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Lummox
Tells the story of Bertha, a young immigrant woman who cleans the homes of the rich, and is largely ignored by them, except for a young poet who considers her a muse.
Lummox, Fannie Hurst's second novel, was written from the perspective of one of society's throwaways — a hardscrabble servant named Bertha, whose labor keeps her employers well-housed and well-fed although she earns only condescension, humiliation, sexual assault, and a bare-bones wage.
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Fannie Hurst (October 19, 1885 – February 23, 1968) was an American novelist and short story writer whose works were highly popular during the post-World War I era. Her work combined sentimental, romantic themes with social issues of the day, such as women's rights and race relations. She was one of the most widely read woman authors of the 20th century, and for a time in the 1920s was one of the highest-paid American writers, along with Booth Tarkington. Hurst also actively supported a number of social causes, including feminism, African American equality, and New Deal programs. Although her novels, including Lummox (1923), Back Street (1931), and Imitation of Life (1933), lost popularity over time and as of the 2000s were mostly out of print, they were bestsellers when first published and were translated into many languages. ~Wikipedia
Lummox, Fannie Hurst's second novel, was written from the perspective of one of society's throwaways — a hardscrabble servant named Bertha, whose labor keeps her employers well-housed and well-fed although she earns only condescension, humiliation, sexual assault, and a bare-bones wage.
*********************
Fannie Hurst (October 19, 1885 – February 23, 1968) was an American novelist and short story writer whose works were highly popular during the post-World War I era. Her work combined sentimental, romantic themes with social issues of the day, such as women's rights and race relations. She was one of the most widely read woman authors of the 20th century, and for a time in the 1920s was one of the highest-paid American writers, along with Booth Tarkington. Hurst also actively supported a number of social causes, including feminism, African American equality, and New Deal programs. Although her novels, including Lummox (1923), Back Street (1931), and Imitation of Life (1933), lost popularity over time and as of the 2000s were mostly out of print, they were bestsellers when first published and were translated into many languages. ~Wikipedia
332 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1923
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About the author
Fannie Hurst
91 books29 followersFannie Hurst was born in Ohio, grew up in St. Louis and spent her adult life in New York City. She is the author of 17 novels and more than 250 short stories, as well as plays, screenplays, memoirs, essays and articles. Her best-remembered works are those turned into films, including: Imitation of Life, Back Street, Humoresque, The Younger Generation, and Young at Heart. She was active in a variety of progressive Jewish, social justice, labor, peace and women’s organizations. A lifelong philanthropist, Hurst willed her considerable estate to her alma mater Washington University and to Brandeis University.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 4, 2017
3.5 Stars
This novel introduces readers to Bertha, a domestic servant working for wealthy New York families right around the turn of the 20th century. Bertha is a large woman, 5'10 and stocky in build, plain in the looks department. Hefty "washerwoman" type. Her no-frills, blue-collar look and quiet nature lead many of her employers over the years to deem her a "lummox", a term once used to describe someone who seems stupid, dim-witted. One family matriarch who employs Bertha describes her as "a great serene peasant girl with that slow kind of strength that makes an invaluable servant".
Her ethnicity is questioned by many -- is she Slavic? Scandanavian? Dutch? Polish? No one around to clear up the matter. Orphaned at a young age, Bertha is raised by Annie, crass, sour-natured landlady of an NYC lodging house for sailors and the only person to witness Bertha's birth.
Hurst's novel follows Bertha over the course of her life as she finds work cooking for several upper-class families around the Manhattan area of NYC, the first being the Farleys. During this first job, Bertha develops a bit of a crush on her employer's 25 year old poet son, Rollo Farley. Close to him in age, Bertha is taken with Rollo's creative spirit, the air of mystery and seriousness he carries around him. Rollo is also quite fond of alcohol as well though, and one night, after strongly imbibing, takes certain liberties with kind-hearted, naive Bertha. A situation develops that forces Bertha to leave her position with the Farleys, but not before she discovers that her experience with Rollo might have been inspiration for the epic poem he writes that later proves to be his literary legacy.
