character who dreams of a better life.The novel explores themes of love, family, and social class, as Prue falls in love with a wealthy landowner named Kester Woodseaves, despite the disapproval of her family and community. As their relationship develops, Prue must navigate the challenges of class differences and the expectations of society.At the heart of the novel is Prue's journey of self-discovery and acceptance, as she learns to embrace her unique appearance and finds a sense of belonging in the world. Webb's vivid descriptions of the Shropshire landscape and her lyrical prose add to the atmospheric and evocative nature of the novel.Precious Bane has been praised for its portrayal of a strong and complex female protagonist, as well as its exploration of themes that remain relevant today, such as beauty standards and societal expectations. It has been adapted for stage, radio, and television, and remains a beloved classic of English literature.1924. A novel by Mary Webb (Mrs. Henry Bertram Law Webb), the Shropshire Novelist. Her beautifully crafted characters are set against a timeless landscape that Webb knew intimately. Her finest achievement was the award of the Prix Femina, a coveted literary prize, for this her fifth novel, Precious Bane, a story of rural Shropshire in the early nineteenth century. This book was greatly admired by the Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, who sent the author a letter of appreciation.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
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Add this copy of Precious Bane to cart. $54.09, new condition, Sold by Booksplease rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Southport, MERSEYSIDE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2010 by Kessinger Publishing.
Add this copy of Precious Bane to cart. $56.29, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Kessinger Publishing.
The sad story is that if I say too much good about this book, other readers might have high expectations and be disappointed.
The truth is that I was enchanted by Mary Webb's poetic writing and her descriptions of nature, as well as her insights into human nature! I also liked very much the strange, eerie "ambiance" of the whole story, and it's setting in what seems to be a past time long gone.
What more can I say? I fell in love with this book!
AOfromPA
Oct 25, 2009
Lyrical beauty
What I love are the descriptions of the beauty of Prue's surroundings: the fields, the hum of insects, rippling water ('troubling of the mere'), or the smell of apples in her attic. I believe that the 'severely dated' language mentioned by other reviewers evokes a place and time long gone but worth remembering. This and the gentle humor are what make Precious Bane one of the most poignant variations of the Cinderella story that I've ever read.
