“The Yellow Wallpaper,” the first story in this collection, is a reread for me, but it always affects me. I think it‘s the repetition of the MC‘s fixation that sort of dizzies me as I‘m reading it, a powerful device. In a separate piece, Gilman writes about her own experience with this type of rest treatment and the detrimental effects it had on her. It‘s a perfect example of a story engaging the reader with an idea without preaching.
pickThe #PersephoneClub is introducing me to such great stories from neglected authors who capture the societal issues present at the time of writing. Like the Holtby this bk focuses on how a woman's ambitions + vivacity is subsumed to the life of her husband and family. Patricia is a girl who rides wild horses with abandon + is untamed until she meets Hugh an inverted intellectual snob. Family takes over + Patricia flounders to assert her identity.
I loved this, even though so much of it was sad. It broke my heart when August said goodbye to Griselda and his home—Griselda was worth a thousand Gwens.
As @CarolynM said, it‘s nice to think that Patricia was finally going to recapture some of her old happiness.
I‘ve included a couple of Joanna Cannan‘s “pony books.” 🐴
#PersephoneClub
@LeahBergen @sparklemn @quietjenn @elkeoriginal @Cathythoughts @catebutler @andrew61
pickA poignant, thoughtful, and moving book for #persephoneclub this month. I loved the brief glimpses that we got of Pat(ricia), as she moves from childhood to solid middle-age. Wonderful characterizations and terrific writing.
pickI enjoyed this book so much! It‘s rather a sad story, I thought, but the writing, the wit, the vignettes (a single paragraph summation of Angela‘s season) & the throw away remarks (“‘Nobody could be more nit-witted than the hunting crowd.‘ ‘Nonsense! What about Patrick Chalmers and Siegfried Sassoon?‘”) were a total delight. Does anyone know what Hymn No 573 was? All Things Bright & Beautiful maybe? Great choice @rubyslippersreads
#PersephoneClub
#PersephoneClub
My library hold came in on my return from holiday so have launched into this one and enjoying it so far but just stopped for a mo at this point.
Poor Patricia, I thought Hugh might be a good egg but the analogy with the wild horses she used to ride being tamed is evident.
pickI really enjoyed this one too @LeahBergen . It is , as you so beautifully put it , ‘ a moving portrait of a woman‘s life ‘ and I got caught up in the lives of Patricia and her family.
Lots of snobbery and clothes too, playing a big part in this story.
Her dress was …‘ rust trimmed with green and ever such a saucy hat ‘ … ( sounds good to me ! )
I‘ll say no more , no spoilers 👍🏻#PersephoneClub
“You never forget those days when life blossomed. The blossom fell ; the fruit was gathered; the trees stood bare; but yew them, split them, saw them , burn them, and still about your winter rooms there‘d be the honeyed smell of that dead spring time …”
Nearly finished, really enjoying.
#PersephoneClub
pickThis was a moving portrait of a woman‘s life, from her Edwardian childhood to middle age. She marries for love and has three perfect children but as she ages (and her family‘s imperfections show), she wonders if it was all worth it. I won‘t say much more, as I know the rest of the #PersephoneClub is still reading, but I thoroughly enjoyed the slow unfolding of Pat‘s life and the (at times) really witty writing.
