The Story of a Modern Woman (Version 2)
Ella Hepworth Dixon
Read by Bruce Pirie
“The Story of a Modern Woman” (1894) is a work of feminist social realism. In its time it was one of the most famous and influential novels to grow out of and shape the “New Woman” movement of the 1890s. It won such attention for its author that Ella Hepworth Dixon was given the nickname “The New Woman.”
The story of the novel’s protagonist, Mary Erle, loosely follows the outline of Dixon’s own situation. As the well-educated daughter of a public intellectual, she enters the world of professional writing after his death, partly trading on his name. Victorian society had been distinctly patriarchal, and women were expected to find their places under the protection of men, traditionally defining themselves as wives and mothers. However, by the 1890s, an alarming “surplus” of unmarried women in Britain meant that many had statistically little chance of becoming anyone’s wife or mother, and must create for themselves other paths to meaningful existence. This new reality demanded a more complex understanding of life, with storylines more nuanced than the old “find-a-husband” fiction of earlier decades.
“The Story of a Modern Woman” was published first in serial form, then released in the UK and the USA in two editions with some differences in the selection and arrangement of material. This LibriVox recording is based on the American edition. - Summary by Bruce Pirie (7 hr 16 min)
Chapters
An End and a Beginning | 19:59 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
A Child | 22:08 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
Wonderings | 16:37 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
A Young Girl | 17:07 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
Alison | 18:43 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
Mary's Lover | 18:32 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
The Central London School of Art | 14:59 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
A Kettledrum at Lady Jane's | 17:49 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
Mary Tries to Live Her Life | 15:44 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
New Hopes | 17:23 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
In Grub Street | 19:11 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
The Woman Waits | 19:16 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
The Man Returns | 19:24 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
The Apotheosis of Perry Jackson | 16:25 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
Mary Goes Out on a Wet Day | 15:09 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
A Comedy in Real Life | 19:16 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
Two Ultimatums | 16:06 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
Number Twenty-seven | 15:44 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
Dunlop Strange Makes a Mistake | 20:24 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
Alison Arranges a Match | 17:22 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
The Gate of Silence | 19:41 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
The World Wags On | 19:14 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
In Which Civilization Triumphs | 17:44 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
The Woman in the Glass | 22:16 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
Reviews
Shelly
Rarely have I come upon a book that describes places and characters so consistently vividly and well. Whether it's a Summer day in the park or a dismal hospital ward, we are taken there through sights and sounds. The story really takes off when Mary has to earn a living and is an interesting reflection on the social " rules " and inequalities of the time. An excellent reading from Bruce. Thank goodness for someone who,when a character is said to shout, realises they ,the reader, doesn't have too, His quiet but clear voice adds to the enjoyment