Scan barcode
firerosearien's review against another edition
4.0
So I was supposed to read this book over ten years ago for a college class, and I...uh...kinda didn't. And I am glad I didn't read it then, because there is a lot in here that requires a familiarity with the late Victorian period, and Victorian social mores, that I didn't understand at the time, but have a much better grasp of now.
It is very readable, although the plot occasionally drags, and I wished there was more about Alice and Virginia - once we get into Monica and Rhoda's stories, we kind of lose the thread on the first two Madden sisters.
Strange to think that we're over 100 years later, and presumably we've progressed more since then, but even so I still get too many people asking me why I'm not married....
It is very readable, although the plot occasionally drags, and I wished there was more about Alice and Virginia - once we get into Monica and Rhoda's stories, we kind of lose the thread on the first two Madden sisters.
Strange to think that we're over 100 years later, and presumably we've progressed more since then, but even so I still get too many people asking me why I'm not married....
novel_nomad's review against another edition
4.0
My first Gissing, and one that came highly recommended, did not disappoint. I was thoroughly intrigued by the vast array of women characters Gissing explored in this novel. Especially how each had a separate experience of marriage, yet they all suffered under the illusion of 'women's purpose'. It illustrated early forms of feminism and female suffrage, which was endlessly intriguing to glimpse at how late Victorian women were asserting their place in the workforce and their questioning of established social expectations.
ellensf's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
timahoi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
beerqueer91's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
‘I am no tyrant, but I shall rule you for your own good.’
The novel opens in 1872, with Dr Madden and his six daughters living together in a form of domestic harmony which has not prepared the daughters for independent life outside their childhood home.
Alas, this harmony is quickly destroyed. When the need arises for the sisters to earn an income, they face a number of challenges. It is hard for them to reconcile their middle-class respectability and their lack of employment related training with their need to earn income. Marriage is unlikely to be an option for at least two of the sisters because of their relative disadvantage in a society with an oversupply of females relative to males. As the sisters are grappling with this new and harsh reality, an acquaintance of theirs - Rhoda Nunn and her friend Mary Barfoot are assisting women to train for employment. The contrast between the hindrances of the old and the possibilities of the new world for women could not be greater. Are the Madden sisters able to rise to the challenge, and adapt? Is it possible for women to be both married and independent?
I enjoyed this novel for three main reasons. Firstly, the novel explores a number of important class and gender issues in late Victorian culture. Secondly, none of the characters is without flaw. While it is possible to prefer one set of choices over another, no choice is without some cost. Finally, the writing itself guides rather than chides the reader through a story that represents the beginning of an enormous social change – for both men and women.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
The novel opens in 1872, with Dr Madden and his six daughters living together in a form of domestic harmony which has not prepared the daughters for independent life outside their childhood home.
Alas, this harmony is quickly destroyed. When the need arises for the sisters to earn an income, they face a number of challenges. It is hard for them to reconcile their middle-class respectability and their lack of employment related training with their need to earn income. Marriage is unlikely to be an option for at least two of the sisters because of their relative disadvantage in a society with an oversupply of females relative to males. As the sisters are grappling with this new and harsh reality, an acquaintance of theirs - Rhoda Nunn and her friend Mary Barfoot are assisting women to train for employment. The contrast between the hindrances of the old and the possibilities of the new world for women could not be greater. Are the Madden sisters able to rise to the challenge, and adapt? Is it possible for women to be both married and independent?
I enjoyed this novel for three main reasons. Firstly, the novel explores a number of important class and gender issues in late Victorian culture. Secondly, none of the characters is without flaw. While it is possible to prefer one set of choices over another, no choice is without some cost. Finally, the writing itself guides rather than chides the reader through a story that represents the beginning of an enormous social change – for both men and women.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
shoba's review against another edition
4.0
We are educating ourselves.
There must be a new type of woman, active in every sphere of life: a new worker out in the world, a new ruler of the home.
wanderlustsleeping's review against another edition
3.0
Overall I enjoyed this, although I feel frustrated as everyone’s pride prevented them from actually resolving things either never at all or putting them off for so long that no good resolution could ever be possible. It just felt as if everyone was self sabotaging their own fates, and having 1 or 2 characters like this in a book, sure. But everyone? It got tiresome.
The last 100 pages took longer to get through, and the ending left me not feeling anything for any of the characters.
The last 100 pages took longer to get through, and the ending left me not feeling anything for any of the characters.
catpdx's review against another edition
3.5
I loved a lot about this book - wonderful characters, well ahead of its time, very lived-in and descriptive. Parts were too "talky," with long sections of dialogue that felt out of place, meant to convey the politics of individual characters but often seeming unnecessary and bloated.