Kitty Foyle

by Christopher Morley

Kitty Foyle is a 1939 American novel by Christopher Morley. A bestseller in 1939 and 1940, it was adapted as a popular 1940 film.

The novel tells of a white-collar girl who falls in love with a young socialite, despite the objections of his family. Contemporary Authors noted: "Central to the story is protagonist Kitty's affair with the affluent Wyn Strafford. Critics heatedly debated Morley's sexual sensationalism," notably her out-of-wedlock pregnancy and abortion.

The story is told by Kitty in the first person. A sociologist suggests that "Kitty, in her observations of the mores and behavior patterns of the upper class acts as the anthropological alter ego of Morley, viewing the upper class from the outside.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, American, Literature

339 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1939

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

American writer Christopher Darlington Morley founded the Saturday Review, from 1924 to 1940 edited it, and prolifically, most notably authored popular novels.

Christopher Morley, a journalist, essayist, and poet, also produced on stage for a few years and gave college lectures.

Reviews

[Jaksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. Hard to believe I'd never even heard about it until now. (And I've been around a while.) Written in a fresh, vigorous, stream-of-consciousness style which gives it a 'modern' edge. Also written by a male writer writing first person as first, a young girl, and later, as a young woman. Very true to its times, and with many references I recall my grandparents and great aunt talking about. Just so alive and colorful, if someone told me it had been written today, but set in a past time, I'd have believed it.

I esp. loved when people complained about a lack of privacy or way to be alone, because in this modern age (the 1920's) there are so many ways for people to connect: by telephone and telegram; and what with movies and newspapers, books and magazines, people are involved with each other all the time. What's happened to privacy!

I also enjoyed hearing that the MC's generation was probably the first to do their homework while listening to the radio. The older folks didn't think this was a good idea, as how can anyone concentrate on two things at once?

Some complaints, or the way we look at life, are ageless, I suppose.

Anyhow, loved the book.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope it's always possible to get your hands on a copy of this book, somewhere. So that people will stumble upon it and fall in love with it.

This is a story, kind of racy for its time, of a girl who is working and growing up in the first half of the century. There are really important pop culture references in here, and that's part of what I love -- immigrant pop culture is here. Kitty's dad is an Irishman who plays cricket and is getting old and infirm. Kitty's a Philadelphian who gets involved with the upper class, and so there's reference to the old Philadelphia main line. She goes and works in Chicago, when it was more like the real hog butcher of the world. When there really still were slaughter yards. She lives in a small town in Illinois, too, and learns what's important to those people, too. It's just a really interesting cross section of time and place. I love that.

Kitty's written by a man. I have a friend who said he didn't really buy the portrayal. Me, I had no problem. And I'm a girl. In fact, I remember being impressed by Morley's ability to capture a woman's thoughts. Or, more to the point, really, I guess to capture this particular woman's thoughts. Nice and nicely done.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure why I remain shocked when a book from the past is kinda racy! This one was a best seller in 1939 and 1940 AND was the basis for a movie starring Ginger Rogers. Yet, our protagonist, Kitty, is a single gal who’s gotten pregnant out of wedlock AND had an abortion. Having just read “A Tree Grow in Brooklyn,” and “”Sister Carrie,” it’s hard not to compare the three, especially “Tree” being published after “Kitty” in 1943. All 3 have to do with working gals. Kitty is more middle class than the other two – she’s referred to as a “white collar girl.” Like “A Tree Grows . . . ,” place is almost a character. Philadelphia and the Main Line are featured predominately and add character to the story. I’ve always enjoyed looking for Conshohocken when driving along the Schuylkill. Kitty’s dad used it as a swear word – one that I think I’ll be adding to my vocabulary.

Update: finally saw the movie version of this! As one would expect, the movie is very different than the book (Rogers herself was hesitant to do the story as written.) So if you're a purist, the movie leaves a lot of the story out. However, the movie is pretty darn good -- wished I'd seen it before reading the book.

[Barbara VA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess that I never realized that one of my favorite movies was a book. There are not many adaptations that I like, I am usually on the side of the book. This case is different, I honestly prefer the movie. I heard Ginger Rogers tell me the entire story. Her character was well drawn but Wyn was weak, he had a few moments but, other than charm, he did nothing for me. I was most drawn to the stories of friends chatting together over work and life and loved the descriptions of the retail industry in the early part of the last century (I say this as I prepare to binge on season 2 of Mr Selfridge starting tomorrow!).

[Martijn van Bruggen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Geen idee wat de plot is. Heel veel stappen maar geen recept.

"- Je denkt eraan, dat al wat je zegt tegen je gebruikt zal worden?
- Reken maar. Dat is nooit anders geweest."

[Iris · Rating 1 out of 5]

There's a lot I don't like about this book because, let's be honest: there's a lot wrong with it.

First of all: the grammar is atrocious. He comma splices and slaps semi colons everywhere unnecessarily, and then he'll let a sentence just go on, and on, and on forever. Did he have an editor? And, okay, I get it-- the rules of English change and vary and grow. But jeez; it had none of the finesse or eloquence of hundreds of novels that came before it.

