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A Dangerous Woman
Martha Horgan is not like other women. She stares. She has violent crushes on people. She can't stop telling the truth. Martha craves love, independence, and companionship, but her relentless honesty makes her painfully vulnerable to those around Frances, her wealthy aunt and begrudging guardian; Birdy, who befriends her, then cruelly rejects her; and Colin Mackey, the seductive man who preys on her desires. Confused and bitter, distyrusting even those with her best interests at heart, Martha is propelled into a desperate attempt to gain control over her own life. A novel of unnerving suspense and terrifying insight into the perversities of passion, A Dangerous Woman is as devastatingly honest as Martha herself.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
165 people are currently reading
889 people want to read
About the author
Mary McGarry Morris
18 books188 followersMary McGarry Morris is an American novelist, short story author and playwright from New England. She uses its towns as settings for her works. In 1991, Michiko Kakutani of The New York Times described Morris as "one of the most skillful new writers at work in America today"; The Washington Post has described her as a "superb storyteller"; and The Miami Herald has called her "one of our finest American writers".
She has been most often compared to John Steinbeck and Carson McCullers. Although her writing style is different, Morris also has been compared to William Faulkner for her character-driven storytelling. She was a finalist for the National Book Award and PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. As of 2011, Morris has published eight novels, some of which were best-sellers, and numerous short stories. She also has written a play about the insanity trial of Mary Todd Lincoln.
She has been most often compared to John Steinbeck and Carson McCullers. Although her writing style is different, Morris also has been compared to William Faulkner for her character-driven storytelling. She was a finalist for the National Book Award and PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. As of 2011, Morris has published eight novels, some of which were best-sellers, and numerous short stories. She also has written a play about the insanity trial of Mary Todd Lincoln.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
April 29, 2010
Although I can completely understand why some felt this book was not their cup of tea, I really love Mary McGarry Morris' novels and this is no exception. I think she is one of the most underrated novelists in part because she does her job so well as she tends to focus on the different, the uncomfortable and the painful. And, she does it exceptionally well here with the story of Martha. This character is so interesting to me - fascinating really. We never really find out for 'sure' what Martha is in terms of a diagnosis. We know she's 'off' but not what really causes her very odd and uncomfortable demeanor. I found the character to be so compelling while at the same time so difficult to read about. It gave me a great deal to think about in terms of how I (and society) treats those who are different. How we make assumptions. How we make judgments. I felt that the author's writing of her story really made me feel what it must be like to be Martha as well as what it must be like to be around her. At times, I felt as if I were THERE, watching it all unfold in front of me. I found the story to be heartbreaking overall. The story is dark and there isn't necessarily a light at the end of the dark tunnel. But, in the end, I think that was appropriate. I think a 'happy ending' would have been contrite and missed the entire point of the story. I really enjoyed this book and plan to seek out other books by this author that I haven't yet read.
March 30, 2011
Although I agree that this book was very disturbing & made me quite sad, I feel like it's important to read about people who we don't "get." it definitely makes you think about how understanding we, as a society, are not towards people who are different. It definitely was upsetting, especially the way almost nobody seemed to try & truly get help for her, but LIFE is upsetting.
People like Martha often become the homeless person on the corner who talks to herself or the dangerous criminal in jail for his actions that he doesn't fully understand.
The saddest thing is how her aunt could have used her money & time to get help for Martha, but she was so self-indulged that she only saw her niece as a burden. That broke my heart. Then again, it seems to me that Aunt Frances showed signs - albeit much subtler - of Martha's disorder too. I wonder if that was intended by the author.
People like Martha often become the homeless person on the corner who talks to herself or the dangerous criminal in jail for his actions that he doesn't fully understand.
The saddest thing is how her aunt could have used her money & time to get help for Martha, but she was so self-indulged that she only saw her niece as a burden. That broke my heart. Then again, it seems to me that Aunt Frances showed signs - albeit much subtler - of Martha's disorder too. I wonder if that was intended by the author.
November 6, 2007
Picked this gem up at a second hand book shop in Madrid on Sunday, I read it in two days. Don't you love books like that? Where you gotta finish or you'll die? It was tragic, fabulous and engaging. The kind of book that makes you think you too, are mentally ill. Also the kind of book that makes you wish the author had more for you, much more. You wind through the charcters lives and can't quite believe it's fiction...I love books about nuts, makes me feel less alone. And less nuts.
November 9, 2007
After reading A Dangerous Woman I've decided that Mary McGarry Morris is my new favorite author. She is amazingly perceptive about people and life in small towns and makes you feel like you are there watching the story unfold--sometimes like you are a part of it! I think we all know someone like Martha Horgan: "different", difficult to talk to or to be around and someone who is just "weird". There's been something "different" about Martha her whole life. She is socially inept, painfully honest and unable to maintain an adult relationship with anyone because she becomes obsessed with that person. Is it because she's lonely? Or autistic? Or is she psychotic?
Martha was already "different" when something traumatic and horribly unspeakable happens to her when she is seventeen. After that, and particularly after the death of her father, she is sheltered by her Aunt Frances who really isn't all that much older. Frances is the one who arranges for Martha's job and room in town and is usually the one who has to deal with any of her problems.
Martha's only "true friend" is a co-worker, Birdy. To Martha's horror, Birdy becomes involved with a despicable type of man, one who uses Birdy and pilfers from the cash register. You can't tell someone in love that their lover is bad, though, and Martha just cannot understand why Birdy won't listen to her. Martha loses her job when she's falsely accused of being the thief and throughout the book, she is determined to make Birdy listen to her.
