Well-Read Women: Portraits of Fiction's Most Beloved Heroines

by Samantha Hahn

A treasure of a gift for the well-read woman, this collection brings together 50 stirring portraits, in watercolour and in word, of literature's most well-read female characters. Anna Karenina, Clarissa Dalloway, Daisy Buchanan...each seems to live on the page through celebrated artist Samantha Hahn's evocative portraits and hand-lettered quotations, with the pairing of art and text capturing all the spirit of the character as she was originally written. The book itself evokes vintage grace re-imagined for contemporary taste, with a cloth spine silk-screened in a graphic pattern, debossed cover, and pages that turn with the tactile satisfaction of watercolour paper. In the hand and in the reading, here is a new classic for the book lover's library.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Books About Books, Feminism, Classics, Graphic Novels, Coffee Table Books

112 pages, Hardcover

First published August 27, 2013

About the author

Illustrator, photo art director, author, and the founder of Art Basil, and Maison Rainbow.

My work has been internationally exhibited from New York to Hong Kong and recognized by It’s Nice That, The New York Times, American Illustration, Society of Illustrators & Communication Arts.

BOOKS:

Authored books include: A Mother is a Story: A Celebration of Motherhood and accompanying keepsake, Stories for my Child: A Mother’s Memory Journal

Well-Read Women: Portraits of Fiction’s Most Beloved Heroines and reader’s journal Well-Read Women’s Reader’s Journal.

Select illustrated books and covers include: Pure Skin, The Wine Questionaire, The Bright Hour, and Rainbow Milk.

Reviews

[[ J o ] · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite parts of reading is meeting new characters and forming an opinion about them. I find I don't always love the characters others do, but neither do I hate the ones others do, either. However, I've never really felt myself looking up to characters in a way I've read some people do, and I feel like I've missed out slightly. There have been certain characters-of both genders-that I have always felt empathy for and perhaps identified with to a certain degree, but at no point have I become so enveloped within a character's aura that I have felt anything other than a slight fondness for them.

Well-Read Women brings together some of my other favourite things together, namely watercolour and quotes. The great thing about this book is that it doesn't contain that one type of woman that these days we are pressurised to become because people don't understand what Feminism actually is. There are heroines, damsels in distress, women who simply exist for themselves or for others, or all of those things and more. It is entirely possible to look up to two women for entirely different reasons.

The illustrations are just beautiful. Abstract in places, incomplete in others, but within each we gain a true sense of how these characters looked, but also what they thought, how they felt and why they existed within the narrative they did. The quotes are well chosen: often well-known and often not. It contains well-loved quotes from well-loved books, but also lesser known quotes from some characters you'd be forgiven for thinking were simply background characters. There is something here for every single reader and definitely not just for women, either. Yes, it's a coffee table book and no, it won't tax you incredibly, but it will transport you to over thirty different worlds within about five minutes, and there's not a lot of books that can claim that.


Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Shop | Etsy

[Negin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter got this for my birthday. It’s the type of book that would make an ideal gift. There are gorgeous watercolor illustrations and quotes from fictional women.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning collection of watercolour paintings, depicting famous literary ladies and their quotes. I wasn't familiar with each and every one, but I know I will seek out those new to me, and linger over these pages again and again.

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read: April 2020

I really wanted this to be a five star book - the watercolour paintings are beautiful and the quotes that accompany them are fitting and thoughtful. I love the concept of a book of paintings that celebrates famous female literary characters.
The only issue for me was a fairly big one - Hahn stated in the introduction that "each character is now as familiar to me as an old friend," - implying a good knowledge of her subjects - yet she specifically wrote that Becky Sharp (the unforgettable Vanity Fair antagonist) was an Edwardian woman. Vanity Fair was written in 1847 and set during the Napoleonic Wars of 1803-1815 so Becky is in no way Edwardian. A mistake that big calls into question how much research or reading Hahn actually did when it came to these paintings.
I still really enjoyed this book - which is why it has a four star rating from me - but I couldn't give five stars when there's such an obvious mistake.

[Belen (f.k.a. La Mala ✌) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una joyita.

Tantas mujeres hermosas e inolvidables para conocer y otras para volver a visitar.

Amé sobre todo el retrato de Dolores Haze, la frase representa su tragedia (I was a daisy-fresh girl..."), y la imagen acompaña- no sensualmente como tantos Humbert Humbert en potencia han decidido retratarla, sino con honestidad brutal, la tristeza en la cara.

Aquí me tomo el atrevimiento de compartir otro par de favoritas...

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second time I have read this book and it is just as captivating as the first time I read it. The pictures are breathtaking and the quotes just emphasise the strength of these female characters and why they have earned their legendary status. It's a book that allows you to appreciate wonderful literary figures and stunning artwork.

[C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been wanting this book for a long time because the cover is so beautiful and I thought I'd really enjoy looking at the beautiful illustrations, but once I sat down to read every page, I realized she decided to turn every literary figure into some type of Barbie doll--even the children are made to look like beautiful models instead of children. I thought this book was going to be about celebrating great literary characters, but unfortunately, I think it sought to make "beautiful women" talk about love--I thought many of the quotes could have been chosen better. It doesn't even matter what you think a character would look like because Hahn will surely have tried to paint her as a Barbie doll. I also realized how badly this book lacks in diversity. There are two characters of "color" in here, and each is made to look as least ethnic as possible. I feel like Pecola had to wear a hat just so we wouldn't have to see her hair. I guess Hahn just wanted to paint beautiful blondes...

I was excited to get this book and hoped to display it in my home, but honestly, now I'd just be embarrassed to display such a Eurocentric book that mostly turns women into stereotypes in love.

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was cute, but a little disappointing. I like the art style and I agree with some depictions of popular heroines like Emma or Daisy. But I just think it's too pretty and, especially in the case of Pecola and Lady Kiritsubo, way too white.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

It certainly didn't take me days, but this book took longer than I expected to get through. I relished in the intricate, delicate detail of each heroine. I read and reread the lines, trying to remember the passages from books I knew, while imagining the context of those I didn't. Samantha Hahn's impressions of each woman is worthy of study, and I was introduced to some books I had forsaken as "simply not for me." After having a brief encounter with the heroine of Crime and Punishment, for example, Les Miserables, or even Dracula, I concluded that I have assumed I know more about literature than I thought I did. Whether I read them is not as important as the fact that my world has just become a bit bigger, and that is entirely thanks to Hahn's curation of the Western canon.* Find this book whether you are an admirer of art, the female form, looking to expand your TBR, or are simply a reader of English prose. You can't go wrong.

*I'm not mathematician, but 99% is WC.

[Ophelia 💛 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a marvelous piece of art!
The portraits are so gorgeous and the quotes are so artsy and beautifully chosen. It makes me want to pick up every single story mentioned in this book.
More people need to know of this book!

[Melina Souza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que livro lindo *-*

[Emily W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning book. Well worth the money to have on your shelf as a collector's item. I borrowed this from the library, but I loved it so much that I will definitely get my own copy for my personal collection.

[Nouru-éddine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah! I had this desire before to have a whole archive of fiction's heros and heroines I badly attached with. And here we are introduced to an album of the most touching and beautiful literature's heroines in wonderfully illustrated portraits and hand-written quotes.

***

My favourite one:








***

[Jenny Bunting · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this from the library because I wanted to look at it. I read it in 10 minutes and now I kinda want my own copy.

Let me start off by saying: IT'S SO PRETTY.

I love the selection. I love the watercolors. I love how the women looked like normal women. I love the quotes chosen. I made a mental note of about 10 classics I need to read because I love a fierce female character. It's a well made book. The cover feel substantial and the paper is high-quality and feel luxurious.

Flip through this. Simply amazing.

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an absolutely stunning book, both in terms of content and just the way it's been put together. Hahn's watercolour art style is so enchanting, very soft and delicate. For the books and characters included that I have read so far, I felt the quotes chosen to accompany each picture were very apt. Would have been nice to see more women of colour included, but that's my only qualm, and there's always the possibility for a second instalment I guess. Will definitely be dipping in and out of this again in future, such a lovely book to own!

[Latie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would make a fantastic gift for those who have a hard time buying, especially for picky book worms! The book is comprised of vividly rendered photos in stunning water colour portraying various female characters of literature. Each stunning portrait is accompanied by a quote handwritten in water colour. the most stand out part of the book was the artistry- it's the main reason why I just had to own it. I felt some of the quotes chosen where either a little vague, or cliche- but the majority were beautiful, meaningful, or curious- enough to make you want to learn about the story behind the character.

"What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult to each other?"
-Dorothea Brooke, Middlemarch by George Eliot (p.p. 89, Samantha Hahn)

In other words, this book serves as a vivid gateway to new stories for the avid female (or male) reader to enjoy.

[Juliette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This coffee table book features stunning watercolors of literary heroines. My favorites are Alice, Hester Prynne, Nancy Drew, Ophelia, Cosette, Juliet and Antigone. I would love for Chronicle Books to release a wall calendar and note cards by this artist. Also, a portion of this book's proceeds are donated to Room to Read, a charity that supports literacy and gender equality. A beautiful book & meaningful cause!

[Elizabeth Macyshyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

The illustrations are beautiful. Samantha Hahn clearly has a vision and brought so many of these characters to life.

HOWEVER, looking at this in 2020, it seems like a glaring omission to only include one or two woman of color. One of them is Pecola from Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. It's featured on pages 52 and 53. If you don't know, In "The Bluest Eye", the protagonist, Pecola, is tormented by black schoolboys because her skin is even darker than theirs. So it was surprising and disappointing to see how...light the Pecola was portrayed in Hahn's illustration. It's not my place to say who looks and doesn't look black, but Pecola is certainly whitewashed. So, please, be your own judge.


Was this a choice? Or were Hahn's watercolors not pigmented enough? Maybe she didn't read the book? Regardless, choices were made and I have questions.

[Saya etc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for the challenge of:
"Read a book about books."

What a marvelous piece of art! The portraits are gorgeous and the quotes are beautifully written and chosen. It makes me want to read every single book in this book. I'm definitely checking more of this artists.

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A beautiful book! I loved the illustrations and the way the quotes were written! I have read some of the books featured there and I'd like to read the ones I haven't! I might get it on my shelves some day to revisit it at leasure! I really loved the way the heroines were portrayed!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS

[Quỳnh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Một cuốn sách tranh đáng thất vọng, một "beautiful little fool" (cô gái đẹp ngốc nghếch) chính hiệu. Một thành phẩm lười biếng, không có sự đầu tư khảo cứu nào về văn học lẫn hội họa.

Trước nhất là về font chữ. Mình không quan tâm nó là font chữ viết tay bay bướm hay nó có màu sắc rực rỡ ra sao, nếu nó khó nhìn hay làm mình đau mắt thì nó là font chữ tệ hại. Đây là chỉ dấu đầu tiên cho việc tác giả/họa sĩ không có tầm nhìn về cách tác phẩm tương tác với người đọc.

Phần tranh minh họa mới thật đáng hổ hẹn. Chỉ cần lướt qua chục tranh để độc giả nhận ra mình đang lạc vào một gian hàng búp bê barbie, với mỗi con búp bê được tròng một biển tên theo tên các nữ nhân vật nổi tiếng. Những con búp bê này một màu đến nỗi bạn có thể tráo loạn biển tên của chúng mà không ai nhận ra. Đến đây mọi người hiểu ý mình chứ? Những bức tranh hoàn toàn thiếu vắng cá tính của nhân vật mà chúng được đặt tên. Chúng thậm chí còn chẳng có tí dấu ấn cá nhân nào của người vẽ ra chúng! ... Mình không có đủ kiên nhẫn để chứng kiến trọn sự hời hợt của tác giả.

[talia ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

there has literally never existed a more ME book

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Книгата представлява колекция от акварелни портрети на най-известните героини в литературата. На всяка страница има картина плюс цитат на героинята. Страхотна идея, страхотно изпълнение и страхотна книга. Истинско съкровище (и прекрасен подарък) за библиотеката на всяка четяща жена. Личи си, че авторката се е постарала да улови духа и да вдъхне нов живот на героините не само във великолепните акварели, но и в прекрасните цитати. Жалко, че при нас надали някога ще види бял свят, но ако я имах винаги би била отворена на видно място.

This book is a collection of watercolor portraits of the most famous female characters in literature. On each page there are a picture plus a quote from the heroine. This definitely is a great idea, great execution and a great book and it’s a real treasure (and a wonderful gift) for the library of every reading lady. You can tell that the author has endeavored to capture the spirit and breathe new life into those famous heroines not only with the magnificent watercolors, but also with the wonderful quotes she’s chosen. It's a pity that where I live we hardly ever see books like this one.

Daisy Buchanan:

Anna Karenina:

Scarlett O’Hara:

[Shanelle Sorensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the art and the quotes that were chosen. The list of characters is definitely quite different from what I would choose, but that's neither here nor there. At first I just kind of flipped through it very quickly and casually and wasn't all that impressed. It's definitely a coffee table book, which is not really my thing. But upon further thought, and a second flip through, I became intrigued with the way the characters were represented and amazed especially at the eyes, on the close-up portraits. While I would have loved to see more from it, I have to take it for what it is. With that in mind, I think it's an awesome book for bookworm women to have on display and one I think I'll enjoy looking at from time to time.

[Susan Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of portraits of the authors favourite literary heroines accompanied by her favourite quote from each character. To start with the water colour illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and the characters depicted are from a wide variety of literature.

The portraits made me re-evaluate how I’ve imagined the characters from the books I’ve already read and I know I’ll be returning to this book each time I read more of the novels involved.

Although this book takes a very short time to read, it is a great coffee table book to flick through. I know I will be cherish this for a long time.

[Ellyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is amazing, would make a great gift for any book lover - especially for any women who love classics!! I was floored by the beautiful watercolors.

[Joy (joyous reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book. It's water colour portraits of female literary greats with quotes significant or telling of their characters. It's art and literature which I am a huge fan of.

Highly recommended for books and art lovers alike. This is a Picture Book for Grown Ups!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely little book; the illustrations are sweet and it was fun to revisit the author's (and most of my) favorite literary heroines.

[BirdiesBookshelves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning!