Customer Reviews
Dated in Places but still required reading - By: Mrs. K. A. Wheatley, 20 Nov 2007 
This book by Gilbert & Gubar was groundbreaking literary criticism when it was first published, & paved the way for an explosion in feminist literary criticism that alllowed much existing work to be re-evaluated & enriched by what women had to say
I recently re-read this work, & have to say that some of it is now dated, & the enormous preface to the recent edition does not reallly add anything to the main body of text, although it does go some way to setting the scene for the research. It seems dated because what Gilbert & Gubar once fought for is now taken for granted by so many, which just shows the success of their achievements.
The majority of the work on the 19th Century novels themselves, particularly the work of Charlotte Bronte is invaluable & always enriching & interesting. Nobody should be able to read these novels without reading these essays because they just make so much sense. The central tenet about the writer & their ability to express the unexpressible aspects of themselves through their literary creations & in particular the character of Bertha Mason from Jane Eyre, is still breathtaking & brilliant. A must read for any serious students of nineteenth century literature.
Feminist lit-crit of the highest order - By: , 26 May 2001 This is the sort of criticism that expands your impression of literature. The authors cast a fresh light on classic women's writing - Austen, the Brontes, etc - by examining how a woman writer's self-perception is shaped by patriarchy & a mysoginistic tradition, & that the anxiety caused by being 'unfeminine' can be found within the writing. It's also well written enough to be read for fun.
A great insight into Victorian feminism - By: , 03 Oct 1999 A must for anyone interested in the feminist aspects of Victorian writing. Gilbert & Gubar explore the writings of canonical Victorian women such as Austen, Eliot & the Bronte sisters with an insight sure to fascinate the academic or just the interested everyday reader.
