tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post7339983082949714760..comments2023-07-10T01:17:13.383+10:00Comments on Brona's Books: Women's Classic Literature ChallengeBronahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-37429233969892508392015-10-15T08:41:47.405+11:002015-10-15T08:41:47.405+11:00By fallen women, I mean ' sinners' - so it...By fallen women, I mean ' sinners' - so it doesn't just have to a be a fall into prostitution. It also usually involves a double standard - that is, if a man did the same thing he would considered interesting or strong-minded or independent or a flawed character - whereas the woman just gets to be bad or mad! <br />Many male writers (& some women too) wrote their female characters as either good or bad - angels or fallen - saint or sinner - the virgin or the seductress - the old maid or the wife & the more modern idea of the shrinking violet or the women's libber. They had to be one or the other - not flawed, complex or nuanced with a bit of both - Scarlett O'Hara being the classic example of one such nuanced, complex, flawed human being.<br /><br />Off the top of my head we have the original sinner in the eyes of mankind - Eve, as well as Anna Karenina, Lady Macbeth, Lady Chatterley, French Lieutenant's Woman, Cathy in East of Eden, Nana by Zola, Becky Sharp - Thackery, Madame Bovary...I'm sure there are more!<br /><br />It's a fascinating topic - lots of English papers have been written on this theme over the years & I will definitely give The Scarlet Letter a go - thanks :-)Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-60209512741231353382015-10-14T22:58:52.200+11:002015-10-14T22:58:52.200+11:00What are some other fallen women stories? I am dr...What are some other fallen women stories? I am drawing a blank except for Tess. Unlike Tess though, Hester is strong and has a clear idea of what is right or wrong. She comes to embrace living on the outskirts of society, even though it isn't a happy situation, because she can see how screwed up that society is. I just thought it was a gorgeous novel about redemption, love and trust. And conversely you can see how pride (not strength) and caring about worldly reputation torments the soul.Faithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10169821331076296753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-13138759457225496752015-10-14T07:05:05.224+11:002015-10-14T07:05:05.224+11:00This sounds great. I rather let Classics Club fall...This sounds great. I rather let Classics Club fall to the wayside in the past few months. This would be a great way to get started again! Lindseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00333927782181943347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-73601501178132352015-10-14T03:27:51.968+11:002015-10-14T03:27:51.968+11:00I enjoyed books by Jane Austen, the Brontës, Louis...I enjoyed books by Jane Austen, the Brontës, Louisa May Alcott, Daphne du Maurier, Dodie Smith and Agatha Christie. You have plenty of exciting, new-to-me, authors on your list too though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-89524713607797438152015-10-13T09:22:47.659+11:002015-10-13T09:22:47.659+11:00Yes! I need to hunt down my copy of A Room of One&...Yes! I need to hunt down my copy of A Room of One's Own for a reread. I wonder if my 40-something self will find it as enlightening as my 20-something self did?<br />A may have to download a copy of Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects too.Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-651811692036891752015-10-13T09:15:58.492+11:002015-10-13T09:15:58.492+11:00Ferber is part of my Pulitzer reading challenge - ...Ferber is part of my Pulitzer reading challenge - my copy is one of those small brick-like odd sized books.<br />But a number of the early female Pulitzer winners are out of print....Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-40031816051699993042015-10-13T09:12:49.493+11:002015-10-13T09:12:49.493+11:00Yes, the TofWH is well worth the time...I'm no...Yes, the TofWH is well worth the time...I'm now trying to source the old BBC series with Rupert Graves.<br /><br />I ended up not adding Anita Brookner to my list due to the 1960's time frame. But then I remembered that I was using '25yrs' as my benchmark for a 'classic', so some of her work would fit in after all :-)Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-21944713691825862015-10-13T09:08:50.882+11:002015-10-13T09:08:50.882+11:00I would like to read The Scarlet Letter one day......I would like to read The Scarlet Letter one day...although I can't but help it's another 'fallen woman' story....the epitome of the saint or sinner storyline?Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-30096493517866464012015-10-13T09:05:39.985+11:002015-10-13T09:05:39.985+11:00I had to google it to be sure too :-)