We follow Bertha over the years as she moves from one elite household to another, repeatedly being dismissed for various reasons, each time finding she has to return to the home of Annie for a bit while waiting for the next job to turn up. Annie always grudgingly takes her in but not without a bit of nagging and slut-shaming. Eventually Bertha attempts to hold down her own place with a roommate but again, Bertha's innocent nature leads her into dangerous territory, unknowingly putting her in the path of a woman-batterer. NOTE: For those who are triggered by scenes of violence, be warned there are some difficult scenes in this novel in which Bertha has hands slammed in windows, her face burned with a fire iron, and a man who emotionally tortures her, standing over her while she sleeps waiting for her to wake up just so he can terrify her for laughs.
Bertha's story of being worked hard and taken advantage of is the quiet, insidious kind. The abuse is not always blatantly evident, but as the story progresses, the reader begins to see evidence of the trauma in Bertha's day to day health and actions. It's heartbreaking to see her, this woman full of kind intent and honest work ethic be treated like such a doormat. Her employers (or just the people around her in general) either don't feel the need to take her feelings / personal needs into consideration OR they tease her for having a bit of a dreamer spirit. She was just their simple worker bee. In moments of solitary, silent reflection Bertha reveals to the reader that she is not so simple as people assume, that she actually feels quite deeply but is sometimes consumed with this sense of being trapped, consumed by feelings of uncertainty in herself, her talents, or how to better her overall life conditions. Just surviving day to day seems to overrule any aspirational flights of fancy.
Hard as female readers will likely find it to read of this woman being walked all over for simply living an honest life, there is something to admire in Bertha. Maybe her sheer tenacity and devotion to helping where she can, as best she can. Impressively, author Fannie Hurst leaves the reader pondering who the story's true "lummox" is after all!
A couple things about the format of the book that I found worth mentioning: 1) there are no standard designated chapter breaks, only a little galleon-looking ship icon to divide scene changes. 2) There are a few points in the story where the POV oddly turns from third person to second person whenever the reader is let in on Bertha's inner dialogue. Not sure why Hurst did this, I personally found it jarring and unnecessary but thought I would note it as a heads up for future readers.
This novel introduces readers to Bertha, a domestic servant working for wealthy New York families right around the turn of the 20th century. Bertha is a large woman, 5'10 and stocky in build, plain in the looks department. Hefty "washerwoman" type. Her no-frills, blue-collar look and quiet nature lead many of her employers over the years to deem her a "lummox", a term once used to describe someone who seems stupid, dim-witted. One family matriarch who employs Bertha describes her as "a great serene peasant girl with that slow kind of strength that makes an invaluable servant".
Her ethnicity is questioned by many -- is she Slavic? Scandanavian? Dutch? Polish? No one around to clear up the matter. Orphaned at a young age, Bertha is raised by Annie, crass, sour-natured landlady of an NYC lodging house for sailors and the only person to witness Bertha's birth.
Hurst's novel follows Bertha over the course of her life as she finds work cooking for several upper-class families around the Manhattan area of NYC, the first being the Farleys. During this first job, Bertha develops a bit of a crush on her employer's 25 year old poet son, Rollo Farley. Close to him in age, Bertha is taken with Rollo's creative spirit, the air of mystery and seriousness he carries around him. Rollo is also quite fond of alcohol as well though, and one night, after strongly imbibing, takes certain liberties with kind-hearted, naive Bertha. A situation develops that forces Bertha to leave her position with the Farleys, but not before she discovers that her experience with Rollo might have been inspiration for the epic poem he writes that later proves to be his literary legacy.
We follow Bertha over the years as she moves from one elite household to another, repeatedly being dismissed for various reasons, each time finding she has to return to the home of Annie for a bit while waiting for the next job to turn up. Annie always grudgingly takes her in but not without a bit of nagging and slut-shaming. Eventually Bertha attempts to hold down her own place with a roommate but again, Bertha's innocent nature leads her into dangerous territory, unknowingly putting her in the path of a woman-batterer. NOTE: For those who are triggered by scenes of violence, be warned there are some difficult scenes in this novel in which Bertha has hands slammed in windows, her face burned with a fire iron, and a man who emotionally tortures her, standing over her while she sleeps waiting for her to wake up just so he can terrify her for laughs.
