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The Things That Matter: What Seven Classic Novels Have to Say About the Stages of Life
An illuminating exploration of how seven of the greatest English novels of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries—Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Middlemarch, Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and Between the Acts—portray the essential experiences of life.
For Edward Mendelson—a professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University—these classic novels tell life stories that are valuable to readers who are thinking about the course of their own lives. Looking beyond theories to the individual intentions of the authors and taking into consideration their lives and times, Mendelson examines the sometimes contradictory ways in which the novels portray such major passages of life as love, marriage, and parenthood. In Frankenstein's story of a new life, we see a searing representation of emotional neglect. In Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre the transition from childhood to adulthood is portrayed in vastly different ways even though the sisters who wrote the books shared the same isolated life. In Mrs. Dalloway we see an ideal and almost impossible adult love. Mendelson leads us to a fresh and fascinating new understanding of each of the seven novels, reminding us—in the most captivating way—why they matter.
The Things That Matter is a book that will delight all passionate readers.
For Edward Mendelson—a professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University—these classic novels tell life stories that are valuable to readers who are thinking about the course of their own lives. Looking beyond theories to the individual intentions of the authors and taking into consideration their lives and times, Mendelson examines the sometimes contradictory ways in which the novels portray such major passages of life as love, marriage, and parenthood. In Frankenstein's story of a new life, we see a searing representation of emotional neglect. In Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre the transition from childhood to adulthood is portrayed in vastly different ways even though the sisters who wrote the books shared the same isolated life. In Mrs. Dalloway we see an ideal and almost impossible adult love. Mendelson leads us to a fresh and fascinating new understanding of each of the seven novels, reminding us—in the most captivating way—why they matter.
The Things That Matter is a book that will delight all passionate readers.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
32 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
About the author
Edward Mendelson
45 books17 followersEdward Mendelson is a professor of English and Comparative Literature and the Lionel Trilling Professor in the Humanities at Columbia University. He is the literary executor of the Estate of W.H. Auden and the author or editor of several books about Auden's work, including Early Auden (1981) and Later Auden (1999). He is also the author of The Things That Matter: What Seven Classic Novels Have to Say About the Stages of Life (2006), about nineteenth- and twentieth-century novels, and Moral Agents: Eight Twentieth-Century American Writers (2015).
He has edited standard editions of works by W. H. Auden, including Collected Poems (1976; 2nd edn. 1990; 3rd edn., 2007), The English Auden (1977), Selected Poems (1979, 2nd edn., 2007), As I Walked Out One Evening (selected light verse, 1995), and the continuing Complete Works of W. H. Auden (1986– ).
His work on Thomas Pynchon includes Pynchon: A Collection of Critical Essays (1978) and numerous essays, including "The Sacred, the Profane, and The Crying of Lot 49" (1975; reprinted in the 1978 collection) and "Gravity's Encyclopedia" (in Mindful Pleasures: Essays on Thomas Pynchon). The latter essay introduced the critical category of "encyclopedic narrative," further elaborated in a later essay, "Encyclopedic Narrative from Dante to Pynchon".
He is the editor of annotated editions of novels by Thomas Hardy, George Meredith, Arnold Bennett, H.G. Wells, and Anthony Trollope. With Michael Seidel he co-edited Homer to Brecht; The European Epic and Dramatic Traditions (1977).
He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2015. He was elected a Member of the American Philosophical Society in 2017. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and was the first Isabel Dalhousie Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh.
Before teaching at Columbia, he was an associate professor of English at Yale University and a visiting associate professor of English at Harvard University. He received a B.A. from the University of Rochester (1966) and a Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University (1969).
Since 1986 he has written about computing, software, and typography and is a contributing editor of PC Magazine.
He is married to the writer Cheryl Mendelson.
He has edited standard editions of works by W. H. Auden, including Collected Poems (1976; 2nd edn. 1990; 3rd edn., 2007), The English Auden (1977), Selected Poems (1979, 2nd edn., 2007), As I Walked Out One Evening (selected light verse, 1995), and the continuing Complete Works of W. H. Auden (1986– ).
His work on Thomas Pynchon includes Pynchon: A Collection of Critical Essays (1978) and numerous essays, including "The Sacred, the Profane, and The Crying of Lot 49" (1975; reprinted in the 1978 collection) and "Gravity's Encyclopedia" (in Mindful Pleasures: Essays on Thomas Pynchon). The latter essay introduced the critical category of "encyclopedic narrative," further elaborated in a later essay, "Encyclopedic Narrative from Dante to Pynchon".
