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An Original Belle
Edward Payson Roe (March 7, 1838 - July 19, 1888) was an American novelist, Presbyterian minister, horticulturist and historian. His novels were very popular in their day, especially with middle class readers in England and America, and were translated into several European languages. Their strong moral and religious purpose, did much to break down a Puritan prejudice in America against works of fiction. One of his most consistent criticisms was that his work resembled sermons.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1885
About the author
Edward Payson Roe
214 books14 followersReverend Edward Payson Roe (1838-1888) was an American novelist born in Moodna, Orange County, New York. He studied at Williams College and at Auburn Theological Seminary. In 1862 he became chaplain of the Second New York Cavalry, U.S. V., and in 1864 chaplain of Hampton Hospital, in Virginia. In 1866-74 he was pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Highland Falls, New York. In 1874 he moved to Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, where he devoted himself to the writing of fiction and to horticulture. During the American Civil War he wrote weekly letters to the New York Evangelist, and subsequently lectured on the war and wrote for periodicals. Amongst his works are Barriers Burned Away (1872), What Can She Do? (1873), Opening a Chestnut Burr (1874), Near to Nature's Heart (1876), A Face Illumined (1878), Success with Small Fruits (1880), A Day of Fate (1880), Without a Home (1881), An Unexpected Result (1883), His Sombre Rivals (1884), A Young Girl's Wooing (1884), An Original Belle (1885), He Fell in Love with His Wife (1886), Driven Back to Eden (1886) and The Earth Trembled (1887).
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 6, 2024
And to think I almost didn’t finish this book! I must admit that while this book to quite sometime to really get into (well over halfway before I suddenly found myself unable to put it down) I decided to put my trust in the author and must admit I’m glad I did. This book was just so wonderful! It also was a fascinating document of history and painted a clear picture of how the civil war affected those on both sides. It showed the horrors of brother against brother and the fact that everyone is equal ~ everyone as well as the power we have to encourage those around us.
October 9, 2022
I’m so sad to have finished this book. A wonderful story as always by this author but the history lesson inside was a wonderful addition! I didn’t only enjoy a wonderful story but I learned so much from someone who was there for many of the historical events that took place during this book.
I will never be able to write a review that will praise this book enough.
I will never be able to write a review that will praise this book enough.
March 13, 2009
This book is a fantastic study of how a woman can bring out the best in the people around her by being an encouragement to others.
January 3, 2024
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would!
This is a sweet book that takes place during the civil war. A story about character growth, patriotism, courage, self sacrifice and inspiring and helping others to become their best selves.
Overall the book seemed a little strechted to be longer than it should have been and was a little repetitive, constantly mentioning how anxiety-filled and hard the time of war was. Some parts were a little over-detailed making it tiresome but I still liked it.
My main complaint is that the ending seemed so, so rushed and left you still asking questions and wanting a little more. Certain characters were not given enough detail about there life in the future and I thought that Marian's marriage was extremely brushed over with no detail which was a let down.
Still, this book is well written with lots of wordy dialog, emotion and charm.
I recommend this book, 4 stars.
This is a sweet book that takes place during the civil war. A story about character growth, patriotism, courage, self sacrifice and inspiring and helping others to become their best selves.
Overall the book seemed a little strechted to be longer than it should have been and was a little repetitive, constantly mentioning how anxiety-filled and hard the time of war was. Some parts were a little over-detailed making it tiresome but I still liked it.
My main complaint is that the ending seemed so, so rushed and left you still asking questions and wanting a little more. Certain characters were not given enough detail about there life in the future and I thought that Marian's marriage was extremely brushed over with no detail which was a let down.
Still, this book is well written with lots of wordy dialog, emotion and charm.
I recommend this book, 4 stars.
May 24, 2020
I love this book!! It is historical, adventurous, God honoring, inspiring, and blissfully romantic! A true gem!!!
May 4, 2016
Beautiful and popular 20 year old Marion lives in New York during the Civil War, which hasn't touched her life at all. Her father does some type of work for the government, but she has no idea what. He mother is an empty headed, pleasure loving woman who enjoys hosting her daughter's friends and pays no attention to anything serious, including her husband. Marion is on her way to becoming as vapid as her mother when she overhears a conversation that shocks her. Vowing to change her behavior she appeals to her father for help. After several long sermons, he encourages to change her life and use her personal appeal to encourage those around her to better themselves, also. This means several of her suitors end up going off to war, while another finds himself on a different path. Including first-person accounts of Gettysburg and other battles, the reader wonders who will survive the war and win Marion's now virtuous hand.