Bertha's story of being worked hard and taken advantage of is the quiet, insidious kind. The abuse is not always blatantly evident, but as the story progresses, the reader begins to see evidence of the trauma in Bertha's day to day health and actions. It's heartbreaking to see her, this woman full of kind intent and honest work ethic be treated like such a doormat. Her employers (or just the people around her in general) either don't feel the need to take her feelings / personal needs into consideration OR they tease her for having a bit of a dreamer spirit. She was just their simple worker bee. In moments of solitary, silent reflection Bertha reveals to the reader that she is not so simple as people assume, that she actually feels quite deeply but is sometimes consumed with this sense of being trapped, consumed by feelings of uncertainty in herself, her talents, or how to better her overall life conditions. Just surviving day to day seems to overrule any aspirational flights of fancy.
Hard as female readers will likely find it to read of this woman being walked all over for simply living an honest life, there is something to admire in Bertha. Maybe her sheer tenacity and devotion to helping where she can, as best she can. Impressively, author Fannie Hurst leaves the reader pondering who the story's true "lummox" is after all!
A couple things about the format of the book that I found worth mentioning: 1) there are no standard designated chapter breaks, only a little galleon-looking ship icon to divide scene changes. 2) There are a few points in the story where the POV oddly turns from third person to second person whenever the reader is let in on Bertha's inner dialogue. Not sure why Hurst did this, I personally found it jarring and unnecessary but thought I would note it as a heads up for future readers.
April 14, 2019
Some unnecessary plot contrivances aside, this is a remarkable novel that deserves to be read and celebrated as more than just a dated sentimental tale. Bertha is a character with the curious, enduring power to exalt us. It is not just her noble, almost maddening outward equanimity that's so powerful; her yearning and her sensuousness beat against her hulking exterior in ways that nearly all readers can relate to.
And Hurst's writing is full of ringing metaphors and resonant phrases (e.g., "a head shaped like an egg would taste if it came out of your mouth whole" is one of my favorites, but there are many others). She works with the inside/outside tension throughout the novel and tends toward these memorable descriptions of sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of touch. It's a palpable read.
Lummox is also notable for portraying both the idle rich and the working poor with fair depth and a kind of a knowing variety. I liked that the class struggle aspect of the novel complemented the story's emotional force without overwhelming it, and vice versa.
Again, the plotting has some flaws, but the plot arc isn't really the reason to read Lummox. This is a case of a now-almost-forgotten popular novel that is well-flecked with literary merit and definitely worthy of having a wide audience again.
And Hurst's writing is full of ringing metaphors and resonant phrases (e.g., "a head shaped like an egg would taste if it came out of your mouth whole" is one of my favorites, but there are many others). She works with the inside/outside tension throughout the novel and tends toward these memorable descriptions of sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of touch. It's a palpable read.
Lummox is also notable for portraying both the idle rich and the working poor with fair depth and a kind of a knowing variety. I liked that the class struggle aspect of the novel complemented the story's emotional force without overwhelming it, and vice versa.
Again, the plotting has some flaws, but the plot arc isn't really the reason to read Lummox. This is a case of a now-almost-forgotten popular novel that is well-flecked with literary merit and definitely worthy of having a wide audience again.
April 30, 2009
This book is a classic by a classic author, and I bet you have never read it!
A clumsy larger woman again.. working as a maid.. her inner emotions. Found this among the heavenly dusty old stacks up three floors at the massive Cleveland Public Library downtown Cleveland on Superior Ave in 1990. I THINK THEY STILL HAVE THE 'STACKS'. I AND DREW CAREY AS WELL, LOVED THIS LIBRARY 'BACK IN THE DAY'.. AND THE INTERNET GENERATION IS REALLY MISSING OUT. PLEASE VISIT THE FICTION BOOK STACKS DOWNTOWN AT 325 SUPERIOR AVE IN CLEVELAND AND HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME.
