The Mistress: Histories, Myths and Interpretations of the "Other Woman"
by Victoria Griffin
On This Page
Description
Although at the end of the twentieth century society still behaves as if marital infidelity were some unfathomable abberration, the fact is that the mistress has existed since the beginning of time. Mythology is festooned with mistresses - both divine and mortal - some who have played their roles cunningly and to perfection, and some who have destroyed themselves and all around them. Famous mistresses have not only graced literature but have written it. George Eliot, Rebecca West, Simone de show more Beauvoir and Jean Rhys have been mistresses. Courtesans have been a feature of royal courts throughout history. Victoria Griffin brings her steady yet startling focus onto each arena with fascinating consequences. She considers the political mistress - from Megan Lloyd George to Sara Keays to Monica Lewinsky; the writer's mistress - the women who had affairs with Albert Camus, H.G. Wells and Ford Madox Ford; and the artist's mistress - amongst others, Rodin's mistresses Camille Claudel and Gwen John. She examines how the roles of wife and mistress come about, how each may threaten the other, or may co-exist. It is a subject as rich and diverse as history itself, alive with memorable characters, whims and needs, secrets and practicalities, rational and irrational behaviour. Griffin - a mistress herself - handles her material deftly, revealingly and eloquently. Challenging and original, Victoria Griffin's The Mistress will provoke and delight in equal measure. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Member Reviews
An interesting read, but a bit biased in that Victoria Griffin herself is a mistress and she seems to be almost trying to justify her role in her lover's life. This looks at some examples of men who had mistresses and the women who made the decision to stay unmarried and still have men in their lives, while sometimes trading their bodies for some extras in their lives.
It's interesting but quite superficial and you can see her agenda creeping in.
It's interesting but quite superficial and you can see her agenda creeping in.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
5 Works 64 Members
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Sociology, General Nonfiction, Sexuality and Gender Studies, History, Anthropology, Biography & Memoir, Literature Studies and Criticism
- DDC/MDS
- 306 — Society, Government, and Culture Social sciences, sociology & anthropology Social Behavior - Dating, Marriage, Divorce
- LCC
- HQ806 .G75 — Social sciences The family. Marriage, Women and Sexuality The Family. Marriage. Women The family. Marriage. Home Adultery
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 59
- Popularity
- 520,748
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.17)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 3