Martha just wants to be normal like you and me, to love and be loved, to have friends, a life, a purpose and to be happy.
That's what the other wonderfully depicted characters in this book want too. Frances has invested years of her life with a man she cannot claim. A ne'er do well by the name of Colin Mackey appears, a troubled man who'd like to be a famous writer and seduces both Martha and Frances. There are the ladies at the boarding house, at least one of whom appears in another great book by Morris, Songs In Ordinary Time. Now that I've read this book, I'm very much looking forward to reading other books written by this author. It's definitely an excellent book to read!
Martha was already "different" when something traumatic and horribly unspeakable happens to her when she is seventeen. After that, and particularly after the death of her father, she is sheltered by her Aunt Frances who really isn't all that much older. Frances is the one who arranges for Martha's job and room in town and is usually the one who has to deal with any of her problems.
Martha's only "true friend" is a co-worker, Birdy. To Martha's horror, Birdy becomes involved with a despicable type of man, one who uses Birdy and pilfers from the cash register. You can't tell someone in love that their lover is bad, though, and Martha just cannot understand why Birdy won't listen to her. Martha loses her job when she's falsely accused of being the thief and throughout the book, she is determined to make Birdy listen to her.
Martha just wants to be normal like you and me, to love and be loved, to have friends, a life, a purpose and to be happy.
That's what the other wonderfully depicted characters in this book want too. Frances has invested years of her life with a man she cannot claim. A ne'er do well by the name of Colin Mackey appears, a troubled man who'd like to be a famous writer and seduces both Martha and Frances. There are the ladies at the boarding house, at least one of whom appears in another great book by Morris, Songs In Ordinary Time. Now that I've read this book, I'm very much looking forward to reading other books written by this author. It's definitely an excellent book to read!
June 29, 2015
Martha Horgan isn't like anyone else. She isn't like anyone she knows or like anyone the people who know her know. She isn't like anyone else you're likely to read about.
What's wrong with her? Autism? Maybe, in part. Dissociation? Whatever that means. She develops violent hatreds that can't be changed, but even more violent affections that no negative evidence can dislodge. She cannot hold a normal conversation because she does not know the rules, cannot recognize the mechanisms of interaction. Incapable of instigating, she's forced to react – almost always to her detriment.
Shamed and humiliated in her teens, she becomes the town laughingstock, the object of scorn and of tales of sexual abandon – when, in fact, she's never had a sexual encounter. Her father is dead, her mother gone and she's left in the care of her young aunt Frances, a beautiful redneck who married a wealthy man decades her senior and now, as a widow, tries to maintain a lifestyle she depends on but, like Martha, doesn't fully understand. With her fits of pointless anger and careening long-term love affair with a married man, is there something of Martha in her?
Morris presents Martha from inside, not in first person, but through a lurching, elemental style that, at first, struck me almost as an inability to write. In other words, she brings directly alive the incomprehensible world that Martha daily faces – her repetitive inability to breathe under stress, slamming her chest to get words out, trying to force "normal" sentences when she can find no basis to form them. This repetition could pale, but instead it creates and pressurizes Martha's claustrophobic, panting world. Perhaps, more than any other label, Martha should be declared "innocent."
Morris is equally strong with her other characters – especially Frances and insinuating, alcoholic workman Mack – sifting her style to meet their outlines.
There's no need to know a word of the plot, because the real plot lies inside the heads of Martha, Frances, Mack and the all-too-trapped men and women wrung through their lives.
I find it almost impossible to say what's needed about this novel, unique in its no-holds-barred portrayal of a damaged human being fits no category. But I don't think I can praise this book too highly.
What's wrong with her? Autism? Maybe, in part. Dissociation? Whatever that means. She develops violent hatreds that can't be changed, but even more violent affections that no negative evidence can dislodge. She cannot hold a normal conversation because she does not know the rules, cannot recognize the mechanisms of interaction. Incapable of instigating, she's forced to react – almost always to her detriment.
Shamed and humiliated in her teens, she becomes the town laughingstock, the object of scorn and of tales of sexual abandon – when, in fact, she's never had a sexual encounter. Her father is dead, her mother gone and she's left in the care of her young aunt Frances, a beautiful redneck who married a wealthy man decades her senior and now, as a widow, tries to maintain a lifestyle she depends on but, like Martha, doesn't fully understand. With her fits of pointless anger and careening long-term love affair with a married man, is there something of Martha in her?
Morris presents Martha from inside, not in first person, but through a lurching, elemental style that, at first, struck me almost as an inability to write. In other words, she brings directly alive the incomprehensible world that Martha daily faces – her repetitive inability to breathe under stress, slamming her chest to get words out, trying to force "normal" sentences when she can find no basis to form them. This repetition could pale, but instead it creates and pressurizes Martha's claustrophobic, panting world. Perhaps, more than any other label, Martha should be declared "innocent."
Morris is equally strong with her other characters – especially Frances and insinuating, alcoholic workman Mack – sifting her style to meet their outlines.
There's no need to know a word of the plot, because the real plot lies inside the heads of Martha, Frances, Mack and the all-too-trapped men and women wrung through their lives.
I find it almost impossible to say what's needed about this novel, unique in its no-holds-barred portrayal of a damaged human being fits no category. But I don't think I can praise this book too highly.
October 4, 2009
This is a heartbreaking story that I couldn't put down and have never forgotten...
July 13, 2013
“Poor Martha, every incident was high drama, every confrontation a disaster, every slight a blow. Such an exhausting life, without subtleties, propelled by fear and anxiety.” –pg 53
This is the story of 30 year old Martha, who has never been diagnosed with autism or a similar illness, but clearly has struggled all her life with being different. The small town she lives in ridicules her and kids bully her. She tries so hard to fit into her small patch of the world but is continually alienated by her own or others actions. How does one find any sort of fulfillment when you're not born with the tools to cope? She becomes easily obsessed with those she finds even a modicum of connection with and pursues each relationship with a frightening single mindedness. I wrongly assumed that the book would end in a predictable way. HA! I read the ending in a frenzy.
While some people understandably find Martha an unsympathetic character, I did not have that experience. She was extremely limited in her ability to function. This is her unadorned attempt at living. I'm now on a mission to watch the movie that was made starring Deborah Winger.
This is my first book by Morris. I almost gave it a five and may do so still. From what I've read of her author bios and other reviews, she's an author that is unafraid to plumb the depths of lives that are not lived happily ever after. She illuminates the plight of the misfit with incredible insight. I'm very excited to read the rest of her works. I've now got Songs in Ordinary Time, a book that is probably better known than this one, ready to read from the library.
This is the story of 30 year old Martha, who has never been diagnosed with autism or a similar illness, but clearly has struggled all her life with being different. The small town she lives in ridicules her and kids bully her. She tries so hard to fit into her small patch of the world but is continually alienated by her own or others actions. How does one find any sort of fulfillment when you're not born with the tools to cope? She becomes easily obsessed with those she finds even a modicum of connection with and pursues each relationship with a frightening single mindedness. I wrongly assumed that the book would end in a predictable way. HA! I read the ending in a frenzy.
While some people understandably find Martha an unsympathetic character, I did not have that experience. She was extremely limited in her ability to function. This is her unadorned attempt at living. I'm now on a mission to watch the movie that was made starring Deborah Winger.
This is my first book by Morris. I almost gave it a five and may do so still. From what I've read of her author bios and other reviews, she's an author that is unafraid to plumb the depths of lives that are not lived happily ever after. She illuminates the plight of the misfit with incredible insight. I'm very excited to read the rest of her works. I've now got Songs in Ordinary Time, a book that is probably better known than this one, ready to read from the library.
January 31, 2016
"...she had never been loved."
This is the reason given for a key part of the drama in this novel. But it is more. It is the overarching theme for almost all of the main characters, including Martha of course. We see how each person longs for connection and love and yet reaches for it in unskillful ways.
Although a rather difficult story to read, this is a gem of a book and I will read more of Mary McGarry Morris. If I could I'd give this book a 4.5.
This is the reason given for a key part of the drama in this novel. But it is more. It is the overarching theme for almost all of the main characters, including Martha of course. We see how each person longs for connection and love and yet reaches for it in unskillful ways.
Although a rather difficult story to read, this is a gem of a book and I will read more of Mary McGarry Morris. If I could I'd give this book a 4.5.
January 13, 2015
This is a compelling book which is at times difficult to read. Marja Hogan is "different" (probably Asburgers) and she has been teased and tormented all her life. She desperately wants a normal life, but her blunt honesty and clinging relationships cause nothing but trouble to herself and everyone who tries to help. She was betrayed as a teenager in a brutish bullying incident when the Vermont community chose to protect the reputation of teenage boys at the expense of Martha's honor. Martha is unable to make her way, and the book turns dark and violent, with a surprising ending filled with anguish. This is not for everyone. The writing is compassionate and well paced. The book was on best of year lists in 1991. But it's a bit like watching a beautifully written description of a train wreck.
January 29, 2013
Fun freak show! This was my intro to this great author. Like many of my fav books, it has a Southern Gothic feel, where the author shows you the beauty amongst the ugly. If you can make yourself look at the train wreck, you'll also see the triumph of the human condition--a life lived with all its messy, horrific, beautiful glory. One of my all-time favs. Of her work, only A Hole in the Universe bests it.
February 18, 2015
The most genuine portrayal of a mentally ill individual I have ever read.
June 26, 2022
Good story with very real, very flawed characters. Poor Martha. I hurt for her through the whole story. So sad.
June 11, 2020
I'm having trouble trying to put my feelings into words on A Dangerous Woman by Mary McGarry Morris. As I read the book I felt feelings of anger, and sadness in equal measure as I continued reading about Martha Horgan and her life. She's a 30 something woman who's lived her whole life with a developmental disability, that no one and I mean no one in her life has ever helped her with. They've ignored, been angered by and made excuses for her all her life, not realizing the damage being done to Martha. I kept asking myself why? Why won't they help her? Where was her family when she was a child?
Martha's aunt and guardian Frances is not overjoyed after Martha's father dies and she must take Martha under her care. She finds her bothersome and hard to deal with. Frances would much rather deal with her own life and not have to mess with all that comes with Martha. Martha soon gets a job and is able to move into her own place and for once gain some independence, but the only friend Martha's ever had Birdy who happens to work at the cleaners where Martha works soon turns her back on her, as everyone else has done over the years. Martha has a way of loving too strongly, angering too easily and always speaking the truth, sometimes when it's not appropriate. She's extremely upset over Birdy's change of mind and tries so hard to "make" her a friend again. Lies are told and soon Martha is fired from the first real job she's ever had. She's angry and very upset. Her life is turned upside down. She becomes obsessive about regaining Birdy's friendship, to no avail. This means she now must move back in with her aunt and lose her independence.
