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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
Finally, I finished this book. James develops characters with such precision. How long it took me to read it has nothing to do with the quality of the book. It was truly an analytical treat each time I picked it up. There is so little plot it was not a problem that it took me 9 months to finish. It was like coming back to an old friend every time I read because James helped me know each character that well. He showed the flawed sides of the characters and allowed the reader to wrestle with the complexity of the issue of feminism at the turn of the century. Very good food for thought.
challenging
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Few books have left me feeling as conflicted as this one did. Still nursing the slow fury-burn that built throughout the novel.
Más de 500 páginas para que Verena se casara con Basil, quien no tiene ningún respeto por lo que ella cree y tiene una pésima visión respecto a las mujeres. Lo único bueno es que el narrador reconoce que Verena va a sufrir dentro de ese matrimonio.
Yo entiendo que Olive es una mujer posesiva pero por último Verena podría haberse quedado sola.
Yo entiendo que Olive es una mujer posesiva pero por último Verena podría haberse quedado sola.
This early novel of James's is an archly comedic, wry study of post-Civil War (white) gender politics in the U.S., rooted in the conflict between a misogynist Southern gentleman and a Boston lesbian (unstated but clear) feminist over a very attractive probably bisexual redhead with remarkable powers of speech. Can't get over how funny this was, so full of shade! Read/discussed via Skype book club with Liza.
The first time I read this book, I came thisclose to closing it without finishing it. I hated it that much. We're reading it for the reading group this summer, and I'm hoping I'll be more favorably disposed to it after that.
The last sentence of this book kind of redeemed it for me, but despite the value it may have as social criticism, it's still a tedious read populated by uninteresting characters.
This novel took a few tries. It wasn’t bad, but the first time that I tried to read it, I had to move it to “finish later,” because I just wasn’t in the mood for a James novel. You have be in the right frame of mind, I think. The thing is, though, is that there are so many Henry James novels to chose from!
And to be honest, I enjoyed the novel a lot more once I read a summary that told me that the novel was satire about the women's movement. It made what seemed slightly absurd actually quite funny.
And to be honest, I enjoyed the novel a lot more once I read a summary that told me that the novel was satire about the women's movement. It made what seemed slightly absurd actually quite funny.