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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Fiction about a small selection of loosely related women with various personalities and talents. The writing is pointed and both easy and interesting to read, but I got impatient and spoiled myself for the ending, and then lost all interest in actually reading the full novel. I don't enjoy reading about nineteenth century people torturing themselves and others in order to live up to their high ideals (and inevitably failing to do so anyway).
The central theme of this novel is how women survived at the end of the Victorian period when there was little or no chance of them finding the security of marriage. It also offer subtle explorations of love and questioning of what the 'ideal' romantic relationship is.
I found it poignant and realistic.
I found it poignant and realistic.
3.5 stars. There were certainly ideas and themes about women that I never expected to see in a Victorian novel, which was quite refreshing.
My favourite Gissing novel so far. A completely fascinating examination of marriage and the 'New Woman'.
The Odd Women was my first (and hopefully not last!) Goodreads readalong. I had never heard of this book or George Gissing before this. It was enjoyable to read and the pages turned quickly. It started off with a bang, and then kind of dissolved into a mishmash of "who has the worst romantic relationship". I have to admit that the book slowed down for me a couple of times, when ideas were being repeated and repeated. Still, I liked what the book had to say about women and making a life for themselves whether married or not. I highly suspect that what the reader takes from this novel will be highly dependent on the reader personally.
I felt myself cringing when the male characters had control of the narrative. Almost everything Widdowson and Barfoot had to say was about controlling or reigning in the women in their lives. There are no forward-thinking male characters in this story at all.
Few of the characters grow. Rhoda, to me, seemed to be the same as the Rhoda we meet at the beginning of the story. I'm not sure Monica grew much. She was stronger I guess. Poor Virgie.
In the end, it was a good read and has more interested to read works from this time period.
I felt myself cringing when the male characters had control of the narrative. Almost everything Widdowson and Barfoot had to say was about controlling or reigning in the women in their lives. There are no forward-thinking male characters in this story at all.
Few of the characters grow. Rhoda, to me, seemed to be the same as the Rhoda we meet at the beginning of the story. I'm not sure Monica grew much. She was stronger I guess. Poor Virgie.
In the end, it was a good read and has more interested to read works from this time period.
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.
I enjoyed this. I thought the relationship of Rhoda and Everard was really interesting to see play out, and I thought Rhoda (although not sure I liked her very much) and Monica were particularly fascinating characters. It was an interesting depiction of the struggles of unmarried women, but at the same time I was surprised by the minor roles played by Alice and Virginia - who, from the premise and blurb seemed to be more focal characters. It also didn't seem to have a very clear plot with a start and end point but rather just followed particular people's lives.
I really loved most of this novel; however, if you like a happy ending ... maybe skip the last two chapters.
challenging
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
That hurt. I wasn't always so sure about Rhoda, but she conquered me in the end. I'm completely in awe of her strength.