Publication
Penguin Classics (1994), 416 p.
Original publication date
1893
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Genres
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Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. HTML: One of the acknowledged masterpieces of Victorian-era literary realism, George Gissing's novel The Odd Women portrays the plight of unmarried women in nineteenth-century England, probing the question of the financial and psychological well-being of those who were not able to find suitable matches. Recognized by critics as an early feminist text, this novel is a must-read for fans of historical�??and socially significant�??fiction
User reviews
LibraryThing member ChocolateMuse
I am 30 and have considered myself ‘on the shelf’ for an immeasurably vast number of years. Though not unsought (so my pride makes me add) nevertheless the trend of my life has bent towards spinsterhood always, for various reasons. I think it’s important for this context to be made plain in
I’ve noticed that even in the best literature; in books written by women; in books with strong central women characters; in almost any context at all – love, sex and/or marriage has been the source of satisfaction held out to every fictional woman, whether they get it or not, and whether the getting of it turns out well or not. Take Dinah Morris from Adam Bede for example. She is so strong, so committed to her cause, so different from other women; and she turns away a pleading for marriage from a good man consistently throughout the book. And then, the ending, all of a sudden – deflation. Let me make this clear: I have nothing against love and marriage. I like to read a good romance as much as the next woman. I am happy for people who find love and live happily ever after. If whatever True Love may be ever recognisably comes my way, I will not turn it away on any high-falutin’ principle. But it nevertheless annoys me that fiction cannot allow a woman to stand on her own. The general idea of a ‘strong independent woman’ in this current generation is one who doesn’t get tied down, but nevertheless has a fairly robust sex life, which defeats the purpose in this context. Single women in any generation are either eccentric, faded and sad, or desperate. (The only exception is the rich old women you find in Trollope or Thackeray, who are imperious and intimidating. Also, allow me for a moment to promote Barbara Pym, a notable exception I greatly appreciate).
The problem is, how to portray a woman who stands on her own in a way that is realistic? I cannot deny that love is a central force in life. With all the will in the world, one can’t realistically push it into a back corner and pretend it doesn’t matter. Whether one possesses this Love or not, it still is a forceful presence in a person’s life (men as much as women? Surely?). So we have a fine balance, an interesting dilemma: love matters; yet without it, some might choose to stand alone rather than pursue a false representation of it. Why is this not explored more in fiction? It’s a rich mine of exploration.
Which finally brings me to Gissing’s novel. Published in 1893, by a man, at that! and yet all my ramblings above are the exact issues he deals with in this book. I think he does it with extraordinary sensitivity. I haven’t explored feminist fiction in any depth, but my limited experience of it seems to focus on wider political issues. This book does not do that, even though one would almost certainly call it a feminist novel. He limits its feminist explorations to the quiet inward experience of life in a single woman. There are a range of female characters, all single (at least at first), some weak, some strong, all intelligent. Outwardly, the choices in life for them are few: one turns to drink, another to an unhappy marriage, another to social causes. But the real meat of the novel is how they approach their situation on the inside. The stronger women ask themselves the really hard questions, and they find a way, just like anyone else does, to accept the hard and pursue the good, and make a way in life. They are whole people, no different to a married person! Funny, that.
Gissing overcomes many difficulties men of his era would have fallen into so easily. He does not masculinise strength in a woman. He sensitively depicts a powerful relationship between an independent woman and an independent man in a society where such a thing is rare and strange, thus putting all sorts of strains and boundary-testing in a struggle between the two. Intelligence, strength of will, originality, decisiveness: these qualities in the 19th century were considered wholly masculine – and I admire Gissing for his ability to see beyond the norms of his times. He doesn’t get everything perfect – some moments made me cringe just a little, but I give him all credit – he was dealing with a subject so naturally foreign to him, as a man, and as a resident of 19th century England, and he did it courageously.
The book is, if nothing else, a struggle with perilous concepts bravely undertaken.
