The Odd Women

Gissing, George, 1857-1903Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.3

Word count: 778K words
Chapters: 78

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Odd Women by George GissingAuthor: Gissing, George, 1857-1903,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Aug 1, 2003

Editor's review

The Odd Women is George Gissing's major novel exploring the Victorian "surplus women" problem. "Odd women" refers to the group of single women in British society at the time who, because of an imbalanced sex ratio, found it difficult to marry. Through the different life choices of several female characters, Gissing presents the difficult path of seeking independence and self-worth outside marriage. The book's value lies in its being both a novel of social problems and a psychological realism of women's circumstances; readers can see the tension among education, career, economic self-sufficiency, and emotional needs. Gissing's narration is cool and restrained, and his characterization carries a tone in which irony and sympathy coexist. It suits readers interested in late nineteenth-century English social history, women's literature, and realist fiction. While reading, note the contrasting structure among the female characters and the author's dismantling of the notion of "respectability."

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Victorian women's circumstances and social history
Readers studying English realist fiction and women's literature
Readers who enjoy multi-character contrastive narratives and are willing to read long novels slowly
Contemporary readers concerned with single women's economic independence

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast-paced plots and strong dramatic conflict
Readers seeking a light, entertaining reading experience
Readers with no interest in nineteenth-century English social background

Reading tips

First understand the background of the Victorian sex-ratio imbalance, then enter the characters' fates.
Make a comparison table of the female characters' choices as you read, to grasp the structure.
This is a public-domain English book; read it alongside an annotated edition or introductory materials.
After finishing, compare it with contemporary women's issues and write down your own comparisons and questions.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What does "odd women" in the title mean?

It refers to the group of single women in late nineteenth-century Britain who found it difficult to marry because of an imbalanced sex ratio and were regarded by society at the time as "surplus." Gissing uses it as his title precisely to examine the social pressure and individual circumstances behind that label.

Is this the original English edition? Is it hard to read?

This is a public-domain English ebook released by Project Gutenberg. The language is late nineteenth-century written English with rather long sentences, posing some difficulty for non-native readers; reading with annotations or a guide is recommended.

Can I understand it without a background in British history?

You can follow the main plot and character relationships, but understanding the characters' social circumstances requires some background knowledge. It is advisable first to learn about Victorian attitudes toward marriage and women's employment; the reading experience will then be fuller.

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About the author

Gissing, George, 1857-1903 Author

George Gissing (Gissing, George, 1857-1903) was an English novelist, though public information about his life and education is limited. The library holds 24 of his works, most of which focus on the living conditions of the urban lower classes and those on the margins of the middle class, while also touching on themes of personal growth and self-discipline; they are commonly classified under inspirational growth. His representative works include New Grub Street, The Odd Women, The Nether World and Born in Exile. These works mostly present individual fates under poverty, class and professional pressure in a realistic style, with a cold and restrained tone. He also wrote By the Ionian Sea, a travelogue of southern Italy, and The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft, an essayistic work, revealing his observant and introspective side, as well as short story collections such as The House of Cobwebs and Other Stories.