A review by iamasecretagent
The Victorian and the Romantic: A Memoir, a Love Story, and a Friendship Across Time by Nell Stevens

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.5

An enjoyable and quick read about the author's quest for love and meaning while struggling towards her Ph.D., told through the lens of her thesis subject, Elizabeth Gaskell. I thought the book was charming and that Stevens did a beautiful job of articulating the complexities of love, longing, heartbreak, and coming to terms with the limitations of your own body as you enter your 30s--the chaos of all four happening simultaneously felt somehow hilariously embodied by Steven's brief obsession with volunteering for university research studies. As a lover of literary period dramas, including those written by Elizabeth Gaskell, I enjoyed the vivid portrayal of Italy as a refuge for ex-pat artists in the 1800s. I could see that readers are meant to draw parallels between Steven's and Gaskell's yearning to find a feeling of "home," which is clever as that was essentially the crux of Steven's thesis. But it's not something ever said explicitly, and I found myself wishing some of the expository reflection was directed at making that connection more clearly. Overall, this book felt like a peek into Steven's diary and/or notes from her thesis--would recommend as a good poolside read if you're a fan of Victorian era angst and romance or poking fun at self-induglent literary academia.