Publisher's Synopsis
Rasselas, prince of Abyssinia (or Ethiopia), dissatisfied grows with the unceasing pleasures of his utopian home in the Happy Valley. According to Ethiopian tradition, children of royalty were confined to an edenic valley, secluded from the harsh realities of the outside world. Rather than being seen as a paradise by Rasselas, Happy Valley is instead considered a prison, harboring boredom and tediousness. So, accompanied by his teacher, his sister, and her lady-in-waiting, Rasselas escapes his idyllic homeland to experience the outside world and search for the way of life most likely to lead to lasting happiness.