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A review by fletcherflute
The Odd Women by George Gissing
5.0
5 stars-
This is a masterpiece. One of the best books I’ve read this year, and one of the best Victorian novels that I’ve ever read.
Extremely complicated characterization, tight writing, gripping plot, and melancholy atmosphere. Explicitly feminist- one of the most directly feminist novels I’ve ever read, and this was written in 1893 by a man. Completely massacres the stereotypical Victorian ending.
A tragic but relevant story about the lives of a few “odd women,” unmarried women in Victorian society as a result of there being a massive (to the tune of around a million) disparity of female population vs male population. How did these women, who didn’t have a lot of money or great education, make lives for themselves? Do they marry anyone they can, even if they don’t love them? Do they learn skills like typewriting so they can obtain office work? Do they take it upon themselves to help other women be successful? Or do they drink all of their problems away?
Absolute destruction of the Victorian marriage ideal, women’s traditional roles in society, and romance. Gissing is sympathetic, sensitive, and very in tune with the lives of his characters, and writes an extremely realistic novel which was heart-wrenching, shocking, and thought-provoking.
What a tragedy that this author is almost forgotten! Out of 23 novels, MAYBE 2-3 of them are read. And even those couple of novels are pretty obscure to the general reading public.
Classics can be intimidating, but the writing here is super accessible. If any of this would appeal to you in a modern novel, definitely pick this one up. It completely swept me off my feet.
This is a masterpiece. One of the best books I’ve read this year, and one of the best Victorian novels that I’ve ever read.
Extremely complicated characterization, tight writing, gripping plot, and melancholy atmosphere. Explicitly feminist- one of the most directly feminist novels I’ve ever read, and this was written in 1893 by a man. Completely massacres the stereotypical Victorian ending.
A tragic but relevant story about the lives of a few “odd women,” unmarried women in Victorian society as a result of there being a massive (to the tune of around a million) disparity of female population vs male population. How did these women, who didn’t have a lot of money or great education, make lives for themselves? Do they marry anyone they can, even if they don’t love them? Do they learn skills like typewriting so they can obtain office work? Do they take it upon themselves to help other women be successful? Or do they drink all of their problems away?
Absolute destruction of the Victorian marriage ideal, women’s traditional roles in society, and romance. Gissing is sympathetic, sensitive, and very in tune with the lives of his characters, and writes an extremely realistic novel which was heart-wrenching, shocking, and thought-provoking.
What a tragedy that this author is almost forgotten! Out of 23 novels, MAYBE 2-3 of them are read. And even those couple of novels are pretty obscure to the general reading public.
Classics can be intimidating, but the writing here is super accessible. If any of this would appeal to you in a modern novel, definitely pick this one up. It completely swept me off my feet.