She discovers after she gets to her aunts house that Frances has hired a handyman to do some household repairs and Martha who doesn't really take to strangers isn't real happy about this man having the run of the place and always seems to be around. Soon, as Martha tends to do she begins falling for Mack. And once again she's used by another. Mack knowing she's different uses her for his own satisfaction, once again she's been let down by someone who could've helped. But Martha loves hard and forever, and can't understand when Mack ignores her after they've slept together.
At every turn Martha is being used by some adult or teased by the neighborhood kids and no one ever believes Martha even though she always tells the truth, but with her past who could possibly believe anything out of Martha's mouth. It's really disheartening to read. I was getting really depressed reading the same prejudices against her over and over again, but knowing it was all part of what goes on with those who are different, I needed to find out what was going to happen. The ending felt like a crescendo building into a boiling point and I kept wondering how much more Martha could possibly take, seemed like every turn she took there was something or someone in the way of her getting what she needed and wanted. Well the ending shocked me, I didn't expect it at all. Although after I finished I came to the conclusion that what else could she have done? She was at her end, she'd lost everyone in her life and had no one on her side. She needed help and no one cared enough to seek it for her. She was unraveling and no one cared.
The story was very well written, the characters, especially Martha were easy to get to know and either like or dislike depending on who they were. The book builds the suspense that leads to the ending, but it does so in a subtle way, so you don't see it coming until the end. Masterful way of leading the reader along only to shock them in the end. I'm always interested in books that deal with any kind of mental illness or developmental disability, so this one was one I knew I wanted to read. I'm glad I chose it and will not be forgetting it for a while. Very good read and I do recommend this one to those looking for a different kind of suspense or even a good book dealing with the inequality of those who are mentally disabled. Happy Reading!
Martha's aunt and guardian Frances is not overjoyed after Martha's father dies and she must take Martha under her care. She finds her bothersome and hard to deal with. Frances would much rather deal with her own life and not have to mess with all that comes with Martha. Martha soon gets a job and is able to move into her own place and for once gain some independence, but the only friend Martha's ever had Birdy who happens to work at the cleaners where Martha works soon turns her back on her, as everyone else has done over the years. Martha has a way of loving too strongly, angering too easily and always speaking the truth, sometimes when it's not appropriate. She's extremely upset over Birdy's change of mind and tries so hard to "make" her a friend again. Lies are told and soon Martha is fired from the first real job she's ever had. She's angry and very upset. Her life is turned upside down. She becomes obsessive about regaining Birdy's friendship, to no avail. This means she now must move back in with her aunt and lose her independence.
She discovers after she gets to her aunts house that Frances has hired a handyman to do some household repairs and Martha who doesn't really take to strangers isn't real happy about this man having the run of the place and always seems to be around. Soon, as Martha tends to do she begins falling for Mack. And once again she's used by another. Mack knowing she's different uses her for his own satisfaction, once again she's been let down by someone who could've helped. But Martha loves hard and forever, and can't understand when Mack ignores her after they've slept together.
At every turn Martha is being used by some adult or teased by the neighborhood kids and no one ever believes Martha even though she always tells the truth, but with her past who could possibly believe anything out of Martha's mouth. It's really disheartening to read. I was getting really depressed reading the same prejudices against her over and over again, but knowing it was all part of what goes on with those who are different, I needed to find out what was going to happen. The ending felt like a crescendo building into a boiling point and I kept wondering how much more Martha could possibly take, seemed like every turn she took there was something or someone in the way of her getting what she needed and wanted. Well the ending shocked me, I didn't expect it at all. Although after I finished I came to the conclusion that what else could she have done? She was at her end, she'd lost everyone in her life and had no one on her side. She needed help and no one cared enough to seek it for her. She was unraveling and no one cared.
The story was very well written, the characters, especially Martha were easy to get to know and either like or dislike depending on who they were. The book builds the suspense that leads to the ending, but it does so in a subtle way, so you don't see it coming until the end. Masterful way of leading the reader along only to shock them in the end. I'm always interested in books that deal with any kind of mental illness or developmental disability, so this one was one I knew I wanted to read. I'm glad I chose it and will not be forgetting it for a while. Very good read and I do recommend this one to those looking for a different kind of suspense or even a good book dealing with the inequality of those who are mentally disabled. Happy Reading!
July 10, 2020
Slow start but interesting ending
I almost put this aside after reading the beginning. I did find myself getting more interested so I finished the book. I'm very ambivalent about the whole thing. I still wonder how anyone so obviously disturbed could get to her 30's without some intervention. And I am baffled about her affliction. There was an unreality to her and at times I felt the author just kind of made her do things for shock value. I really can't believe it was so highly acclaimed. Was there any character who didn't treat her badly other than Steve and Ben? Just a very unrealistic sad, sad person.
I almost put this aside after reading the beginning. I did find myself getting more interested so I finished the book. I'm very ambivalent about the whole thing. I still wonder how anyone so obviously disturbed could get to her 30's without some intervention. And I am baffled about her affliction. There was an unreality to her and at times I felt the author just kind of made her do things for shock value. I really can't believe it was so highly acclaimed. Was there any character who didn't treat her badly other than Steve and Ben? Just a very unrealistic sad, sad person.
November 12, 2018
If a more depressing modern novel has been written, I haven't read it. Yet, it is a commendable book, an insightful story of what life as a misfit in small town Vermont must be like. The misfit's name is Martha Horgan, a now 32 year old woman looking to fill a devastating emptiness inside with love. Her mother dead at an early age, she is raised by an emotionally distant father and his younger sister, Martha's aunt, a wealthy widow who has viewed Martha as a burden from the outset (as indeed she seems to be).
