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Loading... The Odd Women (Oxford World's Classics) (original 1893; edition 2008)by George Gissing, Patricia Ingham (Editor)
Work InformationThe Odd Women by George Gissing (1893)
  
No current Talk conversations about this book. Very good. Recommended by Backlisted. (  ) k6gst | Jan 19, 2023 |  Very enjoyable read. Brilliantly crafted and brazenly bold in it's message. On the cusp of the world recognizing and rewarding women's suffrage (New Zealand was the first country 1893), Gissing produces a cage-rattling piece of work that surely played a role in an evolving awakening and acceptance in the equality–if not superiority–of women and their place at the table. Terrific writing. (  ) mortalfool | Jul 10, 2021 | Monica deserved better (  ) runtimeregan | Jun 12, 2019 | I learned a lot about myself while reading this excellent book. I didn’t realize how completely conditioned I am to both expect and desire a conventional romantic “happy ending.” Gissing’s story of several Victorian-era women who are “odd” in more than one sense is mesmerizing. The main character is Rhoda, a fiercely independent woman who eventually falls in love with a man. The working-out of their relationship forms the backbone of the book, but many other characters and plots are explored. Although Rhoda and her friend Mary are on the upper side of middle class, Gissing includes several working-class women and their struggles; none are trivialized. He has a fascinating insight into women’s problems and ideas. The weak spot of the book is a trite solution to a particular problem. But that solution is also realistic in its own way. All in all, this is a great exploration of the hopes, fears, and ideals of Victorian women. Be warned though, that it’s not in any sense a light read. (  ) Matke | Dec 19, 2018 | This read was an unexpected masterpiece for me. Absolutely recommended to those who are interested in Women's studies and such, but even aside from that - recommended to anyone - this is not one of those feminist books you will think pretentious. I would venture to call it a humanist book, rather, and with a focus on the female problems which are still relevant today. I still maintain that this was a book ahead of its time, and to us it can show how our current lives, our world - our time came about. Personally, I feel I have become a hundred times richer as a human being by reading it. P.S. For anyone interested, a Project Gutenberg e-book edition of the work can be obtained online without any charge. This book is now public domain. ( ) avalinah | Sep 11, 2016 | no reviews | add a review
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A novel of social realism, The Odd Women reflects the major sexual and cultural issues of the late nineteenth century. Unlike the "New Woman" novels of the era which challenged the idea that the unmarried woman was superfluous, Gissing satirizes that image and portrays women as "odd" andmarginal in relation to an ideal. Set in a grimy, fog-ridden London, Gissing's "odd" women range from the idealistic, financially self-sufficient Mary Barfoot to the Madden sisters who struggle to subsist in low paying jobs and little chance for joy. With narrative detachment, Gissing portrayscontemporary society's blatant ambivalence towards its own period of transition. Judged by contemporary critics to be as provocative as Zola and Ibsen, Gissing produced an "intensely modern" work as the issues it raises remain the subject of contemporary debate. No library descriptions found. 
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.8 — Literature English {except North American} English fiction Victorian period 1837-1900LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.9)
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