A clumsy larger woman again.. working as a maid.. her inner emotions. Found this among the heavenly dusty old stacks up three floors at the massive Cleveland Public Library downtown Cleveland on Superior Ave in 1990. I THINK THEY STILL HAVE THE 'STACKS'. I AND DREW CAREY AS WELL, LOVED THIS LIBRARY 'BACK IN THE DAY'.. AND THE INTERNET GENERATION IS REALLY MISSING OUT. PLEASE VISIT THE FICTION BOOK STACKS DOWNTOWN AT 325 SUPERIOR AVE IN CLEVELAND AND HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME.
October 29, 2009
A classic. This was written by a woman about women trying to survive in the early 1900's. Difficult to see the amount of work required to barely live and yet be treated with complete indifference and cruelty by the so called "elite".
July 27, 2019
I read this book, mainly, because my great-grandmother had worked in New York City as a cook and housemaid after migrating from Ulm, Germany, in 1898 (about 20 years before the action in the book). I had learned about Fannie Hurst at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.
The titular Lummox of the book is a plain, hefty you woman named Bertha, who follows the fickle tastes of wealthy New Yorkers on a saga towards finding love and a home of her own to care for. With one family she is seduced by the wealthy son. Their night of passion leaves him with inspiration for a poem that will make him famous and her pregnant with a child whom she must give up for adoption. Other employers are too demanding, or move away suddenly without warning. She makes friends among the lower classes, and Bertha keeps as her "home" a nasty boarding house for sailors, not far from the docks.
Lummox is a really interesting look into life among the down and out in New York at the dawn of the 20th Century.
The titular Lummox of the book is a plain, hefty you woman named Bertha, who follows the fickle tastes of wealthy New Yorkers on a saga towards finding love and a home of her own to care for. With one family she is seduced by the wealthy son. Their night of passion leaves him with inspiration for a poem that will make him famous and her pregnant with a child whom she must give up for adoption. Other employers are too demanding, or move away suddenly without warning. She makes friends among the lower classes, and Bertha keeps as her "home" a nasty boarding house for sailors, not far from the docks.
Lummox is a really interesting look into life among the down and out in New York at the dawn of the 20th Century.
October 9, 2019
Powerful and sumptuously written. This is the story of Bertha, a strong, quiet and compassionate cook and maid of all works whom shallow people often mistake for a dim-wit or "lummox". Bertha is anything but, and even inspires one of her first employers, Rollo Farley, with his one and only poetic masterpiece, "The Cathedral Under the Sea". Rollo also leaves his mark on Bertha's life by making her pregnant. Rather than mar his engagement to a callous high society girl, Bertha chooses to disappear from the house with her secret, and gives up her baby boy for adoption. Over the years, Bertha works for the Musliners, the Wallensteins and Mrs Oessetrich. For some years she shares a garret with Silly Willy, an impotent and vicious little fellow whose sole virtue in her eyes is that he works for the couple who adopted her son. Through Willy she manages to get a glimpse of her son's life, and is as proud as she is heart-broken when his adoptive parents take him to Europe to further his study of the piano. Although she works better and harder than any other help her employers have ever had, the class divide doesn't allow them to see her as a person, and she ends up dismissed or forced to leave through no fault of her own. At Mrs Oessetrich's she is accused of theft when the real culprit is another maid, Helga, who couldn't resist appropriating some of the finery she rightly thought was wasted on her mistress and her daughters. While gentle Bertha accepts her destiny without a murmur, Helga dies raging against the injustice of having been born on the wrong side of the tracks. Helga's bitter speeches against social injustice are as credible as everything else in this book and don't at all sound like a soap-box piece. As she gets older it becomes harder and harder for Bertha to find work. Having lost all her savings through her generosity, she is on the brink of destitution when she meets a kind German widower with a brood of children who is badly in need of a good woman. Having ardently wished for Bertha to finally get a break in life, I welcomed this happy ending and too bad if some readers find it pat. As far as I am concerned, there is nothing mawkish in this book and I consider it one of the greatest social novels I've ever read. Hurst excels at describing the sights, sounds and smells of New York city throughout the seasons and her sensual prose is another of this book's great assets.
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September 13, 2022This book was adapted to the screen in 1930 starring Winifred Westover and Dorothy Janis.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews