The first novel that George Sand wrote without a collaborator, this is not only a vivid romance, but also an impassioned plea for change in the ine...
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Jan 08, 2012
Liesl
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I highly enjoyed the first 80 pages or so, and there were some comical moments and bewitching imagery. The last couple of chapters were also very atmospheric. But the middle bulk of this novel was tiring at times, especially as it revolved around Raymond who is fickle, manipulative and can never make up his mind. Most characters grew less and less likeable, except for Ralph. When compared to British novels written in the early Victorian era, this book was pretty salacious and heretic (without fa
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May 31, 2008
Johnny
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On one level, Indiana is about the numerous attempts of Raymon, a debauched aristocrat, to seduce Indiana Delmare, a simple and innocent girl just returned from Reúnion (called Ile Borboun in the novel, its then name), a French colony in the Indian Ocean. On a deeper level, however, Sand clearly is concerned with that preoccupation of so many in the decades after the Enlightenment--does "civilization" necessarily corrupt? Are those raised away from the artificiality of metropolitan cul
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Dec 21, 2007
lisa_emily
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The novels dips briefly into high-drama, gothic romantic lands, a cool-eyed look at delusional romance permeates.
The main character,a young woman, Indiana is married to and older, brutish man who does not understand her temperment. She falls prey to a serial-seducer, who harbers his own romantic follies. Indiana's naivete does not allow her to see through the speculative actions of the romancer. Then everything comes to disaster.
There is some similarities to this portraya More...
The main character,a young woman, Indiana is married to and older, brutish man who does not understand her temperment. She falls prey to a serial-seducer, who harbers his own romantic follies. Indiana's naivete does not allow her to see through the speculative actions of the romancer. Then everything comes to disaster.
There is some similarities to this portraya More...
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Aug 16, 2009
Mazel
rated it: 
Indiana est une jeune créole de bonne famille, élevée à l'île Bourbon - aujourd'hui La Réunion.
Elle a épousé pour son malheur un officier, âgé et brutal, et vit dans la tristesse d'un château près de Fontainebleau.
Ses seuls réconforts sont sa soeur de lait, Noun, et les visites de son cousin.
Quittant son mari pour le séducteur volage de Noun, Indiana se retrouve dans le plus complet dénuement.
Sauvée par son cousin Ralph, elle finira par trouver More...
Elle a épousé pour son malheur un officier, âgé et brutal, et vit dans la tristesse d'un château près de Fontainebleau.
Ses seuls réconforts sont sa soeur de lait, Noun, et les visites de son cousin.
Quittant son mari pour le séducteur volage de Noun, Indiana se retrouve dans le plus complet dénuement.
Sauvée par son cousin Ralph, elle finira par trouver More...
Dec 27, 2011
Hannah
rated it:
Having never before read any work of George Sand's, I was unsure as to what I should expect; 'Indiana' is wonderfully written, peppered with wit and pearls of wisdom without being too sober or austere. Sand's depiction of Raymon, the self-interested, capricious and manipulative lover, is as comical as it is detestable, and her portrayal of Indiana as the naive, misused young woman whose frail constitution suffers many an emotional blow is almost convincing. Though full of conviction, the tale st
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Jan 16, 2011
Kristyn
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I had initially heard of George Sand’s first independent novel upon listening to a Meg & Dia track entitled (what else?) “Indiana,” over five years ago. This song in particular seemed to stand out from the rest of their album; its lyrics weren’t necessarily about love or despair or the slew of other human emotions that songs are typically about, but rather, it appeared to tell a story of which I was unfamiliar. The story depicted a girl named “Indiana,” a “strong and obedient wife” who had begun
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Jun 30, 2009
Helynne
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George Sand (real name: Amandine Lucile-Aurore Dupin, the baroness of Dudevant; 1804-1876) is one of my favorite authors. She was not only an incredibly talented and prolific writer of the Romantic era, but also a courageous individual because she wrote at a time when women were not widely respected as novelists. As a result, she endured a list of epithets on her persona such as man-eater, anti-matrimonialist, and Lesbian. She was none of these things, but she was enough of a non-conformi
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May 26, 2011
Emily
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A bit on the melodramatic side for me to enjoy completely, but I suppose that's partially a product of the time in which it was written. Aside from that, Indiana was an entertaining read because of the author's distinct presence, occasionally getting a bit tangential with political opinions and the like, but overall very earnest and empathetic. George Sand clearly had an extraordinary understanding of people and their motivations, and I was reminded yet again of the "iceberg principle"
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Oct 02, 2009
Belinda
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This is appropriately my first George Sand book--I have always wanted to read her, appreciated her as a person and been fascinated by her life. This novel did not disappoint for me. First sort of seems to be a typical, overblown romance but dips into a fascinating study of both society at the time and the inner workings of several characters. I enjoy a good gothic love story and this definitely qualifies while being something much, much deeper. I love Sand's obvious disdain for what was expec
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May 31, 2010
Carol
rated it: 
George Sand is one of the slightly more obscure nineteenth century authors. I think she is probably better known for being Chopin's lover than for her novels. I'd like to say that this is a pity, but unfortunately, I found Indiana disappointing. It is the story of Indiana, a young, naive woman who is married to a much older man. She falls in love with a dashing aristocrat, Raymon, but the experience turns out to be extremely painful due to his shallowness and egoism. However, the light at the en
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Jul 04, 2010
Annalisa
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Mar 17, 2010
Jessica
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I recently found this is in a pile of books from college that I forgot were stashed in the back of my closet at my parents'. I vaguely remember reading it for a French lit class, but judging from where my highlighting left off, I only made it about half way through. Managed to finish this time, but still didn't like it much. George Sand is obviously an amazing author, but I found this too melodramatic, and all of the characters pretty annoying. Sorry Indiana! I feel bad for you, but you're a bit
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Aug 02, 2011
Jenna
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I stopped reading this book like, 100 pages before the end. Why? Because it appeared that all the action had ended then; the already, quite shallow plot seemed resolved. The author was also painfully detailed in her (George Sand was her pseudonym for those who don't know) writing; it seemed that a lot of what she wrote was not so much focused on the story, as it was on her own ideas, which deterred plot development. The details, however, did give the reader more incite to the characters' backgr
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Mar 02, 2011
Tracey
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“Indiana” was fantastic and Sand is absolutely brilliant. Her dialog and thought blew me away. She wrote with such terrific feminist wit and sarcasm that I found myself highlighting a sentence or whole paragraph on almost every page: “All women have to stimulate themselves with the prospect of romantic, dangerous schemes, just like invalids who need sharp, spicy seasonings to whet their appetites!”, “It was the silent submission of the slave who feels his hatred is a virtue and his misfortune
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Aug 16, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
3.5-stars, really.