This is a very old-fashioned book, but since I sometimes enjoy the sermonizing, strong patriotism and noble ideals such books promote, I found it fun. It surprised me to find Southerners treated with respect, rather than castigated as the source of all evil, as I expected of a book written by a Northerner so soon after the war. Also, set primarily in New York, there was a lot of interesting detail about the failures of the Northern Army, their poor leadership, resistance to the fighting among those who want peace, draft riots, etc. It's an aspect I've rarely seen in novels. (One source says this book is set in 1865, but the battles and draft riots described took place in 1863.)
Really the only problem I found was my tendency to believe it's easy for Marion to be so insistent that only cowards won't join the Army, as she's safe from having to make that decision herself. And saying you're proud to know men who are willing to die for their country is also easy, if none of those men are brothers, husbands, or others that you love. Still, such idealism is to be expected in a young girl of the times. And Marion does learn some hard truths as the book progresses.
The author did an excellent job creating a no-win situation for poor Merwyn. I didn't like him at first, but eventually there was no way I couldn't feel for him, conflicted as the poor man was, and I enjoyed finally seeing him get to demonstrate his cleverness and bravery. I was also pleased to see Lane get a happy-ever-after, as I liked him a lot.
All in all this is a lovely, old-fashioned book that mixes high ideals and some tense action with a fascinating period in history. I really enjoyed it. 4.5 stars
This is a very old-fashioned book, but since I sometimes enjoy the sermonizing, strong patriotism and noble ideals such books promote, I found it fun. It surprised me to find Southerners treated with respect, rather than castigated as the source of all evil, as I expected of a book written by a Northerner so soon after the war. Also, set primarily in New York, there was a lot of interesting detail about the failures of the Northern Army, their poor leadership, resistance to the fighting among those who want peace, draft riots, etc. It's an aspect I've rarely seen in novels. (One source says this book is set in 1865, but the battles and draft riots described took place in 1863.)
Really the only problem I found was my tendency to believe it's easy for Marion to be so insistent that only cowards won't join the Army, as she's safe from having to make that decision herself. And saying you're proud to know men who are willing to die for their country is also easy, if none of those men are brothers, husbands, or others that you love. Still, such idealism is to be expected in a young girl of the times. And Marion does learn some hard truths as the book progresses.
The author did an excellent job creating a no-win situation for poor Merwyn. I didn't like him at first, but eventually there was no way I couldn't feel for him, conflicted as the poor man was, and I enjoyed finally seeing him get to demonstrate his cleverness and bravery. I was also pleased to see Lane get a happy-ever-after, as I liked him a lot.
All in all this is a lovely, old-fashioned book that mixes high ideals and some tense action with a fascinating period in history. I really enjoyed it. 4.5 stars
October 1, 2013
I love reading Edward Payson Roe because his characters start out normal people and then become somehow larger than life by doing the right thing. Whenever I read him (or Louisa May Alcott, or L.M. Montgomery), I feel as if I ought to be doing something better. The next step, of course, is to actually follow the characters' examples.
In An Original Belle (takes place during the Civil War), young Marian is a flirt until she hears the maid putting off her own suitor by using her as an example. Shocked, Marian heads to town to speak with her father. These two events act as the catalyst for her 'growing up' into a young woman, who, as another reviewer put it, "bring[s] out the best in the people around her by being an encouragement to others." Four of her suitors are followed throughout the book, and one of them wins her romantic love as well as her friendship.
Lane, who is described as a good man from the beginning of the book, goes off to war with Marian's blessing/promise of correspondance.
Strahan, who is something of a dandy at the beginning but also goes off to war, along with Bleauvelt. He used to be friends with Merwyn.
Bleauvelt, a painter, who isn't as pernicious a suitor as Lane or Strahan. He and Strahan are in the same company/thing in war and send back an illustrated journal to Marian.
Merwyn, whose mother is Southern but whose father is Northern, at the beginning has no ties to either side. He is a rather stuck-up, annoying young man whose sensibilities are shocked when Marian refuses categorically his first proposal. He spends the rest of the book, like the other suitors, trying to win her hand; however, he does not go off to war, as a promise he made to his mother restricts him from setting foot on southern soil with malicious intent.