Martha's interaction with her peers is epitomized by a traumatic incident that began when a high school boy takes her to a gathering in the woods whose sole purpose is to mock and humiliate Martha. Although an attractive girl, Martha's obsessive compulsive habits, her social awkwardness and insecurity, her unwavering devotion to the truth others do not want to see, and her outbursts of anger make her a lost soul that few try to help and who ultimately fail.
Seeking friendship and love, Martha tends to develop impossibly intense relationships--with a female coworker and a handy man hired by her aunt who then falls in love with the much younger man, himself a wandering soul. From the beginning we know the novel will end badly, which indeed it does for several reasons, but the reader by that time knows the dynamic that results in a tragic end. As the novel comes to a sudden conclusion, Martha's problems have multiplied with few solutions on the horizon and with Martha as always the victim of her own personality and world view.
One leaves the novel wondering if we have ever known a Martha, by our actions contributed to her downward spiral. There were people who tried to help her, one man who loved her, but to persist in the face of her constant rebuffs became near impossible. Is psychiatry then the answer, an attempt to get at the root causes of her behavior? Her father did try this route but ended his search for answers when the medical profession could not provide him with a pill or procedure that would "fix" Martha.
As stated at the outset, a most depressing yet a worthwhile read in the sense of broadening our compassion and understanding of the human condition.
Martha's interaction with her peers is epitomized by a traumatic incident that began when a high school boy takes her to a gathering in the woods whose sole purpose is to mock and humiliate Martha. Although an attractive girl, Martha's obsessive compulsive habits, her social awkwardness and insecurity, her unwavering devotion to the truth others do not want to see, and her outbursts of anger make her a lost soul that few try to help and who ultimately fail.
Seeking friendship and love, Martha tends to develop impossibly intense relationships--with a female coworker and a handy man hired by her aunt who then falls in love with the much younger man, himself a wandering soul. From the beginning we know the novel will end badly, which indeed it does for several reasons, but the reader by that time knows the dynamic that results in a tragic end. As the novel comes to a sudden conclusion, Martha's problems have multiplied with few solutions on the horizon and with Martha as always the victim of her own personality and world view.
One leaves the novel wondering if we have ever known a Martha, by our actions contributed to her downward spiral. There were people who tried to help her, one man who loved her, but to persist in the face of her constant rebuffs became near impossible. Is psychiatry then the answer, an attempt to get at the root causes of her behavior? Her father did try this route but ended his search for answers when the medical profession could not provide him with a pill or procedure that would "fix" Martha.
As stated at the outset, a most depressing yet a worthwhile read in the sense of broadening our compassion and understanding of the human condition.
September 28, 2008
I can describe this book in two words. Unrelentingly disturbing.
You know from the first page how this book will end and every page takes you closer to that place you don't want to go. It's like you are a prisoner on a forced march to certain doom. There is not one moment of reprieve, of lightness, of possible hope, in the entire book.
If you like this sort of thing, I do have to say that the author is a good writer and it is a well done story of a woman mistreated by almost everyone because of her emotional/mental imbalances and the inevitable places this takes her.
Martha Horgan is "normal" enough to not be institutionalized (although that could be argued) but abnormal enough to be considered the village idiot and to be mistreated her entire life by friends, children, co-workers, strangers on the street, everybody (it is a sad reflection of humanity).
She wants to be normal and to have the same ordinary lives everyone around her has, but try as she might, she can't. Perhaps if she had received the proper therapy/medication as a child and throughout her life, Martha might have had some semblance of normalcy, but she does not get that, and attempts to help her by a few nice people in her adulthood are too little too late.
I won't say more so as not to spoil anything. Again, it is a well-written book and if you can take the heaviness, go for it.
You know from the first page how this book will end and every page takes you closer to that place you don't want to go. It's like you are a prisoner on a forced march to certain doom. There is not one moment of reprieve, of lightness, of possible hope, in the entire book.
If you like this sort of thing, I do have to say that the author is a good writer and it is a well done story of a woman mistreated by almost everyone because of her emotional/mental imbalances and the inevitable places this takes her.
Martha Horgan is "normal" enough to not be institutionalized (although that could be argued) but abnormal enough to be considered the village idiot and to be mistreated her entire life by friends, children, co-workers, strangers on the street, everybody (it is a sad reflection of humanity).
She wants to be normal and to have the same ordinary lives everyone around her has, but try as she might, she can't. Perhaps if she had received the proper therapy/medication as a child and throughout her life, Martha might have had some semblance of normalcy, but she does not get that, and attempts to help her by a few nice people in her adulthood are too little too late.
I won't say more so as not to spoil anything. Again, it is a well-written book and if you can take the heaviness, go for it.
July 31, 2012
A dangerous woman is the fictional story of 32yr old Martha Horgan, a woman with mental disability which lends itself to social awkwardness. The book opens with an uncomfortable scene from Martha's adolescence which stems from her inability to see that not everyone is honest (like she is- to a fault) or has her best intentions in mind.
From the moment I started reading A Dangerous Woman, I did not particularly like Marthe or the characters introduced as her family members, coworkers and love interest. Each of them are majorly flawed, unlikeable and characterized as harmful to themselves or Martha. It's hard to read because there is no one to really root for in the novel. Least of all Martha. Seeing the world through her eyes, ears and actions is an impossible mindset to understand.
However, I'm glad I read this book. I've been a fan of Mary McGarry Morris since reading Fiona Range a few years ago and always enjoy the author's keen ability to make her characters three-dimensional and haunting.
