What I'm Reading

This was interesting. Not the most engaging read, mostly a treatise on why women should work, illustrated by five different characters: maiden aunt sisters (one of whom takes to drink), a young girl in a bad marriage, two women who run a sort of secretarial school and a young man who wants to be married but hasn't sorted his head out yet. Oddly feminist novel by a man, i learn from the introduction, who didn't even like women that much. He thought women should be educated and so on so that he could find a good partner, his first marriage being disastrous and this book is far from perfect, littered with casual sexism that make your hackles rise until you're like "Hang on, waittt a minute. This was written in the 1890s!" So modern is the language, so contemporary the concerns, that you're forgiven for wanting the author to be less mealy-mouthed about his opinions. It's a book that you should read, just to round out your ideas of 19th century novels, and it's quick and it'll give you a lot to think about. #theoddwomen #georgegissing #bookstagram #mrmbookclub #120in2020