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kategbpelletier's review against another edition
4.0
I greatly enjoyed this book. It really fits into most of my wheelhouse: female authors, history, and the story behind the story we think we know. The beginning of the book is based on less primary source material, which is largely due to Jane Austen's family destroying much of it. As time moves more toward the modern day, the richness of the relationships between these female authors is more and more apparent. I would absolutely recommend this book to any budding author, or anyone interested in the lives of any of these remarkable women.
kgormley's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not sure this was exactly what I expected. The 2 star rating isn't to say it was a bad book. I found the first section about Jane Austen very interesting and the second section about Charlotte Bronte fairly interesting. I will admit that although I listened to the entire book, I didn't concentrate and follow the third and fourth sections (about Eliot and Woolf) as closely.
I am a little more than embarrassed to admit that until reading this book, I didn't realize George Eliot was a woman (I know .... I'm a librarian, I should know these things). I have never read anything by either Eliot or Woolf. I don't necessarily think Woolf's works would appeal to me, but I am going to try an Eliot title. I'm also thinking I should go back and reread some Bronte (all three of them really ....). I know I read Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights at some point, but I couldn't tell you what either story was about now.
I am a little more than embarrassed to admit that until reading this book, I didn't realize George Eliot was a woman (I know .... I'm a librarian, I should know these things). I have never read anything by either Eliot or Woolf. I don't necessarily think Woolf's works would appeal to me, but I am going to try an Eliot title. I'm also thinking I should go back and reread some Bronte (all three of them really ....). I know I read Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights at some point, but I couldn't tell you what either story was about now.
lora_h's review against another edition
5.0
The authors, literary friends themselves, explore the literary female friendships of the four authors in the title, challenging the myth of the solitary nature of female genius.
To give due measure to 4 literary friendships spanning decades in less than 265 pages? I didn't think it possible. Yet this book did it.
Well researched, thoroughly well written, objective & subjective in equal measures, this is a wonderful read, not only for those curious about the lives of famous women writers, but anyone interested in the nuances, development, maintenance of long term friendship between strong, talents & sometimes difficult individuals.
Get this book.
To give due measure to 4 literary friendships spanning decades in less than 265 pages? I didn't think it possible. Yet this book did it.
Well researched, thoroughly well written, objective & subjective in equal measures, this is a wonderful read, not only for those curious about the lives of famous women writers, but anyone interested in the nuances, development, maintenance of long term friendship between strong, talents & sometimes difficult individuals.
Get this book.
fiendfull's review against another edition
4.0
A Secret Sisterhood is a look at the friendships that some of the best known female writers had with other women who wrote and how these affected their lives. It sets out to show the importance of the support, rivalry, and inspiration that characterises famous male literary friendships to these authors, in friendships that have been often overlooked by biographers and critics. The writers, real-life friends, emphasise how these friendships are a major part of literary history and suggest by the end that more female literary friendships should be appreciated and studied, to compare with famous male ones like Byron and Shelley or Fitzgerald and Hemingway.
The book is very much literary history, focused upon the writers’ lives and mentioning a great deal of other writers and literary trends on the way. It is split into four sections, covering each of the writers named in the subtitle and their relationship with a particular other female writer in their life. Reading it does not require a huge familiarity with each writer, making it accessible to those with an interest in writers, but who don’t necessarily know a huge deal about the lives of the individuals covered already. There is quoting from letters and diaries to give detail of these friendships, but no literary analysis of the writers. Instead, it is very much biography, opening the way for people to look at these and other female literary friendships in the context of their writing and specific elements of their texts.
A Secret Sisterhood is an enjoyable book about lesser known literary history and an important one for showing that female writers do not have to either be reclusive and isolated, or tightly bound to a man without female support.
The book is very much literary history, focused upon the writers’ lives and mentioning a great deal of other writers and literary trends on the way. It is split into four sections, covering each of the writers named in the subtitle and their relationship with a particular other female writer in their life. Reading it does not require a huge familiarity with each writer, making it accessible to those with an interest in writers, but who don’t necessarily know a huge deal about the lives of the individuals covered already. There is quoting from letters and diaries to give detail of these friendships, but no literary analysis of the writers. Instead, it is very much biography, opening the way for people to look at these and other female literary friendships in the context of their writing and specific elements of their texts.
A Secret Sisterhood is an enjoyable book about lesser known literary history and an important one for showing that female writers do not have to either be reclusive and isolated, or tightly bound to a man without female support.
jojojgb's review against another edition
3.0
Would rate 2.5 stars if I could. Something about this just didn’t really come together for me. I thought the book would be an inspiring celebration of both books and friendships, but it was a little dry and not much of a celebration at all. The tone in the afterword was the best part. Maybe exploring the more modern friendships between Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou or Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro would have been better.
navabrown's review against another edition
3.0
I greatly appreciated the opportunity to read about the lives of several female authors in a single volume. Likewise, a focus on friendship and it's ability to inspire and direct one's literary (or any!) pursuits is something in which I am continually returning to as a concept. This is an easy, fun read, especially for a biographical work.
However, as an academic, I couldn't help feeling the "itch" from lack of direct quotes, cited source material, footnotes, etc. As a result, during the entire reading, I had a nagging sense that much was assumed and implied that couldn't actually be substantiated. Though it is clear that the authors did their research from what materials are available, much still must have been guess work. And therefore, their premise that these friendships greatly influenced the writing of other authors, is flimsy at best for several of their subjects.
Still, I would recommend reading A Secret Sisterhood like you would watch a dramatized retelling of Jane Austen or Brontë, et al: as enjoyable but with a grain of salt.
However, as an academic, I couldn't help feeling the "itch" from lack of direct quotes, cited source material, footnotes, etc. As a result, during the entire reading, I had a nagging sense that much was assumed and implied that couldn't actually be substantiated. Though it is clear that the authors did their research from what materials are available, much still must have been guess work. And therefore, their premise that these friendships greatly influenced the writing of other authors, is flimsy at best for several of their subjects.
Still, I would recommend reading A Secret Sisterhood like you would watch a dramatized retelling of Jane Austen or Brontë, et al: as enjoyable but with a grain of salt.
bateleanor's review against another edition
5.0
As a 17-year-old just beginning to read classic women's literature, this book was perfect for me. Not only did it personify authors who are so often placed on pedestals, it helped me to understand them and made me excited to read more of their books. Out of the four main women studied, I have only read books by two (only Jane Eyre from Charlotte Brontë and also five of Jane Austen's novels,) but the book remained interesting even when about authors I knew nothing about (and Harriet Beecher Stowe, who I only knew from American history class.) I'm glad I read this and I am excited to read more books by these authors!