Her full mon...I had to google it to be sure too :-)<br />Her full moniker was Edmee Elizabeth Monica de la Pasture (I wonder if that's were the 'field' part came from in Delafield?)<br />Her married surname was Dashwood.Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-55980997283923454402015-10-13T09:01:45.751+11:002015-10-13T09:01:45.751+11:00It looks like I will be doing An Age of Innocence ...It looks like I will be doing An Age of Innocence readalong (by popular demand) in January for my Wharton Review. Perhaps you could factor that into your schedule?<br /><br />Good luck with your list :-)Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-69537532082846354972015-10-13T08:59:09.604+11:002015-10-13T08:59:09.604+11:00Emma is a hard one to get into. Try watching one o...Emma is a hard one to get into. Try watching one of the movies (the Gwyneth Paltrow or Clueless) to give you a sense of her character. Sometimes seeing someone else's interpretation frees you up to develop your own.Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-33960047138950330902015-10-13T04:29:14.574+11:002015-10-13T04:29:14.574+11:00I'm really excited about this challenge. I jus...I'm really excited about this challenge. I just haven't decided yet where to start with a reading plan. So far, I only know that it will include Elizabeth Gaskell and Edna Ferber. (I was happy to see her mentioned in your post.) So much "listing" to do... :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-41411441527445349602015-10-13T01:51:00.801+11:002015-10-13T01:51:00.801+11:00After reading this excellent post I took a look at...After reading this excellent post I took a look at my reading list 2015.<br />Oh, dear, not looking good. 1 short story collection (Adichie) , 3 French novelists (Gersten, Salavyre, Autissier) and 1 American novelist (Yanagihara). 1 Ukraine (Alexievich, non-fiction in progress) 1 Australian in the planning (Henry Handel Richardson).<br />I'm going to have to think long and hard about a 'reading strategy' for this challenge. I have read Edith Wharton, Ruth Park, and Barbara Pym. (very good) Karen Blixen,Pearl S Buck, Simone De Beauvoir, Edna Ferber. (still to be discovered). But would like to include some Nobel winners and Australian writers. I will work on a list and kickoff blogpost.... asap.<br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-1402727038911894242015-10-12T12:32:47.752+11:002015-10-12T12:32:47.752+11:00I only discovered Persuasion as my new favourite J...I only discovered Persuasion as my new favourite Jane Austen book earlier thus year when my original Spin choice (Emma) became a struggle to read. So I switched to Persausion and was enthralled. Now I can understand why so many other women also like Persuasion!!! I read Jane Eyre at high school so many years ago, but I have not read any Willa Cather, although I have heard of My Antonia.Good idea to answer the survey questions. I should do mine as well. Francesca Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16240118158098699822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-27389862144447095702015-10-12T05:56:21.249+11:002015-10-12T05:56:21.249+11:00After having read your post I think I'll start...After having read your post I think I'll start off with A Room of One's Own! I do love Persuasion and Jane Eyre but have yet to read any Willa Cather despite many people having recommended it to me. I'm so excited for your Edith Wharton month as I've not read any of her writing yet apart from my previous failed attempt at The Age of Innocence, but I'm determined to rectify that!<br /><br />I'm off to start a list of all the authors I'm already discovering from people's posts!anarmchairbytheseahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14593618746095559894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-9968006752446140242015-10-12T03:58:17.855+11:002015-10-12T03:58:17.855+11:00Our lists overlap with many of the same authors! I...Our lists overlap with many of the same authors! I am hoping to get to Barbara Pym, Anita Brookner, Muriel Spark, Stella Gibbons and Elizabeth Taylor, among others. I also have more Gaskell to read, and I am going to definitely read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which I haven't gotten to yet!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18408314600078036900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-17188735164727560112015-10-12T00:36:26.350+11:002015-10-12T00:36:26.350+11:00Oh, I agree with Faith's suggestion above abou...Oh, I agree with Faith's suggestion above about Hawthorne...<br /><br />Anyway, this is so exciting! I just reread <i>A Room of One's Own</i> & agree that's a GREAT place to start in this event. I've read Sylvia Plath & Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen) from your "want to read" list. Both are incredible. Have fun, Brona!! :-D*ೃ༄ Jillianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14139487177036647728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-3744320094196944502015-10-11T23:11:56.184+11:002015-10-11T23:11:56.184+11:00I never knew E. M. Delafield was a woman! I alway...I never knew E. M. Delafield was a woman! I always thought of the author as a guy. You've really covered the biggies! But some women authors I enjoy are: Mary Roberts Rinehart who wrote popular mysteries (among other types of books) in the very early 1900s. Read Bab; a Sub Deb which is hysterically funny. It is different from the other books I've read by her. Another popular writer of yore was Gene Stratton-Porter. I've only read two by her, but I want to read more. Another more contemporary American woman writer is Anne Tyler. For British women authors, I am a big Georgette Heyer fan. I love her intelligent regency romances, her mysteries and her historical fiction. And you can't forget Dorothy L. Sayers and her wonderful Lord Peter Wimsey series! And Elizabeth Goudge was another popular writer who got at least one of her books turned into a movie, Green Dolphin Street. I think my one of my favorite male authors who can write women characters well is Nathaniel Hawthorne. I think he 'got' women. Faithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10169821331076296753noreply@blogger.com