The novel is introduced thus by Angela Foreman:
“The Sylph is a unique, insider's glimpse of eighteenth-century High Society. Georgiana describes a competitive, vicious world where opportunists, liars and bullies flourish. It is a world which rewards vice and values hypocrisy; where women have few rights and must defend themselves in any way they can. The irony is that even as Georgiana was protesting against this world, she was also its creature. However, with the publication of The Sylph, she had made her first step towards independence.”
The storyline:
Generations have been fascinated by the life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Born in 1757, she was just sixteen when she married the Duke of Devonshire. Her circle of friends, acquaintances and enemies extended to the highest levels of the aristocracy. Georgiana was very accomplished and in 1779 anonymously published her first and only novel, The Sylph. It has remained out of print and unavailable for over 200 years.
The Sylph is a witty, and entertaining novel which describes the moral dilemmas of a young wife newly entered into London social life. She is bemused by the demands of fashionable society and her indifferent husband allows her to be the prey of scheming rakes who would exploit her innocence and dishonour her! Her only ally is 'The Sylph' - an anonymous correspondent who guides her through the pitfalls she faces until, at last, she gains happiness and security in a quite unexpected way.
The Sylph reflects the life of the young Georgiana. Those in her social 'set' thought to recognise themselves in the book and were appropriately outraged. Georgiana tried to remain anonymous but eventually was obliged to confess her authorship. Samuel Johnson's friend and patroness Mrs Thrale sniffily declared The Sylph, ‘An obscene book'. The modern reader may not be persuaded of that, but will readily agree that it is a vivid insight into the drawing room life of 'polite' London society of the 1770s.