From the moment I started reading A Dangerous Woman, I did not particularly like Marthe or the characters introduced as her family members, coworkers and love interest. Each of them are majorly flawed, unlikeable and characterized as harmful to themselves or Martha. It's hard to read because there is no one to really root for in the novel. Least of all Martha. Seeing the world through her eyes, ears and actions is an impossible mindset to understand.
However, I'm glad I read this book. I've been a fan of Mary McGarry Morris since reading Fiona Range a few years ago and always enjoy the author's keen ability to make her characters three-dimensional and haunting.
March 17, 2020
Tragic shades of Tess Durbeyfield Both Tess and Martha Horgan have their young lives ruined by men and don't for a second deserve their fates. Where Tess is lovable, however, Martha Horgan is impossible to love. This is not because she is inherently unlovable; she's attractive and has good in her. Yet she pushes away a repressed, decent man who sees good in her and goes blindly for the deceiver /exploiter. She's not unique to do that, of course.
Her character elicits our compassion, our exasperation ("don't do that, Martha!" I kept shouting at her, or "Oh no!"), and our admiration for her tragic flaw, self-destructive candor. She has integrity. makes no allowance for social norms., little white lies. Her tormented life is "sweetened in the mixture" by deluded crushes. Martha is clearly "on the spectrum." This book seems to me a view from inside, so real, so pointed, that I talked to Martha (or, sadly maybe more at her) more than I remember talking to any other character in fiction . That's how much the book caught me up. The reader lives it.
Her character elicits our compassion, our exasperation ("don't do that, Martha!" I kept shouting at her, or "Oh no!"), and our admiration for her tragic flaw, self-destructive candor. She has integrity. makes no allowance for social norms., little white lies. Her tormented life is "sweetened in the mixture" by deluded crushes. Martha is clearly "on the spectrum." This book seems to me a view from inside, so real, so pointed, that I talked to Martha (or, sadly maybe more at her) more than I remember talking to any other character in fiction . That's how much the book caught me up. The reader lives it.
March 30, 2010
I was able to finish this book and somewhat enjoyed it, but the story tends to circle 'round and 'round without ever really arriving anywhere until the very unsurprising end.
One aspect of the book that I liked is that Martha is to some degree mentally challenged (Aspergers, perhaps?) but she doesn't evoke much sympathy as she is rather unlikeable; yet, she embodies a much stronger moral character than most of her more "normal" cohorts. I feel that the author, by presenting Martha in this manner, took a more atypical and, thus, more realistic route in writing about a character with mental illness and with confronting us with the fact that people may "fit in" from a social perspective but may be lacking in many other regards and vice versa. For that, I give her kudos.
One aspect of the book that I liked is that Martha is to some degree mentally challenged (Aspergers, perhaps?) but she doesn't evoke much sympathy as she is rather unlikeable; yet, she embodies a much stronger moral character than most of her more "normal" cohorts. I feel that the author, by presenting Martha in this manner, took a more atypical and, thus, more realistic route in writing about a character with mental illness and with confronting us with the fact that people may "fit in" from a social perspective but may be lacking in many other regards and vice versa. For that, I give her kudos.
November 8, 2016
I’m not sure how I feel about this book—it’s well-written, compelling really, with a heroine who keeps disappointing you. Martha Horton is mentally ill—she’s obsessive compulsive and unable to grasp the reality of situations. She wants to be loved, but she has no understanding of what love is. She’s pathetic and unlikeable. Martha Horton is not a character one roots for—you just want her to be well. So, I just spent over a week inside the head of a mentally ill women—it wasn’t a pleasant experience, but it was an enlightening one.
August 17, 2007
This book was so strange in terms of its (lack of) plot and unrealistic conflict that I skimmed it more than read it, really. Parts of it are dark and twisted in a way that seems implausible.
September 1, 2007
I basically skimmed the book for book club. I normally don't do that with fiction.
Read
September 14, 2008I HATED this book it took everything I had to finish it. The ending was awful and the whole book I thought it will get better it has to but it never did.
December 2, 2008
I thought this was a great book. Teaches tolerance and that everyone is different.
July 26, 2022
Like watching an accident that only you see coming. You can't stop it, all you can do is watch. I would have stopped reading but I would have just imagined the worst anyway.
February 26, 2019
So, this book was adapted into a movie many years ago. I watched the trailer and it looks like a feel-good lessons-learned little Hallmark romance. This is just hilarious because upon reading this book, it could not be more different from that. It's often darkly cynical and details a lot of deeply flawed people. Even the setting is seen from a critical angle. It's that sort of usually romanticized quaint small town setting where everybody knows everybody and lives simply- but it's also a hotbed of ignorance and exclusion. There are moments of hope and possible redemption and I just had no clue where this book was actually going or what it's point would end up being, which ended up being a thrilling thing in and of itself- the sense of unpredictability.
I want to give this book five stars because the writing was terrific beyond expectation. Even when I was cringing or really couldn't stand a character or situation, all aspects remained consistently engaging and nuanced. But unfortunately, the plot is not great. Just not as well thought out as it could be. Some moments seem wasted or not worthy of inclusion, but the story at large remains interesting and thought provoking.
The characterization really stands out. The main characters feel real. Even the very unlikable ones had texture and development. At the center of it all is Martha. I wanted to reach into the book and reason with/guide/help her. It's especially eerie reading this in 2019, where I think a figure like her might have been able to be understood and understand herself much better due to the resources and knowledge many of us are lucky to have today. Advancements that are sometimes taken for granted in favor of waxing poetic about the good old days.
