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A review by gemmadee
A Fair Barbarian by Frances Hodgson Burnett
4.0
For anyone with the patience for Burnett's Victorian language, A Fair Barbarian is a charming read. Hidden under the layers of wardrobe lies a biting social commentary. More than a comedy of manners, Burnett wrote a scathing mockery of conformity and social control. It draws a bit from Jane Austen and foreshadows Cold Comfort Farm. One online reviewer called it a simplified retelling of Henry James' "Daisy Miller," but I can't speak to that because I haven't read it. Burnett's fair barbarian is an American girl of nineteen who arrives in a parochial English village and shakes things up a bit. She does this entirely by accident, simply by virtue of not being afraid of what other people think.
For all its attention to century-old fashions and tea party invitation etiquette, the book is surprisingly relevant today. The details of conformity may have changed, but people still make decisions based on appearances and what other people do. It still requires courage and/or cluelessness to present yourself as you really are rather than mold yourself to others' expectations. And it's still worthwhile to do so.
For all its attention to century-old fashions and tea party invitation etiquette, the book is surprisingly relevant today. The details of conformity may have changed, but people still make decisions based on appearances and what other people do. It still requires courage and/or cluelessness to present yourself as you really are rather than mold yourself to others' expectations. And it's still worthwhile to do so.