The Story of a Modern Woman (Version 2)


Read by Bruce Pirie

(3.5 stars; 4 reviews)

“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


(5 stars)

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