- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Sutton Publishing Ltd; New edition edition (10 Jan 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0750907258
- ISBN-13: 978-0750907255
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 507,907 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
800 Years of Women's Letters
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
An anthology of women's letters, studying the tradition of female letter-writing from the 12th century to the present. One of the few "allowable" forms of written expression open to women until the 18th century - even Jane Austen at first pretended her drawing-room scribbling was letters rather than the novel she was really working on - these private letters detail their daily lives, their sorrows and joys, small achievements, and the great rites of passage of birth, death and marriage. Both entertaining and informative, this study provides an insight into past women's lives and should be a valuable historical resource, in particular for historians and those interested in women's studies.
About the Author
OLGA KENYON is a well-respected writer and academic. She has lectured at Bradford University and Morley College, where she was Head of Humanities. She has also lectured for the Open University, specialising in Women's Literature. She lives in Manchester.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
--------------------------
In this engrossing anthology, the first truly comprehensive study of women's letters, Olga kenyon explores the tradition of female letter-writing from the 12th century to the presetn day.
One of the few 'allowable' forms of written expressioin open to women until the 18th century.
these private letters deal in daily life, their sorrows and joys, small achievments and the great rites of passage of birth, death and marriage.
Includes: Heloise, Margaret Paston, Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, Florence Nightingale, Vita Sackville-West, Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen and many many more...
A Must for any collection!
--------------------------
In this engrossing anthology, the first truly comprehensive study of women's letters, Olga kenyon explores the tradition of female letter-writing from the 12th century to the presetn day.
One of the few 'allowable' forms of written expressioin open to women until the 18th century.
these private letters deal in daily life, their sorrows and joys, small achievments and the great rites of passage of birth, death and marriage.
Includes: Heloise, Margaret Paston, Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, Florence Nightingale, Vita Sackville-West, Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen and many many more...
A Must for any collection!
--------------------------
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
'800 years of Women's letters' by Olga Kenyon is a truly fascinating and comprehensive study of women's letters reveals the nature of women's lives from the twelfth to the twentieth century. Entertaining and informative the book covers a geographic span from France to America and down to Mary Kingsley travelling in the Congo. There are many letters written here in Britain, from Jane Austen et al to contemporary writers Fay Weldon and Elaine Feinstein, including also the first female letter known from Roman Britain celebrating women's friendship.
Olga Kenyon's intention is to show that women's letters are a valid form of literature, despite still being relatively neglected, compared to poetry and novels, and she achieves this admirably. Taking account of the feminist approach, studying the older letters for their difference from the present also helps toward our understanding both of the past and of gender formation.
The book is divided into eleven main sections; each section includes an insightful introduction by Olga Kenyon. The letters cover such topics as: How women view their roles, Love and Sexual Passion, Work, War and Alleviating suffering and Political skills.
There are for instance letters from Aphra Benn, (the first professional woman writer in England) forced to ask for money to cover her expenses; Mrs Gaskell considers the balance between housekeeping duties and individual development; Lady Mary Wortley Montagu writes of on her first visit to a Turkish Bath in 1717 (she is perhaps the most interesting letter writer in the English language, though no books of hers were in print when this book was published in 1992). Many letters from less well known women are included such as Isabella Bird whose letters home give an informative view of life for new settlers in the American West of 1873.
These letters reveal honesty, accurate analysis, compassion, humility and love; they give us a new type of history. No previous anthology has presented such rich material of equal interest to historians and the general reader alike.
Olga Kenyon's intention is to show that women's letters are a valid form of literature, despite still being relatively neglected, compared to poetry and novels, and she achieves this admirably. Taking account of the feminist approach, studying the older letters for their difference from the present also helps toward our understanding both of the past and of gender formation.
The book is divided into eleven main sections; each section includes an insightful introduction by Olga Kenyon. The letters cover such topics as: How women view their roles, Love and Sexual Passion, Work, War and Alleviating suffering and Political skills.
There are for instance letters from Aphra Benn, (the first professional woman writer in England) forced to ask for money to cover her expenses; Mrs Gaskell considers the balance between housekeeping duties and individual development; Lady Mary Wortley Montagu writes of on her first visit to a Turkish Bath in 1717 (she is perhaps the most interesting letter writer in the English language, though no books of hers were in print when this book was published in 1992). Many letters from less well known women are included such as Isabella Bird whose letters home give an informative view of life for new settlers in the American West of 1873.
These letters reveal honesty, accurate analysis, compassion, humility and love; they give us a new type of history. No previous anthology has presented such rich material of equal interest to historians and the general reader alike.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book ( in fact I bought 5 altogether) as a present / presents for women who I love and respect. They have all been thrilled by the quality and range of the extracts chosen. I myself, think the forward is superbly written and wonderfully thought provoking.
A great book to own or to give to anyone who enjoys being inspired by the reflections of people from other ages .
A great book to own or to give to anyone who enjoys being inspired by the reflections of people from other ages .
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent and engrossing guide to the lives of women
This is a wonderful book. Arranged according to subject areas (such as Friendship, Marriage and Childbirth, Travellers and Travelling, and Political Skills) it contains a... Read more
Published 22 months ago by MBJM
Inspiring
This book is so inspiring, it takes you into the private worlds of women. It is well put together and the letters are carefully chosen. Read more
Published on 9 Mar 2010 by Ms. D. Hughes
Captivating
My mum bought this for me in the early '90s and I still dip into it - it's comforting to think fellow women have felt like me back through the ages!
Published on 27 Dec 2009 by Bee Woman
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Biography > Historical > Britain > Social & Urban History
- Books > Biography > Historical > Social & Urban History
- Books > Biography > Women
- Books > History > Cultural History
- Books > History > Essays, Journals, Letters & True Accounts
- Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > History & Criticism
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Women's Studies
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
