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A review by pamrosenthal
Between Women: Friendship, Desire, and Marriage in Victorian England by Sharon Marcus
5.0
I'm no professional, but this may be the best book of academic literary criticism I've ever read. It's definitely one of the most delightful. She writes like a dream -- with a wonderful knack for piling on the info and reasoning and then giving you the summary point as a well-formed witty, simple sentence.
Drawing upon a formidable depth of what she calls life-writings of Victorian women, interspersing it with fine, deft readings of Victorian novels -- and (this is really the fun part) digging into magazine writing, advice columns, fashion plates, porn, "doll fiction" (who knew?) -- Marcus takes a generation of late 20th century feminist scholarship, writing and feminist agendas about women's relationships during the Victorian era, gives it a good shake, and comes out with a reasoned, reasonable, convincing view of a set of complex dynamics.
Going beyond agendas while respecting the importance of agendas, she helps us see ourselves as well.
I'm not doing it justice. But I'll probably be back to try again.
Drawing upon a formidable depth of what she calls life-writings of Victorian women, interspersing it with fine, deft readings of Victorian novels -- and (this is really the fun part) digging into magazine writing, advice columns, fashion plates, porn, "doll fiction" (who knew?) -- Marcus takes a generation of late 20th century feminist scholarship, writing and feminist agendas about women's relationships during the Victorian era, gives it a good shake, and comes out with a reasoned, reasonable, convincing view of a set of complex dynamics.
Going beyond agendas while respecting the importance of agendas, she helps us see ourselves as well.
I'm not doing it justice. But I'll probably be back to try again.