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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
susanehc's review against another edition
4.0
Read about this author in a recent Washington Post magazine. She was "the most popular woman novelist of her era." Hidden Hand was originally published in 1859.
sneaky_badger's review against another edition
5.0
I still remember this book 14 years after reading it - now I’m wondering where the heck it is because I need to read it again.
j_ata's review against another edition
4.0
It is really stunning to encounter such a high-spirited and defiantly independent female character in a novel written over 150 years ago, and, more importantly, is allowed to remain so from the first moment we meet her (disguised as a boy on the mean streets of New York City) to when her remarkable story neatly concludes on the last novel's last page. After encountering so many blonde, wan "angels in the house" in contemporaneous literature, adventurous, dark-haired Capitola Black is nothing less than a revelation. And she's funny too, with a relentlessly sharp tongue, can ride her horse in a way that most men envy, and is even willing to fight a duel when her honor is called into question and no male relative is willing to step in on her behalf.
The story itself occasionally gets bogged down when it meanders onto the plight of other characters--most particularly the dull male ones off fighting valiantly in the war-- and it can come off as stilted and antiquated as melodramatic potboilers of that era almost inevitably do, but that can hardly dim Southworth's impressive proto-feminist achievement in the character and story of Capitola Black.
The story itself occasionally gets bogged down when it meanders onto the plight of other characters--most particularly the dull male ones off fighting valiantly in the war-- and it can come off as stilted and antiquated as melodramatic potboilers of that era almost inevitably do, but that can hardly dim Southworth's impressive proto-feminist achievement in the character and story of Capitola Black.
surrahgo's review against another edition
4.0
Instantly readable. I got sucked in immediately and loved Capitola. I don't love the language surrounding the slaves, and the novel is definitely a product of its time period. However, Capitola is a breakthrough - a Donna Quixota for the ages.
scorebecca's review against another edition
3.0
This only deserved 2 stars on this read, but, man, I loved this book in my American Lit class in college (hence the extra star). What a bore it was this time around! Capitola remains a charming heroine and Black Donald is a jolly good bad guy.. So much of the story is about dull, nice people being dull and nice, though. Those bits are a terrible slog.
bridgey74's review against another edition
4.0
Surprisingly engaging and well-paced for a pre-Civil War era book; it turned into a pretty fun story! The introduction is worth reading and there are definitely some parallel themes along the lines of Jane Austen before her. I picked this book out of a free library and read it on a whim. If you can keep it contextualized in your mind, you'll really enjoy it.
corinneholloway's review against another edition
3.0
Very interesting 150+ year old American Lit. There is a LOT in here that is “of its time,” most notably in relation to the slaves and standards of propriety. I laughed really hard at 21 being the earliest age a woman should marry at and some other points.
But really, Capitola Black is a very fun character and though her arc is not the most developed, that is almost to her credit. As another reviewer writes, she stands in sharp contrast to the demur “angels of the house” that make up most of the other “good” female characters… and in the end she is “loved for who she is” and not pushed to be changed. Some of the other parts read more like a melodrama than novel, but it’s fun in its own way.
But really, Capitola Black is a very fun character and though her arc is not the most developed, that is almost to her credit. As another reviewer writes, she stands in sharp contrast to the demur “angels of the house” that make up most of the other “good” female characters… and in the end she is “loved for who she is” and not pushed to be changed. Some of the other parts read more like a melodrama than novel, but it’s fun in its own way.
elms2000's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Complicated
5.0