Aphra Behn (1640-89) achieved both fame and notoriety in her own lifetime, enjoying considerable success for her plays and for her short novel Oroonoko, the story of a noble slave who loves a princess. Acclaimed by Virginia Woolf as the first English woman to earn her living by the pen, Behn's achievements as a writer are now acknowledged less equivocally. As well as Oroonoko, this volume contains five other works of fiction : The Fair Jilt, Memoirs of the Court of the King of Bantam, The History of the Nun, The Adventure of the Black Lady, and The Unfortunate Bride, and a generous selection of her poetry.
