Hermsprong: or, Man as He is Not

A radical outsider, a fearless heroine and a society tested

Volume III of a three-volume edition

The concluding volume of Robert Bage’s Hermsprong; or, Man as He Is Not brings its moral and emotional tensions to their fullest expression. As misunderstandings sharpen and authority hardens, the novel asks whether reason, equality and sincerity can prevail in a world shaped by pride and prejudice.

Hermsprong’s steadfast integrity is tested, while Maria Fluart’s wit and courage prove central to the novel’s final reckoning. Bage’s satire gives way to resolution, yet his questions about power, justice and human conduct remain strikingly modern.

First published in 1796, Hermsprong stands as one of the boldest works of late eighteenth-century fiction.

This new three-volume P-Wave Classics edition presents the complete novel in its original format, with introduction and editorial notes printed in Volume I.

Edited with notes and an introduction by L.A. Davenport.