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my approach to Gissing’s The Odd Women. I am One Of Them, one hundred years on. I’ve noticed that even in the best literature; in books written by women; in books with strong central women characters; in almost any context at all – love, sex and/or marriage has been the source of satisfaction held out to every fictional woman, whether they get it or not, and whether the getting of it turns out well or not. Take Dinah Morris from Adam Bede for example. She is so strong, so committed to her cause, so different from other women; and she turns away a pleading for marriage from a good man consistently throughout the book. And then, the ending, all of a sudden – deflation. Let me make this clear: I have nothing against love and marriage. I like to read a good romance as much as the next woman. I am happy for people who find love and live happily ever after. If whatever True Love may be ever recognisably comes my way, I will not turn it away on any high-falutin’ principle. But it nevertheless annoys me that fiction cannot allow a woman to stand on her own. The general idea of a ‘strong independent woman’ in this current generation is one who doesn’t get tied down, but nevertheless has a fairly robust sex life, which defeats the purpose in this context. Single women in any generation are either eccentric, faded and sad, or desperate. (The only exception is the rich old women you find in Trollope or Thackeray, who are imperious and intimidating. Also, allow me for a moment to promote Barbara Pym, a notable exception I greatly appreciate).
The problem is, how to portray a woman who stands on her own in a way that is realistic? I cannot deny that love is a central force in life. With all the will in the world, one can’t realistically push it into a back corner and pretend it doesn’t matter. Whether one possesses this Love or not, it still is a forceful presence in a person’s life (men as much as women? Surely?). So we have a fine balance, an interesting dilemma: love matters; yet without it, some might choose to stand alone rather than pursue a false representation of it. Why is this not explored more in fiction? It’s a rich mine of exploration.
Which finally brings me to Gissing’s novel. Published in 1893, by a man, at that! and yet all my ramblings above are the exact issues he deals with in this book. I think he does it with extraordinary sensitivity. I haven’t explored feminist fiction in any depth, but my limited experience of it seems to focus on wider political issues. This book does not do that, even though one would almost certainly call it a feminist novel. He limits its feminist explorations to the quiet inward experience of life in a single woman. There are a range of female characters, all single (at least at first), some weak, some strong, all intelligent. Outwardly, the choices in life for them are few: one turns to drink, another to an unhappy marriage, another to social causes. But the real meat of the novel is how they approach their situation on the inside. The stronger women ask themselves the really hard questions, and they find a way, just like anyone else does, to accept the hard and pursue the good, and make a way in life. They are whole people, no different to a married person! Funny, that.
Gissing overcomes many difficulties men of his era would have fallen into so easily. He does not masculinise strength in a woman. He sensitively depicts a powerful relationship between an independent woman and an independent man in a society where such a thing is rare and strange, thus putting all sorts of strains and boundary-testing in a struggle between the two. Intelligence, strength of will, originality, decisiveness: these qualities in the 19th century were considered wholly masculine – and I admire Gissing for his ability to see beyond the norms of his times. He doesn’t get everything perfect – some moments made me cringe just a little, but I give him all credit – he was dealing with a subject so naturally foreign to him, as a man, and as a resident of 19th century England, and he did it courageously.
The book is, if nothing else, a struggle with perilous concepts bravely undertaken.
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LibraryThing member MichelleCH
A definite winner in my eyes. There are some books that just make you think and this is one of them. Taking the idea of 'odd women' and turning it into a novel is just brillant.
Odd women are those women who are left after all other eligible men and women have been paired in marriage. These women
Some of the women in this novel embrace the distinction while others are so afraid of becoming one that they make poor choices which resonate over their lifetime. One example is that of Monica Madden, alone in the world, she must support herself as a shop-girl. This profession is harsh and with a limitless supply of desparate workers; there is little to advance any worker's condition for the better. As soon as one worker is depleted there are many others ready to fill a position.
When an opportunity to marry a man of distinction and means presents itself, Monica is so afraid of losing this singular opportunity that she makes a decision in haste. This decision later becomes a central point in the story and leads to numerous bad decisions and complications.
