A Fair Barbarian
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Average rating3.5
"Pretty, overdressed, jewel-bedecked Octavia Bassett," of Nevada, is one of the most fascinating characters that Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett ever drew. The story of the visit of this dashing young American girl to her father's sister in the staid, respectable, ultra-conservative English village of Slowbridge, and of the consternation which she produced in the society of that place by her frank speech, her dazzling toilets and her unconventional ways, is told with uncommon freshness and spirit in 'A Fair Barbarian'. The sharp contrasts suggested by the presence amid the stiffness and primness of Slowbridge society of this breezy, brilliant, self-possessed young beauty, whose mother was an actress in San Francisco, whose father is a silver mine owner and who has passed a portion of her life in the mining camps of Nevada, are made the most of by Mrs. Burnett.
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As, I suspect, with most, my previous exposure to Frances Hodgson Burnett was through [b:The Secret Garden 2998 The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327873635s/2998.jpg 3186437], [b:A Little Princess 3008 A Little Princess Frances Hodgson Burnett http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327868556s/3008.jpg 1313599], and [b:The Lost Prince 646351 The Lost Prince Frances Hodgson Burnett http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1176700431s/646351.jpg 1718667]. Those books are better.A Fair Barbarian is a harmless and mildly entertaining shift from those child-oriented books to more a young adult's realm. It's pleasantly reminiscent of Jane Austen, though less complex.The book's strength is the characters, who are interesting and moderately likeable. However, despite a fair-size crew of young men and women looking to fall in love with each other, there's no strong resolution; the ending comes disappointingly ex machina, and the story simply stops.Recommended for Burnett fans, and pleasant but not compelling for others.