He is the editor of annotated editions of novels by Thomas Hardy, George Meredith, Arnold Bennett, H.G. Wells, and Anthony Trollope. With Michael Seidel he co-edited Homer to Brecht; The European Epic and Dramatic Traditions (1977).
He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2015. He was elected a Member of the American Philosophical Society in 2017. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and was the first Isabel Dalhousie Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh.
Before teaching at Columbia, he was an associate professor of English at Yale University and a visiting associate professor of English at Harvard University. He received a B.A. from the University of Rochester (1966) and a Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University (1969).
Since 1986 he has written about computing, software, and typography and is a contributing editor of PC Magazine.
He is married to the writer Cheryl Mendelson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 1, 2011
The day I came to the realization that I didn't *have* to finish every book I started, that I could close the book on page 20 or 75 or 359 whether or not that was the end, that I had the final say over how my limited reading time would be used, was a liberating day for me.
And today I'm acting on that liberation. On page 128, about halfway through the discussion of Middlemarch, I'm setting this one down.
Don't get me wrong. There are some great insights from the seven novels Mr. Mendelson analyzes, and from the other mostly positive reviews I'm sure I'm missing the boat by skipping out before he gets to the last three, but for me it just feels like a chore. I've had to convince myself to keep turning the pages since the middle of Wuthering Heights and so I need to move on.
On a more positive note, I did like the chapter about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and I appreciate his focus on women authors (though it's a little heavy on Virginia Woolf with three out of the seven novels he includes by her).
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
And today I'm acting on that liberation. On page 128, about halfway through the discussion of Middlemarch, I'm setting this one down.
Don't get me wrong. There are some great insights from the seven novels Mr. Mendelson analyzes, and from the other mostly positive reviews I'm sure I'm missing the boat by skipping out before he gets to the last three, but for me it just feels like a chore. I've had to convince myself to keep turning the pages since the middle of Wuthering Heights and so I need to move on.
On a more positive note, I did like the chapter about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and I appreciate his focus on women authors (though it's a little heavy on Virginia Woolf with three out of the seven novels he includes by her).
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
May 13, 2020
Synopsis: The Things That Matter takes on the rather difficult and daunting task of looking at seven classic novels — all written by women — and explaining what they have to say about stages of life.
How we met: What drew me in was the title, the concept and the great introduction with phrases like: “this book is written for all readers, of any age, who are still deciding how to live their lives,” and the idea that although novels are compact and highly organized portraying happy endings that are false or contrived to the “real” world, there is STILL real value to be gained in our own inner lives.
*It was also cool to learn that the author is a professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University (even though it’s less cool he’s a man trying to explain/understand female writers).
My thoughts: However, although the book did offer some beautiful ideas that resonated with me, it fell drastically short in accomplishing relationality between text and the reader. Firstly, this is not a “book anyone can pick up,” this is a book for a college class looking at these specific novels and doing comparative analysis. When I started reading I actually I didn’t mind this, as my own inner-nerd likes comparative studies; however, what really disappointed me was that after Mendelson did his analytical dive into the characters and life stages, he never brought it back to what these ideas had to do with stages of life for the readers. In other words, I kept waiting for “Okay, now this is what Jane Eyre can teach you about growth in your own life,” as the introduction seemed to advertise as a big part of the book’s purpose. This made it really hard to finish this book.
Advice for future interested readers:
This is NOT a book to sit and read in one sitting, it’s a book to get if you want to dive deeper into the following novels Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Middlemarch, Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, or Between the Acts. I feel like it’d be a great companion to a college course.
Spot on Shelf? Glad I gave it a go, such a cool concept, sadly didn't meet the purpose I was really hoping for so I don't suspect I'll hold onto it long. But again, a great companion for a Literature course.
How we met: What drew me in was the title, the concept and the great introduction with phrases like: “this book is written for all readers, of any age, who are still deciding how to live their lives,” and the idea that although novels are compact and highly organized portraying happy endings that are false or contrived to the “real” world, there is STILL real value to be gained in our own inner lives.
*It was also cool to learn that the author is a professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University (even though it’s less cool he’s a man trying to explain/understand female writers).
