She came from a humble background, had a short career in the theatre and an equally short fling with the Prince of Wales, both disreputable affairs in her time, and lived in an age when most women went unnoticed. As Claire Harman's book shows even Jane Austen was nearly buried in posterity. Besides, for the canon, she lived in between two major literary periods -- 'The Age of Reason and The Romantic Period' and belonged to neither. However, from the former she was acquainted with Samuel Johnson and from the latter she was befriended by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Mary Robinson (1757 - 1800) lived a brilliant career. As a natural beauty and gifted actress she shone on the stage in plays arranged by Sheridan. The young Prince of Wales, later King George IV, fell in love with her, the pair was known throughout the nation as Perdita & Florizel. Painted by Reynolds and Gainsborough Mary's beauty was captured by the most famous painters of her day. She became a society star, met Marie Antoinette, and was trendsetting in bringing the latest fashion from Paris.

She then established herself as an author writing poetry, essays, journalism and novels. Her ideas about the role of women caught the attention of William Godwin with whom she was friends in her final years.

However, for all her achievements Mary Robinson was all but forgotten. Scholarly interest in the Eighteenth Century has revived interest in literary women and brought her back to the limelight to shine once more and take up her position in the literary scene of her age.

Paula Byrne's biography of Mary Robinson is a piece of solid scholarship, while at the same time a very engaging and readability history of her life and times. Because of Mrs Robinson's sparkling public life, a lot of material was available and has been carefully researched by the author. The only point of criticism I would make is that the author does not sufficiently suggest the relative merit of Robinson's literary work, or rather leaves it to the reader and future generations of readers to decide.

For readers interested in early feminism, and literature of the late Eighteenth Century highly recommended. ( )

I’ve been reading books on “interesting” women, usually of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth century. I don’t really know how I got started on this, but I’m accumulating quite a collection. The latest is a life of Mary Robinson, who acquired her sobriquet by playing Perdita in a production of The Winter’s Tale. Married at 15 ½, Mary quickly discovered that not only had her husband had lied about his parentage, wealth and future prospects, he also was repeatedly unfaithful. She found a career on the stage where she was seen, pursued and became the mistress of the Prince of Wales (the future George IV). She was the setter of fashion for her day, with more respectable ladies condemning her as a courtesan at the same time they copied her clothes; she was one of the favorite models for both Reynolds and Gainsborough. When the Prince abandoned her, she connected with Colonel Banastre Tarleton (infamous for “Tarleton’s Quarter” in the Revolutionary War and the model for “William Tavington” in the movie The Patriot). Then at age 25 (plus or minus; her birth date is disputed) she contracted rheumatic fever after a late-night post ride to Dover in an attempt to meet Tarleton as he fled from creditors (signals got crossed somewhere; Tarleton sailed from Southhampton). She was crippled for the rest of her life.


She then “reinvented” herself as a poet and author. The poetry quoted in the book doesn’t seem particularly inspired, but (1) it was admired by Coleridge and (2) it’s a lot better than I could write. (I probably wouldn’t get a second glance from the Prince of Wales, either). She did well enough with poems and Gothic novels to keep herself a couple of steps away from the creditors, although she had to tone down her lifestyle considerably. She died of “dropsy” (probably congestive heart failure) at age 43.


The lesson in this, I suppose, is that although the life of women in the past has not been a glorious cycle of song, there were ways to be relatively independent. Not especially good ways, but there nevertheless. It’s interesting to compare this book with the novel Evelina, also the “History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World”; in fact Paula Byrne, the author of Perdita, makes exactly that comparison; Perdita is just Evelina with slightly different choices and opportunities.


Worth a read if you’re interested in the culture of the late 18th/early 19th century. ( )

When I picked up this book, I knew Mary Robinson was an actress and a mistress of George IV in his youth, which sounded just like the kind of lady I enjoy reading about. I had no idea that after her royal affair, Mary Robinson suffered a disabling illness and became an accomplished writer. She was a friend and peer of none other than Mary Wollstonecraft and her works delve into early feminism. I am happy I discovered this lady who lived not only a rich and fascinating life, but who vividly displays how life can take unexpected turns and open new doors to opportunity. ( )

Fascinating story of the young actress who was mistress of Prince of Wales (future George IV) and who went on to be a leading social figure (and fashion leader) and finally poet and author - friend of Coleridge! Amazing.
Read June 2006 ( )

Byrne's Perdita: The Literary, Theatrical, Scandalous Life of Mary Robinson is a thoroughly researched, carefully constructed biography of the late 18th century Mary Darby Robinson (1757-1800) who many declared was the most beautiful woman of her time and whom Coleridge described as "a woman of undoubted genius." Mary's parents convinced her to marry Thomas Robinson, a law student and son of a Welsh landowner, when she was only 15 years old. Her mother thought Robinson would provide financial security for her daughter, and her father was determined to keep her off the London stage. But Robinson proved to be an unfaithful wastrel, cut-off from the family's fortunes; and the couple soon ended in debtor's prison with their infant daughter. While there, Mary began writing poetry, publishing two volumes, the second of which was dedicated to Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, who became her patron and life-long friend.

When Tom Robinson was finally discharged from the Fleet, Mary decided to take their financial future into her own hands, renewed her friendship with theatrical producer David Garrick, and made her stage debut. Her beauty and stage presence quickly made her a celebrity and the object of adoration of a circle of young noblemen. When the 17-year old Prince George saw her play Perdita in A Winter's Tale, he was smitten. Her tangled relationship with the Prince led to her retirement from the theatre and immersion into the high-society world of the bon ton. While her relationship with the Prince inevitably dwindled away, she remained at the center of London's fashionable and intellectual world until she suffered a bout of rheumatic fever which left her disabled. She turned to writing for financial support, publishing seven novels, two plays, and four more volumes of poetry along with political tracts supporting the French Revolution and women's rights before she died at the age of 42.

Byrne's research ranges widely from the original manuscript of Robinson's own memoir and other writings to the gossip and reports of her life and reviews of her work in contemporary newspapers and journals, letters written to and from her, lives and letters of notable contemporaries who knew her, and social and political histories of the period. Byrne offers measured literary criticism of Robinson's writing and includes many of her poems and a few selections from the novels and other writings. I particularly found fascinating the workings of the late 18th century theatre as Sheridan rose to prominence and the Tory/Whig political rivalry in which Robinson exercised her influence. Fluently written and lively, Perdita is a thoroughly satisfying portrait of a fascinating character and a colorful era. ( )