At the same time, there are other women in the novel who embrace their freedom and control; these are odd women who have found a purpose. The pioneers who create the tide of liberation for women.
Rhoda Nunn, a peer and friend to Monica, is a perfect example of the type of woman that laid a path for future women to benefit from. Although she presents as a judgemental character at times, Rhoda is able to stand strong in her beliefs and desires and not become, as so many others do, beholden to any one man.
I loved this novel and there is much too much to describe. I can see a book club embracing this for a wonderful discussion. So many themes to explore: love, class, economic oppression, capitalism, feminism, desire, morals, just to name a few.
Thank you again Sera for introducing me to this gem!
Odd women are those women who are left after all other eligible men and women have been paired in marriage. These women
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are not outcasts per se but definitely live a much different life than those who have a husband.Some of the women in this novel embrace the distinction while others are so afraid of becoming one that they make poor choices which resonate over their lifetime. One example is that of Monica Madden, alone in the world, she must support herself as a shop-girl. This profession is harsh and with a limitless supply of desparate workers; there is little to advance any worker's condition for the better. As soon as one worker is depleted there are many others ready to fill a position.
When an opportunity to marry a man of distinction and means presents itself, Monica is so afraid of losing this singular opportunity that she makes a decision in haste. This decision later becomes a central point in the story and leads to numerous bad decisions and complications.
At the same time, there are other women in the novel who embrace their freedom and control; these are odd women who have found a purpose. The pioneers who create the tide of liberation for women.
Rhoda Nunn, a peer and friend to Monica, is a perfect example of the type of woman that laid a path for future women to benefit from. Although she presents as a judgemental character at times, Rhoda is able to stand strong in her beliefs and desires and not become, as so many others do, beholden to any one man.
I loved this novel and there is much too much to describe. I can see a book club embracing this for a wonderful discussion. So many themes to explore: love, class, economic oppression, capitalism, feminism, desire, morals, just to name a few.
Thank you again Sera for introducing me to this gem!
Show Less
LibraryThing member littlebookworm
Disappointing. Not much else to say really - seems more a work about feminists than a feminist work. The characters spend a lot of time talking and a little time doing; they make no effort to achieve their ideals. With the exception of Rhoda Nunn, all Gissing has actually shown is how susceptible
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women are to the charms of men and other vices, regardless of what their minds dictate. Show Less
LibraryThing member KerrvilleCate
A little hard to read because most of the articles were written during the 1800s, but worth the read. This book tells us where women were situated before they became "emancipared." They didn't even own their own souls!
LibraryThing member stephxsu
The writing is not too bad, as it reads easily, but the story is pretty mundane and directionless, with women in various stages of late-nineteenth-century feminism circling in or around the institution of marriage, and then ending up exactly where they started. Some critics claim that THE ODD WOMEN
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is a naturalist novel, in which everything must and will revert back to its original state of entropy. But I never got emotionally invested even in the characters’ long circle back to their original states. Overall, a mindless, slightly pleasant but mostly forgettable read. Show Less
LibraryThing member RubyScarlett
The topic was excellent and deserved five stars - Gissing makes a really strong argument for the need for feminism and every character's story was believable, interesting and revealing. The writing is, however, heavy and forceful and it took me such a long time to finish this. I felt closer to
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Rhoda's opinions throughout and the book's got some strong quotes but Monica's plight, however important to the story, was handled in a way that could have been shorter and still to the point. I'm so sad the writing prevented me from fully appreciating this novel but I really recommend it for the points it makes and the overview of rather well-off women's options at the end of the 19th century. Show Less
LibraryThing member samwilson.id.au
Isabel was soon worked into illness. Brain trouble came on, resulting in melancholia.
LibraryThing member Matke
I learned a lot about myself hike 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
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.
Gissing’s story of several Victorian-era women who are “odd” in more than one sense is mesmerizing. The main
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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.
Show Less
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9780140433791
Physical description
416 p.; 7.8 inches
Pages
416