My thoughts: However, although the book did offer some beautiful ideas that resonated with me, it fell drastically short in accomplishing relationality between text and the reader. Firstly, this is not a “book anyone can pick up,” this is a book for a college class looking at these specific novels and doing comparative analysis. When I started reading I actually I didn’t mind this, as my own inner-nerd likes comparative studies; however, what really disappointed me was that after Mendelson did his analytical dive into the characters and life stages, he never brought it back to what these ideas had to do with stages of life for the readers. In other words, I kept waiting for “Okay, now this is what Jane Eyre can teach you about growth in your own life,” as the introduction seemed to advertise as a big part of the book’s purpose. This made it really hard to finish this book.
Advice for future interested readers:
This is NOT a book to sit and read in one sitting, it’s a book to get if you want to dive deeper into the following novels Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Middlemarch, Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, or Between the Acts. I feel like it’d be a great companion to a college course.
Spot on Shelf? Glad I gave it a go, such a cool concept, sadly didn't meet the purpose I was really hoping for so I don't suspect I'll hold onto it long. But again, a great companion for a Literature course.
February 13, 2008
This book takes 7 books from 5 female authors (Mary Shelley, Charlotte and Emily Bronte, Virginia Woolf and George Eliot) and shares how each book talks about a particular stage of life (ie Frankenstein and birth). The book gave me a number of new insights into books I'd already read and made me want to reread them, and to read books I'd never read before.
August 29, 2017
Ummm... this is a fine book, but just not what is advertised. The title and introduction say this is about what seven novels say about the stages of life-- birth, growing up, preparing to die, etc. Frankenstein, for example, was supposed to represent birth. The first few pages of that chapter do a good job of explaining that: Frankenstein "gives birth" to the monster, but not biologic or genetic birth, there's no love involved before or after the "birth," etc. But then Mendelson goes on a tangent for the majority of the chapter about other things, like science vs. alchemy/magic, Frankenstein's science background, Percy Bysse Shelley's "openmindedness" about relations... As a deep-dive into the book, it's fine, but what's this got to do with how Frankenstein represents birth???
Similarly, Wuthering Heights is "about" childhood, but there's not much about childhood in this chapter. Sex and sexual relationships, yes; nature and the natural world, some; childhood, not so much. There is *some* discussion of childhood and freedom in childhood, but certainly nowhere near a majority of this 32-page chapter.
.... Aaaaand, no. I read 3 chapters, 115 out of 240 pages, and it just didn't get any better. Again, not that it's a *bad* book; it's just not as advertised. And life is too short -- and there are too many books to read -- to spend time reading books that aren't what I had wanted to read.
Similarly, Wuthering Heights is "about" childhood, but there's not much about childhood in this chapter. Sex and sexual relationships, yes; nature and the natural world, some; childhood, not so much. There is *some* discussion of childhood and freedom in childhood, but certainly nowhere near a majority of this 32-page chapter.
.... Aaaaand, no. I read 3 chapters, 115 out of 240 pages, and it just didn't get any better. Again, not that it's a *bad* book; it's just not as advertised. And life is too short -- and there are too many books to read -- to spend time reading books that aren't what I had wanted to read.
September 2, 2009
I had great hopes for this book but finished somewhat disappointed. I'd have preferred that the seven classic novels be by seven separate writers. Instead, Mendelson chose three by Virginia Woolf. Woolf is a very fine writer but her over-representation skews the book. Rather than have Woolf represent "Parenthood," why not Austen's Pride and Prejudice, with a fresh reading on Mrs. Bennett's mania for her daughters' marriages?
February 28, 2013
Interesting read of comparing 7 novels to different stages of life: childbirth (Frankenstein); childhood (Wuthering Heights); growing into adulthood (Jane Eyre); & marriage (Middlemarch). Three chapters devoted to Virginia Woolf which are (personal love) Mrs. Dalloway; parenthood (To The Lighthouse; and (life surrenders to the next generation) Between the Acts. I thought it was well done but unfortunately for me -- I have yet to read Middlemarch and Between the Acts.
January 16, 2008
This is a wonderful book that gave me a lot of new perspectives on the 7 novels in it. I especially found the Frankenstein essay to be provocative.
August 23, 2024
This book is what I would call a "Compendium" an outside source to better understand the journey of life through characters and stories. The book is written by Edward Mendelson who is a Professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University.
The Author believes that these stories are valuable to readers who are also thinking about the course of one's life. The author examines the some what contradictory ways in which the Novels portray such major passages of life as love, marriage, and parenthood.