I didn't enjoy reading this book very much but I have enjoyed the pondering and reflection that has resulted. The used of allegory was excellent and the portrait of life for a married woman in the early 1800s was portrayed achingly. I also enjoyed the Creole threads of the story. So - lots of interesting things going on but it was inconsistently delivered. Translation issue? Maybe? There was one section in particular that droned on about the political climate of Fran More...
I didn't enjoy reading this book very much but I have enjoyed the pondering and reflection that has resulted. The used of allegory was excellent and the portrait of life for a married woman in the early 1800s was portrayed achingly. I also enjoyed the Creole threads of the story. So - lots of interesting things going on but it was inconsistently delivered. Translation issue? Maybe? There was one section in particular that droned on about the political climate of Fran More...
Jul 01, 2011
James
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George Sand was among those nineteenth century female authors who chose to use a male pseudonym for her writing. Born Aurore Dupin, she chose the nom de plume of George sand for this her first novel and subsequent work. In this work Sand creates an entertaining romance built around a dysfunctional family. Around the heroine Indiana she adds a trio of men whose rivalry for Indiana propel the novel. The novel transcends the simple romance with resonance of Balzacian social class structure and
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May 29, 2011
Kj
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Certainly an enjoyable read, but it necessitated wearing my "early 19th-century" lenses to be carried into it. Not sure if as literature it resonates beyond its own context. In other words, I was really only ever impressed or amused by the book when I tried to imagine how it would have been received by novel readers in 1832. Would they have identified with the heroine? Been annoyed at her earnestness? Would they have rooted for the love affair only to be shocked (or insulted) when it b
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Oct 08, 2008
Cathy
rated it:
I had never read George Sand, and when I found Indiana in a used bookstore I thought it was time to remedy that. It turned out to be a lot of fun, although I can see why Sand is not read as much today as the Brontes or Jane Austen.
Indiana opens with a fantastic first chapter, in which several of our main characters are huddled around a fire in a dreary, chilly chateau on a drizzly fall night. I've never read another 19th-century novel that gave me such a vivid sense of how oppressive More...
Indiana opens with a fantastic first chapter, in which several of our main characters are huddled around a fire in a dreary, chilly chateau on a drizzly fall night. I've never read another 19th-century novel that gave me such a vivid sense of how oppressive More...
Jan 24, 2012
Emily
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This is the first novel of George Sand and it shows. Indiana is a young married woman in a loveless marriage with an older man. She meets a Frenchman who is determined to make her his lover. Although he pictures himself as a good representation of the future of France, he is rather despicable. He has already seduced Indiana's maid and destroyed her life. He will destroy Indiana also, apparently without any remorse.
I gave the book only three stars because of the long-winded conversa More...
I gave the book only three stars because of the long-winded conversa More...
Jan 12, 2012
Kaitlin
rated it:
i thought Indiana was a really good book. It was mix of courage, strength and finding hope/yourself a long the way.
I heard about Indiana through Meg Frampton (Meg & Dia pre-voice Dia Frampton in case you only know Dia) and listening to both versions of Indiana on youtube (one acoustic and one is indie rock and they changed the lyrics around for the song). If it wasn't for Meg & Dia i probably wouldn't have heard of George Sand or any of her novels.
I gave it a four star More...
I heard about Indiana through Meg Frampton (Meg & Dia pre-voice Dia Frampton in case you only know Dia) and listening to both versions of Indiana on youtube (one acoustic and one is indie rock and they changed the lyrics around for the song). If it wasn't for Meg & Dia i probably wouldn't have heard of George Sand or any of her novels.
I gave it a four star More...
May 17, 2011
Ashley
rated it:
Indiana is a beautiful work of romance, deceit, and strength in times of hardship. Sand's eloquent language leaps from the novel's pages and paints vivid pictures in the reader's mind. Sand's character development, especially of Indiana Delmare, is remarkable. A fragile young woman born into a male-dominated society finds herself in an unhappy marriage and, for this reason, is easily taken emotionally advantage of by a passionate, lustful man. Ultimately, Indiana overcomes her naivety and challe
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Jan 25, 2010
K.J.
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This is one of my favorite classics. She does let her opinion show at a few points - like with the death penalty - but this is so good. If you read classics, try this one.
Jul 29, 2011
What a way to start a writing career - excellente. Steeped in Romanticism and thought provoking - what more do you want? Nothing. So shut up and read it.
Jul 07, 2011
Amanda
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"Go young man, follow the path of your destiny; have friends, a profession, a reputation, a fatherland. As for me, I have Indiana."
Jul 30, 2011
Cecilia
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The first...always on my mind. I admire how Sand captures exactly how women feel and love.
Aug 13, 2010
Rachel
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I love George Sand. I consider her my muse. But the truth is I love her more than her writing.