Along with the stories of the four suitors and Marian is the fantastic character of Marian's father, whom I like because he's so wise. There are a couple of great action scenes for those who like to read about gunfights against many opponents, and some lovely 'I love you' scenes (and 'I hate you' scenes). I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes this period's writing.
PS. About 3 chapters in the middle are full of former slaves talking, which means a lot of accented writing which is hard to get through.
In An Original Belle (takes place during the Civil War), young Marian is a flirt until she hears the maid putting off her own suitor by using her as an example. Shocked, Marian heads to town to speak with her father. These two events act as the catalyst for her 'growing up' into a young woman, who, as another reviewer put it, "bring[s] out the best in the people around her by being an encouragement to others." Four of her suitors are followed throughout the book, and one of them wins her romantic love as well as her friendship.
Lane, who is described as a good man from the beginning of the book, goes off to war with Marian's blessing/promise of correspondance.
Strahan, who is something of a dandy at the beginning but also goes off to war, along with Bleauvelt. He used to be friends with Merwyn.
Bleauvelt, a painter, who isn't as pernicious a suitor as Lane or Strahan. He and Strahan are in the same company/thing in war and send back an illustrated journal to Marian.
Merwyn, whose mother is Southern but whose father is Northern, at the beginning has no ties to either side. He is a rather stuck-up, annoying young man whose sensibilities are shocked when Marian refuses categorically his first proposal. He spends the rest of the book, like the other suitors, trying to win her hand; however, he does not go off to war, as a promise he made to his mother restricts him from setting foot on southern soil with malicious intent.
Along with the stories of the four suitors and Marian is the fantastic character of Marian's father, whom I like because he's so wise. There are a couple of great action scenes for those who like to read about gunfights against many opponents, and some lovely 'I love you' scenes (and 'I hate you' scenes). I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes this period's writing.
PS. About 3 chapters in the middle are full of former slaves talking, which means a lot of accented writing which is hard to get through.
August 25, 2014
Although I believe this is what many at the time considered a 'romance', this was a very interesting read as it contained several thrilling passages about battles that took place during the Civil War. I enjoyed the high moral content of the characters, especially the evolution of Miss Marian Vosburgh. What I most appreciated from the author was the relationship between Miss Marian and Mr. Merwyn. With the additional input by Marian's father, the reader knows both main characters feelings and intentions.
I myself have known people who cannot be my friend unless I jump through their hoops, as Mr. Merwyn was required of Miss Marian. I know people who cannot respect another's private reasons for action or inaction, and I deeply sympathized with Mr. Merwyn. It actually consoled me a bit to learn that, even over a hundred years later, I'm not the only one having to deal with such kinds of people. It troubled me a bit to find out that, in the end, he jumped through the hoop she required.
The ending was a bit strange. After being so involved with the events of life between Miss Marian and Mr. Merwyn, the resolution of their relationship is completely glanced over so that we can read a blow-by-blow of the relationship between Mr. Lane and Miss Suwanee. One would have expected the soliloquy of Mr. Lane to have been Mr. Merwyn's!!
All in all, a fabulous little book that I enjoyed as a summer read. It definitely made me want to go to Gettysburg and see the battlefield myself. Mr. Strahan's telling of the battle was very vivid and showed the terrible human side of war.
I myself have known people who cannot be my friend unless I jump through their hoops, as Mr. Merwyn was required of Miss Marian. I know people who cannot respect another's private reasons for action or inaction, and I deeply sympathized with Mr. Merwyn. It actually consoled me a bit to learn that, even over a hundred years later, I'm not the only one having to deal with such kinds of people. It troubled me a bit to find out that, in the end, he jumped through the hoop she required.
The ending was a bit strange. After being so involved with the events of life between Miss Marian and Mr. Merwyn, the resolution of their relationship is completely glanced over so that we can read a blow-by-blow of the relationship between Mr. Lane and Miss Suwanee. One would have expected the soliloquy of Mr. Lane to have been Mr. Merwyn's!!
All in all, a fabulous little book that I enjoyed as a summer read. It definitely made me want to go to Gettysburg and see the battlefield myself. Mr. Strahan's telling of the battle was very vivid and showed the terrible human side of war.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews