Lorna Doone A Romance Of Exmoor

This romantic classic from British author R.D. Blackmore has something for everyone -- a detailed historical account of the turbulent lives of English farmers in the nineteenth century, a gripping tale of star-crossed lovers, epic family feuds, struggles for power, and much more. Fans of works like Pride and Prejudice and The Grapes of Wrath will love Lorna Doone.

Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor is a novel by English author Richard Doddridge Blackmore, published in 1869. It is a romance based on a group of historical characters and set in the late 17th century in Devon and Somerset, particularly around the East Lyn Valley area of Exmoor.

First published in 1869, Lorna Doone is the story of John Ridd, a farmer who finds love amid the religious and social turmoil of seventeenth-century England. He is just a boy when his father is slain by the Doones, a lawless clan inhabiting wild Exmoor on the border of Somerset and Devon. Seized by curiosity and a sense of adventure, he makes his way to the valley of the Doones, where he is discovered by the beautiful Lorna. In time their childish fantasies blossom into mature love—a bond that will inspire John to rescue his beloved from the ravages of a stormy winter, rekindling a conflict with his archrival, Carver Doone, that climaxes in heartrending violence. Beloved for its portrait of star-crossed lovers and its surpassing descriptions of the English countryside, Lorna Doone is R. D. Blackmore’s enduring masterpiece. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor (1869) is a novel by Richard Doddridge Blackmore. Praised by some of Victian England’s leading authors, including Robert Louis Stevenson, George Gissing, and Thomas Hardy, Lorna Doone was published anonymously and sold poorly in its first edition. Republished the following year in an inexpensive format, the book became a huge success for Blackmore, and remains his only novel in print. Raised in the hill country of Exmoor, John Ridd is forced to take over his family farm at a young age following his father’s murder at the hands of the Doone clan. Determined to succeed, he endeavors to do right by his mother and younger siblings, raising their crop by the banks of Badgworthy Water. Ready to put the past behind him, he unexpectedly falls for the beautiful Lorna, the granddaughter of Sir Ensor Doone. When Ensor dies, the Doone estate passes to her cousin Carver, who believes he is destined to marry Lorna. Forced to flee to John’s farm at Plover’s Barrows, Lorna—whose true identity endangers her life—hides from her cousin Carver at the home of a family which knows all too well the dangers of trusting a Doone. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Richard Doddridge Blackmore’s Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor is a classic work of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

This classic novel of farmers, outlaws, and forbidden romance beautifully evokes seventeenth-century rural life in England’s West Country. Amidst the social and religious upheaval of seventeenth-century England, the once-noble Doone family has been transformed. Now a notorious clan of outlaws, the Doones show their victims no mercy—a lesson the yeoman John Ridd learns when they murder his father. Though he longs for revenge, John must continue to provide for his mother and sister. But his life as a respectable, peace-loving farmer is turned on its head when he meets the beautiful Lorna Doone. As a member of the Doone clan, Lorna is John’s sworn enemy. Yet he cannot help loving her. In a desperate act to save her from her own family, John must risk everything—and finally confront his past in a way that will change both his and Lorna’s lives forever. First published in 1869, R. D. Blackmore’s timeless tale of star-crossed lovers combines vivid depictions of early modern England with a dramatic narrative that culminates in tragic violence.

This is an illustrious historical romance set in the backdrop of the Monmouth Rebellion in the 17th century during the reign of Charles II. John Ridd and his family are threatened by the Doones, the family of outlaws. The young boy explores a new world and meets a beautiful girl with whom he falls in love. The twists and turns of the plot and striking landscapes of Badgworthy valley are pleasant.