My main focus was Jane Eyre, as this book has always hung out in the strange and odd lexicon of Classic Literature. I can say that after reading the Chapter the Author titled "Growth" has cleared up a lot of the fog and oddness of characters, and the plot.
When I was going to college and working on my degree in English and Creative Writing, having Compendiums was a must. I am grateful that my library had this book as I now understand the depth and wisdom that Bronte brought to her work.
" I married him," she insists on remaining true to herself, insists on saying I not we, because only autonomous and equal individuals achieve intimacy and marriage."
I understand now at the age of 51 that she is correct. Autonomy is not unity, and unity is not equality.
The other novels covered are ordered in this way.
Birth: Frankenstine
Childhood: Wuthering Heigts
Growth: Jane Eyer
Marriage: Middlemarch
Love: Mrs. Dalloway
Parenthood: To the Light House
The Future: Between Acts
Also included are Notes on the Novelists as well as a Further Reading page and a complete Index
I would recommend this book if you too are wanting to understand Classic Literature and how the stories written in the 18th and 19th Century still apply today, this is a book that is worth reading.
The Author believes that these stories are valuable to readers who are also thinking about the course of one's life. The author examines the some what contradictory ways in which the Novels portray such major passages of life as love, marriage, and parenthood.
My main focus was Jane Eyre, as this book has always hung out in the strange and odd lexicon of Classic Literature. I can say that after reading the Chapter the Author titled "Growth" has cleared up a lot of the fog and oddness of characters, and the plot.
When I was going to college and working on my degree in English and Creative Writing, having Compendiums was a must. I am grateful that my library had this book as I now understand the depth and wisdom that Bronte brought to her work.
" I married him," she insists on remaining true to herself, insists on saying I not we, because only autonomous and equal individuals achieve intimacy and marriage."
I understand now at the age of 51 that she is correct. Autonomy is not unity, and unity is not equality.
The other novels covered are ordered in this way.
Birth: Frankenstine
Childhood: Wuthering Heigts
Growth: Jane Eyer
Marriage: Middlemarch
Love: Mrs. Dalloway
Parenthood: To the Light House
The Future: Between Acts
Also included are Notes on the Novelists as well as a Further Reading page and a complete Index
I would recommend this book if you too are wanting to understand Classic Literature and how the stories written in the 18th and 19th Century still apply today, this is a book that is worth reading.
December 3, 2021
This summarises or critiques or explains seven books, three of which I had already read, so it was a good prompt to read the other four. Some of the books were super (Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights), but Woolf's aren't for me. Some of Mendelson's explanations were helpful (Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Middlemarch), but some didn't. I am pleased that the set of seven and this book are finished - it has been on my book shelf for 15 years!
July 4, 2017
This is an interesting reading of several classic novels, and as a trade publication, it reads a bit more quickly than an academic monograph. I do think that some of his readings are a bit flawed, and his take on Emily Bronte seems way too generous. But that's me talking shop. If you like classics and talking books, give this a shot.
September 16, 2020
The essays concerning Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre l considered 5-star; the Mary Shelley and the three Virginia Woolf essays disappointed me.
Want to read
October 23, 2021Looked interesting
Read
November 27, 2024Analysis of classic English literature? Yes. Relationship to stages of life? A stretch. And very theoretical, not so much useful to the reader's own life stages. Seemed like false advertising.
April 10, 2014
Insightful, clever, rewarding read. Discusses what some of my favorite books have to offer. Life stage view offers an interesting way to look at these great themes & lessons.
From Publishers Weekly
Columbia professor Mendelson's interlocking essays on the subtexts of seven great works of fiction (all by women) are lucidly expressed, insightful and often provocative.
Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Middlemarch and three Virginia Woolf works...What Mendelson does accomplish, and brilliantly, is to analyze these novels as extraordinary representatives of changes in moral and cultural mores in the 19th and 20th centuries. He offers a fascinating glimpse into the hidden visionary narrative in Wuthering Heights; convincingly finds that Middlemarch ("Marriage") and other of George Eliot's novels "expound more knowledge than any other body of fiction in English, and more wisdom than most"; and credits Woolf with groundbreaking insights into human emotions.
From Publishers Weekly
Columbia professor Mendelson's interlocking essays on the subtexts of seven great works of fiction (all by women) are lucidly expressed, insightful and often provocative.
Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Middlemarch and three Virginia Woolf works...What Mendelson does accomplish, and brilliantly, is to analyze these novels as extraordinary representatives of changes in moral and cultural mores in the 19th and 20th centuries. He offers a fascinating glimpse into the hidden visionary narrative in Wuthering Heights; convincingly finds that Middlemarch ("Marriage") and other of George Eliot's novels "expound more knowledge than any other body of fiction in English, and more wisdom than most"; and credits Woolf with groundbreaking insights into human emotions.
Read
February 5, 2009Though the book is somewhat hit-or-miss, critics agree that the hits outnumber the misses. A particular standout is Mendelson's essay on Mrs. Dalloway, which both conveys the essence of the novel and offers acute insights into its eponymous protagonist. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the Frankenstein piece, less coherent and evocative than the others. The writing is sometimes overly constrained by the "stages of life" structure, though Mendelson delves into his characters' moral journeys as well. This collection will be best enjoyed by literary enthusiasts who know these novels well and can interact with Mendelson's work from a standpoint of personal experience and opinion.
This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.
March 9, 2009
Not the greatest literary criticism ever (somewhat glib and superficial throughout), but definitely worth it, as I felt compelled to play catch up and read Middlemarch, To the Lighthouse, and Between the Acts to keep up with the commentary. It was great to get a reminder of how much I love Woolf, although I do think Mendelson stacked the deck a little by giving all of life's end-stages over to her books.
July 11, 2014
Mendelson shared the lessons he learned in the reading of seven classics I suspect most of us have read. His conclusions gave me an entirely new perspective on these which returned me to them, to enjoy another read. The novels and the periods of life: birth - _Frankenstein_, childhood - _ Wuthering Heights_, growth - _Jane Eyre_, marriage - _Middlemarch_, love (interesting that he put love after marriage!) - _Mrs. Dalloway_, parenthood - _To The Lighthouse_, the future - _Between The Acts_. Two Virginia Woolfs!
March 27, 2008
The English Professor/author writes about seven classics and the wisdom they offer. Most of the books are favorites: Middlemarch, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Frankenstein, To the Lighthouse, Mrs. Dalloway and Between the Acts (Not yet read). He writes thoughtfully and (not too) analytically about these books; one might not always share his conclusions but still benefit from the insights.
Read
May 15, 2008i didn't really finish it. i just got bored and took it back to the library. although i would think if you're going to take a look at seven books and critique what they have to say about "life," you should take a look at seven different authors and not have the last three all by the same person. i don't know. i mean i'm not an effing genius or anything. i'm just sayin'...
August 26, 2008
Mendelson’s, The Things That Matter: What Seven Classic Novels Have to Say About The Stages of Life, is an invigorating and insightful work. This collection of essays should be considered a valuable and necessary addition to any serious library.
©The New York Literary Society Book Review, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
©The New York Literary Society Book Review, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
January 25, 2016
This is a thoroughly enjoyable discussion of several classic novels. By avoiding all the traditional "lit crit" jargon and talking about the writers and their masterpieces in human terms, Mendelson has deepened my appreciation for literature. He also made me want to re-read all the books he discusses.
Read
March 31, 2008I love all of the books touched on and was thrilled by the idea of a Columbia lit-crit (male) making these (all female) works of brilliance have compelling and fresh application to everyday life. Some good chapters, but on the whole found it a little too surface-y and lacking in insight.
August 22, 2008
I found this too dry for me. I was hoping for more and just couldn't get into it. I think if I were a lit major or an english teacher that held most of the books discussed near and dear to my heart, I would have enjoyed it more.
March 5, 2010
I especially enjoyed his chapter on Mrs. Dalloway. This made me want to pick up all seven of these novels and read them straight through.
March 15, 2016
This book was not as good as I thought it would be. The author must love Virginia Woolf, since 3 of the 7 books deemed the "most important English novels of the 19th and 20th century" were by her. I didn't really enjoy this book a whole lot, but that might just be my personal preference
March 27, 2007
still reading this
Want to read
August 15, 2007First I would like to read the novels that are listed in this book.
September 10, 2007
I thought I would love this book, but boy was I wrong. Very dry and frankly, not that interesting.
March 21, 2008
A bit dry, but to the point. It's good to consider what literature is capable of doing.
March 25, 2008
This is the single best book of literary criticism I've read. His essay on Woolf's To the Lighthouse is not be missed!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews