Women and Marriage in Victorian Fiction

by Jenni Calder

First U.S. edition. The treatment of women in fiction between 1792 and 1913 is the primary subject of this study, however the author also covers relevent topics such as child labor, the hypocritical sexual mores of the time, and the false dawn of feminism at the turn of the century. The works of many authors are discussed, including Leo Tolstoy, Jane Austin, Elizabeth Gaskell, the Brontë sisters, and Charles Dickens. Illustrated, chronology of relevant books, index.

Genres: Nonfiction, Literary Criticism, 19th Century

223 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Scottish literary historian and novelist Jenni Calder (née Daiches) was born in Chicago in 1941, but has lived and worked in Scotland since 1971. She was formerly married to Scottish critic Angus Calder, and is the daughter of literary historian David Daiches.

Jenni Calder writes novels and poetry under the name Jenni Daiches.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. It's both very readable and rather dry at places, so I found myself reading it in bursts, flying through it at parts and thrudging through it in others. It does help if you're fairly well-versed in Victorian literature - I'm not, apart from the very well-known classics, so that was a problem. On the other hand, this book has piqued my interest in some books I only knew through movies/miniseries!
Overall a good overview of Victorian views of women and marriage as seen through (English) literature.

[Sophie Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read, and a very useful ressource, I think.
It’s written in a simple style so that it’s very accessible, but it is very well-informed and tackles a good number of issues.
I wish the author had analysed more fiction written by women, though. And I also wish there were better referencing - there’s just a list of further readings at the end of the book.

[Momo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but not well-structured, I would say. It becomes rather convoluted and "jumpy" at times. I also think it's beneficial to have either read or be very familiar with all the works she mentions and analyses.