A review by mistressofroses
Too Much: How Victorian Constraints Still Bind Women Today by Rachel Vorona Cote

4.0

Putting aside that the book isn't strictly about Victorian literature and perhaps not for the pedantic in that area, it is an engaging and relatable look at how mores that began in the Victorian era (or at least were popularized at that time) have just evolved into our current culture and views of what women "should" be-- namely that we're always fighting with a constantly moving goalpost: to be and provide for everything and everyone, but never to be too much. To be a good hostess, but not a chatterbox; to be pretty and well-kept, but not high maintenance; to be thoughtful but not so much so that it makes you "too smart"; to suffer but not to burden.

The book covers a lot from the Free Britney movement to speculating if Queen Victoria herself felt accomplished in achieving the ideals she was touted for, as well as personal experiences of the author. As such, her tone may not be for everyone, and she does not shy away from topics that can be triggering--she does recount her own experience with self-harm-- so if you need to proceed with caution, please be aware. However, every chapter is mostly independent of the others, which means that while some are weaker than others it also means that anyone with their own personal experiences of navigating the constraints of these types, anyone who has been too old or too fat or too loud, will find something to relate to and consider.