What we know of Martha is that she isn't neurotypical and/or is mentally ill in some way, but her struggle is not attended to or understood because her family, friends, and bootstrappy local culture doesn't have much in way of mental health awareness. What struck me is how relatable her problems can be because she has such an amalgamation of symptoms that aren't immediately conveyed as extreme. I think anyone with anxiety, depression, OCD, problems with relationships, or even just a general awkwardness or trouble fitting in at any point in their life can relate to some small parts of this character early on. The story begins at a turning point, when her functioning life is starting to go off the rails. Every event, every person met and prevailing attitude expressed seems to factor into the repercussions. The ending and climax is over the top but somehow not unreasonable in light of everything that occurs before. This is not a happy book and could have been told with more sensitivity, but its nevertheless affecting and underrated.
I want to give this book five stars because the writing was terrific beyond expectation. Even when I was cringing or really couldn't stand a character or situation, all aspects remained consistently engaging and nuanced. But unfortunately, the plot is not great. Just not as well thought out as it could be. Some moments seem wasted or not worthy of inclusion, but the story at large remains interesting and thought provoking.
The characterization really stands out. The main characters feel real. Even the very unlikable ones had texture and development. At the center of it all is Martha. I wanted to reach into the book and reason with/guide/help her. It's especially eerie reading this in 2019, where I think a figure like her might have been able to be understood and understand herself much better due to the resources and knowledge many of us are lucky to have today. Advancements that are sometimes taken for granted in favor of waxing poetic about the good old days.
What we know of Martha is that she isn't neurotypical and/or is mentally ill in some way, but her struggle is not attended to or understood because her family, friends, and bootstrappy local culture doesn't have much in way of mental health awareness. What struck me is how relatable her problems can be because she has such an amalgamation of symptoms that aren't immediately conveyed as extreme. I think anyone with anxiety, depression, OCD, problems with relationships, or even just a general awkwardness or trouble fitting in at any point in their life can relate to some small parts of this character early on. The story begins at a turning point, when her functioning life is starting to go off the rails. Every event, every person met and prevailing attitude expressed seems to factor into the repercussions. The ending and climax is over the top but somehow not unreasonable in light of everything that occurs before. This is not a happy book and could have been told with more sensitivity, but its nevertheless affecting and underrated.
May 30, 2024
This is by far the worst representation I’ve seen of mental health. When I read the first chapter of the book and the trauma that the main character, Martha, went through, I was like, "Man, this can be a great book of character development." I was 100% wrong. Martha was, in fact, a dangerous woman. The title of the book does not lie. She was a stalker and someone who committed multiple acts of domestic violence. I don’t know how we are supposed to root for this character. Yes, you can have unhinged mentally ill characters who are not made to be likable, but in this instance, there was nothing I was gripped by in the character. I do not like this character; it was awful. All of the male characters in this book were creeps. Some of the women did have sense to them, and I did find the character Francis interesting, but nothing can outweigh how bad of a character Martha was.
The atmosphere was reminiscent of Stephen King. I don’t know if it’s because of the New England setting or maybe because Martha had slight vibes of Carrie. Overall, the small-town New England setting was pretty good.
The writing was fine. I had no major complaints about it.
I understand that the overall plot of the story is very important in showing how a rape or an assault can divide a town. In this instance, it just wasn’t done well, and you really had to suspend your disbelief. If you would like a book that follows a similar plot, I would recommend *Beartown* by Frederick Backman. So much of how the town reacted to Martha was really out there, and the overall development of her character was so bad that I didn’t care for the plot.
This is by far the worst representation I’ve seen of mental health. I don’t know how we are supposed to root for this character. Yes, you can have unhinged, mentally ill characters who are not made to be likable, but in this instance, there was nothing about the character that gripped me. The atmosphere was reminiscent of Stephen King. The New England setting was pretty good. The writing was fine. I had no major complaints about that. I understand that the overall plot of the story is very important in showing how a rape or an assault can divide a town. In this instance, it just wasn’t done well, and you really had to suspend your disbelief. So much of how the town reacted to Martha was really out there, and the overall development of her character was so bad that I didn’t care for the plot.
Read my full review here: https://izzyreads.blog/2024/05/30/a-d...
The atmosphere was reminiscent of Stephen King. I don’t know if it’s because of the New England setting or maybe because Martha had slight vibes of Carrie. Overall, the small-town New England setting was pretty good.
The writing was fine. I had no major complaints about it.
I understand that the overall plot of the story is very important in showing how a rape or an assault can divide a town. In this instance, it just wasn’t done well, and you really had to suspend your disbelief. If you would like a book that follows a similar plot, I would recommend *Beartown* by Frederick Backman. So much of how the town reacted to Martha was really out there, and the overall development of her character was so bad that I didn’t care for the plot.
This is by far the worst representation I’ve seen of mental health. I don’t know how we are supposed to root for this character. Yes, you can have unhinged, mentally ill characters who are not made to be likable, but in this instance, there was nothing about the character that gripped me. The atmosphere was reminiscent of Stephen King. The New England setting was pretty good. The writing was fine. I had no major complaints about that. I understand that the overall plot of the story is very important in showing how a rape or an assault can divide a town. In this instance, it just wasn’t done well, and you really had to suspend your disbelief. So much of how the town reacted to Martha was really out there, and the overall development of her character was so bad that I didn’t care for the plot.
Read my full review here: https://izzyreads.blog/2024/05/30/a-d...
