5 h 8 minAudiobook4 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the most loyal man on an Irish estate is the last person you should trust to explain it?
In Maria Edgeworth’s Castle Rackrent, old steward Thady Quirk tells the story of the family he serves. He calls himself honest Thady and speaks with pride in the Rackrent name. But as the Irish estate passes through Sir Patrick, Sir Murtagh, Sir Kit and Sir Condy, his praise reveals faults he seems unwilling to see.
Drink, lawsuits, borrowing and careless management threaten the estate. Meanwhile, Thady’s son Jason learns the law and grows more careful with money as the Rackrents sink into debt. The humour lies in the gap between Thady’s words and what you notice behind them. This short novel turns a servant’s fond account into a sharp look at landlords, loyalty and lost fortunes.
What you’ll discover
- A voice worth questioning Listen to Thady defend his masters, and discover how much his praise gives away.
- Four careless owners Meet landlords whose different habits place the same family estate under growing strain.
- Loyalty with blind spots Explore the distance between devotion to a family name and clear sight of its faults.
- A son watching closely Watch Jason sharpen his knowledge of law and money while his father looks back.
- Comedy with consequences Find dark humour in a world where hospitality, debt and pride pull against each other.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers who like short, sharp satire, Irish history, or stories told by an unreliable voice. It may feel less suited to those who want a fast plot or deep inner portraits of many characters.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A servant tells the family's story
- Four owners, each careless in his way
- Loyalty, debt and the rise of Jason
- What the book says and how it speaks
Who’s who
- Thady QuirkThe old steward who tells the story, loyal to the Rackrent family and proud of its name, though he sees less than the reader does.
- Jason QuirkThady's son, a clever young man who learns the law and works to improve his own position.
- Sir Patrick RackrentThe first owner in the tale, remembered for drink and open-handed hospitality.
- Sir Murtagh RackrentAn owner who loves the law and is determined to collect what is owed to him.
- Sir Kit RackrentA later owner of the estate whose habits add to the family's troubles.
- Sir Condy RackrentThe last of the line in Thady's account, a warm but careless man whose fortunes are tied to the estate.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 5 h 8 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 4 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works · 60-day guarantee
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, for the whole household.
- We remind you first. We email you 7 days before your first payment. Then your first year is 50% off: USD 0.14 a day, then USD 0.27 a day, never raised. Or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
60-day money-back guarantee. If the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Castle Rackrent in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Read it side by side
Castle Rackrent
by Maria Edgeworth· 1800
A loyal steward recounts an Irish family's mismanaged estate.
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- The whole household
Starts right away, on any device
Read free60-day money-back guaranteeRenews every yearCancel anytimeHow it works
Language: English
“What perfect self-control Miss Edgeworth possessed may be judged from the fact that the whole of the Absentee, so full of wit and spirit, was written in great part while she was suffering agonies from toothache.”
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 4
A servant tells the family's story
The novel opens with Thady Quirk, who has served the Rackrent family for most of his life. He speaks in the first person and calls himself honest Thady. He is proud of the family he serves, and he sees himself as part of its history.
He tells the story as a series of memories, not as a planned plot. He moves from one master to the next, and he tends to praise each one warmly. The reader soon sees that the praise does not fit the facts he gives.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, for the whole household. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - The whole householdUp to 5 readers
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
More like this
Free
Free
Free
Free
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Questions about Castle Rackrent
Can I read it free?
Yes. The beginning, from the first page to the end of chapter 1, and the first 5 minutes of the audiobook are free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 90 days, with the eBook to keep. After that, your first year is 50% off. You also get 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
Can my family read too?
Yes. The whole household reads and listens: up to 5 readers, each with their own shelf and their own place in every book.
What if it is not for me?
Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. If you have paid and the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
What is Castle Rackrent about?
It tells of the decline of an Irish landowning family, the Rackrents, through the eyes of their old steward Thady Quirk. It shows how waste, debt and careless living wear away an estate.
Who is Thady Quirk?
Thady Quirk is the family's steward and the narrator of the novel. He is loyal and plain-spoken, and he praises his masters even when the facts he gives show their faults.
When was Castle Rackrent written?
Maria Edgeworth published it in 1800. It is a work of fiction, but it draws on her knowledge of Irish landlords and estate life of her time.
Popular in classics
See all
Free
