The Morgesons and Other Writings, Published and Unpublished

by Elizabeth Stoddard, Lawrence Buell (Editor), Sandra A. Zagarell (Editor)

Stoddard was, next to Melville and Hawthorne, the most strikingly original voice in the mid-nineteenth-century American novel, a voice ...that ought to gain a more sympathetic and perceptive hearing in our time than in her own.-from the Introduction The centerpiece of this volume is The Morgesons (1862), one of the few outstanding feminist bildungsromanae of that century. Additional selections include arresting short stories and provocative journalistic essays/reviews, plus a number of letters and manuscript journals that have never before been published. The texts are fully edited and documented.

400 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1984

About the author

Elizabeth Drew Barstow studied at Wheaton Seminary, Norton, Massachusetts. After her marriage in 1852 to poet Richard Henry Stoddard, the couple settled permanently in New York City, where they belonged to New York's vibrant, close-knit literary and artistic circles. She assisted her husband in his literary work, and contributed stories, poems and essays to the periodicals. Many of her own works were originally published between 1859 and 1890 in such magazines as The Aldine, Harper's Monthly, Harper's Bazaar, and The Atlantic Monthly.

Source:Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Stephanie Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. Every character in it is at least halfway off her rocker. Morgeson's vision of New England domestic life is very different from that of her contemporary, Louisa May Alcott.

[Allie Hyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elisabeth Stoddard's The Morgensons explores themes of religion, tradition, the trials and tribulations within relationships in all shapes and forms, and the trail to womanhood in 19th-century America. Stoddard uses enchanting prose to develop settings that tactfully balance the novel's realist themes and contextualize each character's development.
Cassandra, the novel's head-strong protagonist, is introduced to readers as a laughable and often naive little girl only to part with the readers as a woman who has questioned femininity, faced love and loss on multiple accounts, has tested and been tested by societal norms and sexual desire, and become a pillar of strength. While the novel focuses on Cassandra, Stoddard weaves an intriguing web of supporting characters and relationships that are all as complex and flawed as they are relatable and charming. I empathized deeply with each character as they navigated different paths to finding fulfillment. When these paths crossed, as they did so often, and it appeared that only one character would receive fulfillment, I found myself tied between my loyalties to each character involved, leaving me conflicted until the very last sentence of the novel.
The Morgensons can be a slow read at times, but this aligns with the novel's theme of realism, provides ample suspense for the climaxes, and allows the reader to perceive and reflect upon Cassandra's story as an honest reflection of the human experience.

[Lily Mccarthy · Rating 2 out of 5]

honestly better than the other books i read for class! interesting takes on classism, sexism, and individualism in the 19th century. the ending took me by surprise, having ben die.

[Philip Mikolajczak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Criminally underrated novel. Exceptional piece of literature that deserves more attention.