February 12, 2020
Rating this book provoked an internal struggle. I vacillated between 2 and 5. The protagonist, Martha Horgan, is an endearing frustrating personality the medical world would probably classify as autistic, the three legged cow, the painted bird, the member of the herd or flock that all the others tease and scapegoat. As you read through the purgatory of her ostracism, you keep hoping she will adjust just enough to find some small kernel of happiness and fulfillment and be accepted, but the story hues to a relentless reality. Opportunities arise, and her eccentricities inevitably defeat each one. The dashing of a reader's hope = 2.
The brilliance of the story, though, is that each character's nature slowly comes to the surface as you read along, and you see that they are all painted birds in some way, all suppressing the truth about themselves, all dissembling, all desperately trying to maintain an appearance of normalcy. In the end, Martha Horgan's differences expose the ugly truth about them in a semi-satisfying cataclysmic ending, and they pay a price for mistreating her so. It's some consolation for her heart wrenching experiences, but not enough to make you feel good. So this book didn't make me happy, but I've rarely read a novel that provoked as much thought about its characters, who we are, and who I am. It's a 5, but a unique one, to say the least.
The brilliance of the story, though, is that each character's nature slowly comes to the surface as you read along, and you see that they are all painted birds in some way, all suppressing the truth about themselves, all dissembling, all desperately trying to maintain an appearance of normalcy. In the end, Martha Horgan's differences expose the ugly truth about them in a semi-satisfying cataclysmic ending, and they pay a price for mistreating her so. It's some consolation for her heart wrenching experiences, but not enough to make you feel good. So this book didn't make me happy, but I've rarely read a novel that provoked as much thought about its characters, who we are, and who I am. It's a 5, but a unique one, to say the least.
February 1, 2020
When the truth doesn't set you free
The story of Martha Horgan is so well written , so realistic. The characters authentic, so that the reader feels them sitting nearby. Sometimes I wanted to hug one, most times I wanted to slap one.
Martha Horgan is a young woman who's been marginalized all her life. Taunted and tormented because of her emotional outbursts and eccentricities, she's been pushed and shoved around by family, peers, and townspeople. Raised by her caretaker father and aunt, both too cheap and self absorbed, she was denied the care that might have helped her function and live with some independence. Ever truthful, yet no one wanted to believe her when she spoke out. Even Birdy who she loved and wanted to be her friend. Martha was convinced She was the one lacking the vital thing that others had inside. She couldn't know that others were a lot emptier than she was. All she wanted was to be loved and valued. For people to be truthful, honest, accepting. Because of that she was headed for what eventually happened.
I grew up with a girl much like Martha, who was often the scapegoat for others goatish behavior. I envisioned her throughout this story. We all avoided her because she wasn't normal. All these years later I know that most of us aren't.
The story of Martha Horgan is so well written , so realistic. The characters authentic, so that the reader feels them sitting nearby. Sometimes I wanted to hug one, most times I wanted to slap one.
Martha Horgan is a young woman who's been marginalized all her life. Taunted and tormented because of her emotional outbursts and eccentricities, she's been pushed and shoved around by family, peers, and townspeople. Raised by her caretaker father and aunt, both too cheap and self absorbed, she was denied the care that might have helped her function and live with some independence. Ever truthful, yet no one wanted to believe her when she spoke out. Even Birdy who she loved and wanted to be her friend. Martha was convinced She was the one lacking the vital thing that others had inside. She couldn't know that others were a lot emptier than she was. All she wanted was to be loved and valued. For people to be truthful, honest, accepting. Because of that she was headed for what eventually happened.
I grew up with a girl much like Martha, who was often the scapegoat for others goatish behavior. I envisioned her throughout this story. We all avoided her because she wasn't normal. All these years later I know that most of us aren't.
July 17, 2021
Martha is an emotionally unstable young woman. She has not had any love, affection, or direction in her life. She has finally been able to get a job, live in an apartment, and make a way in the world for herself.
She is the laughing stock of her small town, everyone either makes fun of her or is afraid of her. She is rather odd -- she looses her temper often and shouts and screams, she mimics others, she is so loyal to her few friends that she becomes almost a stalker/cling-on type. She is beyond honest. Events take place and Martha is forced to move in with her aunt .. an aunt who feels she keeps having Martha dumped on her, doesn't show her any love, constantly picks on Martha, and ridicules her. Not good for the old self-esteem. Her aunt's house needs plenty of work and her aunt hires a handy man, Mack. Life will never be the same again for Martha.
This is a heart-breaking book; the cruelty of people, poor Martha with her mental conditions, her naive outlook on the world, her social unease. Martha is a character I will not soon forget; while I was shocked at her actions and words, I could never stop feeling sorry for her.
A good book by a good author.
She is the laughing stock of her small town, everyone either makes fun of her or is afraid of her. She is rather odd -- she looses her temper often and shouts and screams, she mimics others, she is so loyal to her few friends that she becomes almost a stalker/cling-on type. She is beyond honest. Events take place and Martha is forced to move in with her aunt .. an aunt who feels she keeps having Martha dumped on her, doesn't show her any love, constantly picks on Martha, and ridicules her. Not good for the old self-esteem. Her aunt's house needs plenty of work and her aunt hires a handy man, Mack. Life will never be the same again for Martha.
This is a heart-breaking book; the cruelty of people, poor Martha with her mental conditions, her naive outlook on the world, her social unease. Martha is a character I will not soon forget; while I was shocked at her actions and words, I could never stop feeling sorry for her.
A good book by a good author.
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