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Herland and Selected Stories

by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

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311483,372 (3.71)1
At the turn of the twentieth century, Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a celebrity--acclaimed as a leader in the feminist movement and castigated for her divorce, her relinquishment of custody of her daughter, and her unconventional second marriage. She was also widely read, with stories in popular magazines and with dozens of books in print. Her most famous short story, the intensely personal "The Yellow Wallpaper," was read as a horror story when first published in 1892 and then lapsed into obscurity before being rediscovered and reinterpreted by feminist scholars in the 1970s. Noted anthologist Barbara Solomon has put together a remarkable collection of Gilman's fiction, which includes twenty short stories and the complete text of Herland, the landmark utopian novel that remained unavailable for more than sixty years. From "The Unexpected," printed in Kate Field's Washington in 1890, to such later tales as "Mrs. Elder's Idea," published in Gilman's own periodical, The Forerunner, readers can again encounter this witty, original, and audacious woman who dared to challenge the status quo and who created fiction that continues to be fresh and timeless. Edited and with an Introduction by Barbara H. Solomon… (more)
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Showing 4 of 4
Very good read.Interesting concept of an "all woman world".I cannot beleive a movie has not been made of this. I am still thinking about this book.I don't want to spoil any of the storylines so I will keep my review short. Just try it! Highly recommended. ( )
  LauGal | Aug 16, 2016 |
Herland is the feminist response to Utopia. Set as a bit of adventure fiction featuring three strapping gentlemen who discover a strange island devoid of men, populated only by women. The land is a thriving stable government, free of waste and want, and repopulated through parthenogenesis.

The men try to integrate themselves into the civilization, each representing a point on the male-stereotype scale: Jeff is effeminate, Van is neutral, and Terry is masculine. In the end, after taking wives, Terry performs an atrocity that gets him banned from the island. The other two, and Van's wife Ellador, journey back to the man-run world.

The other stories presented here are a collection of Gilman's work, including "The Yellow Wallpaper," a haunting story about a woman confined to a room bedecked in ghastly wallpaper.

Gilman's feminist writing helps show a world in which women are just as good as men, and maybe even better in some aspects, such as running countries.

If you're a fan of feminist or utopian literature, you'll probably enjoy Herland and Selected Stories. ( )
  aethercowboy | Jun 1, 2009 |
Herland was part of my effort to read more science fiction classics. Gilman has a rather bracing tone in her fiction, as a rule, and that was quite evident in the short novel. I have read other treatments of an all-female society, and I have to say that I thought this one was a bit too optimistic. I do think that overall, a society run by women would probably be more humane than one run by men, but I have a hard time believing it would be quite as smooth as Gilman postulates. Still, centuries of selective breeding, with an emphasis on social skills and getting along, might do the trick. The stories were interesting, and I can see why she was thought to be so ahead of her time. It was refreshing to read some feminist stories that were positive and turned out well, and nice to see that Gilman doesn't assume that all men are evil. ( )
  sussabmax | Sep 18, 2007 |
This review has been flagged by multiple users as abuse of the terms of service and is no longer displayed (show).
  MsPibel | Jun 16, 2009 |
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Charlotte Perkins Gilmanprimary authorall editionscalculated
Solomon, Barbara H.Editorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
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At the turn of the twentieth century, Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a celebrity--acclaimed as a leader in the feminist movement and castigated for her divorce, her relinquishment of custody of her daughter, and her unconventional second marriage. She was also widely read, with stories in popular magazines and with dozens of books in print. Her most famous short story, the intensely personal "The Yellow Wallpaper," was read as a horror story when first published in 1892 and then lapsed into obscurity before being rediscovered and reinterpreted by feminist scholars in the 1970s. Noted anthologist Barbara Solomon has put together a remarkable collection of Gilman's fiction, which includes twenty short stories and the complete text of Herland, the landmark utopian novel that remained unavailable for more than sixty years. From "The Unexpected," printed in Kate Field's Washington in 1890, to such later tales as "Mrs. Elder's Idea," published in Gilman's own periodical, The Forerunner, readers can again encounter this witty, original, and audacious woman who dared to challenge the status quo and who created fiction that continues to be fresh and timeless. Edited and with an Introduction by Barbara H. Solomon

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Book description
Contents: Herland --
The unexpected --
My poor aunt --
The yellow wallpaper --
Three Thanksgivings --
Her housekeeper --
When I was a witch --
Martha's mother --
The boys and the butter --
Making a living --
Old Mrs. Crosley --
Turned --
Making a change --
A mischievous rudiment --
Mrs. Elder's idea --
Her beauty --
If I were a man --
Spoken to --
Dr. Clair's place --
Joan's defender --
Mrs. Beazley's deeds.
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