Anyone interested in Aphra Behn?

[Utopusyao]

Anyone interested in Aphra Behn? One of my friends wants to do some research on Aphra Behn? Right now he is being puzzled as to which adaptive point of view he should take. Any suggestion or help is warmly welcome.
Many thanks in advance!

[LitNetIsGreat]

I am currently reading Aphra Behn (again) at the moment, Ooronoko and The Rover. I’m not sure what you mean by “adaptive point of view” maybe you mean angle or way of viewing Behn? If this is the case Aphra Behn is instrumental in both the development of the novel as a literary genre, and is somewhat regarded as a feminist icon. Woolf herself rates and praises Behn highly for breaking through in the field of literature at this time.

It is perhaps however, with the development of the novel that she is often regarded and studied alongside and I would strongly recommend the book The Rise of the Novel by Ian Watt if your friend was interested in examining Behn in this context.

I am personally not fond of Behn as a writer from merely a pleasurable point of view, though studying Behn I would have thought is quite vital if your are interested in the beginnings of the novel form, alongside the likes of Defoe, Richardson, Fielding and others.

[JBI]

I must confess, of the verses I have read of hers (of which are in my Norton Anthology of Poetry) I was unimpressed. She seems however, an icon of the Showalter school of canonization. I confess to thinking her more important historically, than as a writer onto herself, and thereby only, to me at least, is of interest for her development of genres of writing, and for her ground-breaking entrance into the field of writing (being, I believe, the first major female playwright) than as a writer of lasting literary merit. In truth, she came out of a generation of superb writers, and it is rather difficult to place her higher, in my mind, than Herbert, Herrick, Marvell, Donne, Dryden, or Milton.

In terms of view - most people, I would think, read Behn for her historical relevance, and "progressive" views, which seems to me to be the best method of reading her.

[book_jones]

Hmm, I think she's important to read. I thought Oronoko was pretty good, although I just quickly read through it for class. I've always been a big fan of woman authors in general though, so I might read her stuff more closely at some point.