The term “Jacobin Novel” was coined in the late twentieth century by the critic Gary Kelly to refer to a group of novels of the period 1780-1805 which explicitly espoused radical ideas (Gary Kelly,
The English Jacobin Novel 1780-1805. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1976). The title is drawn from the
Anti-Jacobin: or, Weekly Examiner, a journal founded by the Tory politician George Canning, which was published from 20th November 1797 to 7th July 1798 and attacked those who questioned the status quo by labelling them as “Jacobins” – the French term for the extremist supporters of the revolution. In the pages of the
Anti-Jacobina wide range of radicals, writers and social critics were pilloried as anti-patriotic and in favour of the total destruction of the fabric of society. In…
2301 words
Citation: Bellamy, Liz. "Jacobin Novel". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 May 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1555, accessed 22 November 2024.]
