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A review by snackygayle
Ann Veronica by H.G. Wells
5.0
I had to wait until after I finished this book until I decided to create a review for it, mostly because I was just really excited and surprised! I rated this at a 4.5, not a 5 star, but I’ll briefly explain.
This is a story about Ann Veronica coming of age and being unaccepting of her prospects and situation in society. Ann is disappointed with the constraints pushed on her- and she rebels.
Biggest Pro:
I really loved how Ann felt like a 3 dimensional character! I was a bit apprehensive, as sometimes women by authors who predominantly write sci-fi don’t treat their womanly characters all too well, but I thought Wells treated Ann with respect, understanding, and fairness. Lots of her ideas were fair about the world, and none of the usual negative tropes of women characters written by men were truly present. I felt like I really knew her.
I have only two cons:
1. Most of the complains by Ann were routinely repeated. I guess I can understand, as almost all of her life was shaped by her constraints, but maybe it would have been nice to see Ann think of anything other than her situation. Although, she does address this. It’s just a bit of a slog to read the same woes for 45 pages of a 300 page book. (15%+ of this book being of the same complaints really is not a too far off estimate).
2. While Ann has her adventure, it’s treated as an a d v e n t u r e, not a new life for her. Ann wanted the people in her life to change their minds and come to a truce, and I wished instead her goal was to go on living a new life as she originally had said. I also didn’t appreciate at all that she was fine obeying and doing all of those rules, if it was to “the right man” (the book describes this, and also describes her loving “blind obedience”). I really did not like that element of her character or of the book at all…and she goes right back to the same people she left. However, I really do appreciate her commitment to family despite having complex relationships, wanting to make them happy despite her differing wishes is a common experience many share. As well as wanting to find a person she really loves. Perhaps this complaint is a result of Ann doing the best she can to wish of an improved lifestyle within the constraints of her social period. She wants more, but isn’t willing to do too much in the final end.
—-
Overall, I’m very surprised. I now love H.G. Wells, there aren’t many authors of his time or before that would treat a female character this well. I just wish since he went this far and that this book was a scandal, that he really went all in and didn’t make Ann Veronica just another woman in the time who finishes as a blind, obedient woman. He went so far with giving Ann freedom, come on just let her ending be that far too. But, I now admire H.G. Wells and I’m very interested in reading more of his works.
This is a story about Ann Veronica coming of age and being unaccepting of her prospects and situation in society. Ann is disappointed with the constraints pushed on her- and she rebels.
Biggest Pro:
I really loved how Ann felt like a 3 dimensional character! I was a bit apprehensive, as sometimes women by authors who predominantly write sci-fi don’t treat their womanly characters all too well, but I thought Wells treated Ann with respect, understanding, and fairness. Lots of her ideas were fair about the world, and none of the usual negative tropes of women characters written by men were truly present. I felt like I really knew her.
I have only two cons:
1. Most of the complains by Ann were routinely repeated. I guess I can understand, as almost all of her life was shaped by her constraints, but maybe it would have been nice to see Ann think of anything other than her situation. Although, she does address this. It’s just a bit of a slog to read the same woes for 45 pages of a 300 page book. (15%+ of this book being of the same complaints really is not a too far off estimate).
2. While Ann has her adventure, it’s treated as an a d v e n t u r e, not a new life for her. Ann wanted the people in her life to change their minds and come to a truce, and I wished instead her goal was to go on living a new life as she originally had said. I also didn’t appreciate at all that she was fine obeying and doing all of those rules, if it was to “the right man” (the book describes this, and also describes her loving “blind obedience”). I really did not like that element of her character or of the book at all…and she goes right back to the same people she left. However, I really do appreciate her commitment to family despite having complex relationships, wanting to make them happy despite her differing wishes is a common experience many share. As well as wanting to find a person she really loves. Perhaps this complaint is a result of Ann doing the best she can to wish of an improved lifestyle within the constraints of her social period. She wants more, but isn’t willing to do too much in the final end.
—-
Overall, I’m very surprised. I now love H.G. Wells, there aren’t many authors of his time or before that would treat a female character this well. I just wish since he went this far and that this book was a scandal, that he really went all in and didn’t make Ann Veronica just another woman in the time who finishes as a blind, obedient woman. He went so far with giving Ann freedom, come on just let her ending be that far too. But, I now admire H.G. Wells and I’m very interested in reading more of his works.