I also hated his tone. Could he have been more sexist? Doubtless he thought he was just being candid, and honest, and insightful; all the words they use to substitute for rude, cruel, and douchebaggy. Don't even get me started on his short sighted, narrow minded racism.

There was just this superior air that his sentences took on; as if he were implying that we should be in awe of them when really he's lucky that I'm giving him my time. And oh! What about K.F. herself? Poor, pretty, perfect Kitty Foyle who messes up in the most devastating manner. Except she didn't. Not really. Sure, she had no real personality outside of her relationship with Wyn. And sure, she mopes about for the entirety of the novel because a life without a boyfriend is a terrible fate, but... so what? She's educated and working; and independent, and self sufficient. She's sure of herself--moreso than Wyn ever was. I just couldn't really get behind the "heartache" that was supposed to weave this pitifully un-profound story together. Yes, kudos for writing a book on such a controversial topic--both then and now-- but how about giving it a little life? A little flavor? How about writing a woman who is actually a woman as opposed to this sordid male fantasy of what HE thinks a woman SHOULD be. Kitty was so obviously the gold standard of matronly martyrdom in the author's eyes. "A truly worthy woman,": one who would sacrifice her happiness for the success of a man. Oh barf.

I can't see that this book was ever beloved, unless of course the people who read it were immature, ignorant sensationalists ... oh wait...

The book speaks for itself when you wonder why it's out of print. It doesn't hold up, hell, it doesn't hold itself up. Christopher Morley did nothing more than jump on a craze way back when, and the writers who write stories for money or fame are often the most unworthy of them. 1.3/5

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a "classic" but yet widely read when it debuted in 1939 (also made into a very "dramatic" chick-flick movie in 1940).

Told in the first person, girl from the wrong side of the tracks meets and falls in love with a guy from the other side. Smart Kitty knows it won't last after she meets his family but can't help herself as she falls into the affair. Ahead of its time regarding what young women were thinking (ie. smoking, drinking, and sex!) but it was written by a man which was surprising.

A different read and interesting how Morley writes. Thought the section on how it is too easy to communicate (in 1939) keeps people too close - the telephone, telegram, cars, trains and subway.... hard to escape if you want some alone time - what would he think now with cell phones, computers and quick travel? Also, he thoughts on social differences, politics and religion are even true today... really ahead of his time.

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating first-person narrative of a young woman written by a man - but done so well that the reader easily forgets it and savors every page. Morley is Kitty as she matures from a widower’s companion daughter with three older brothers into an independent working girl living on her own. Along the way she finds joy and love and tragedy, and makes lifetime friends.

Immerse yourself in Kitty’s story but also in American 20th century culture between the wars. It’s a good read.

[Alethea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would considering how successfully it has faded into obscurity. I tracked my copy down at a local used bookstore when I discovered the library copy was only available via special request.

It was fun to read because it is a book that is very much a product of its time (traditional gender roles, constant visits to speak-easies, racist language), but it also feels very timeless and contemporary in Kitty's reflections on life and human nature. With the stream-of-consciousness thinking and frequent use of the mundane to serve as metaphors for abstruse ideas, I felt at times like I was reading a 1930s twitter feed. And I mean that in the best possible way.

I read the book because I wanted to see how much the movie had sanitized it. The book is quite different, and in some ways the Kitty of the book seems more mature than the Kitty of the movie, more capably independent; however, both are interesting peeks into budding feminist thought in the years leading up to war, and visions of women who have lives outside of married domesticity.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished re-reading this classic novel from the late 1930s, for the first time since I was a teenager. (My mother had given it to me then.) A sweet & charming book, a little slow-moving for today's tastes, but it so captures the spirit of that time and the lives of the "white collar girls," as the narrator (Kitty Foyle) calls them.

Apparently, the book was a big bestseller in its day. It was also made into a 1940 Oscar-winning movie, starring Ginger Rogers as Kitty.

[Eliana Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gonna be super honest - I read this because I found out it was my grandmother’s favorite book when she was in high school. Definitely wasn’t my cup of tea, but cool to see what she was into!

[Roger · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is The Catcher in the Rye for a 1930’s audience, mostly female. If you buy into to the voice of Kitty Foyle—ingenuous and pointedly naïve, prone to shrewd observations that sound suspiciously as though they come from her creator—you’ll probably like Morley’s “story” in the same way that (mostly male) readers of the 1950’s enjoyed Holden Caulfield. As sentimental as Catcher, though without a unifying perspective (e. g., phonies vs. children), this novel was likewise, in its day, mildly shocking: working class Kitty falls in love with a UC Philadelphian, has an affair, then an abortion, but remains emotionally committed to her beloved, who marries someone else. She is not a feminist hero(ine).

There is no true plot, but there is a lot of immediately amusing—then, to me, less amusing—girl / women talk. The social milieux of lower middle class and, to a lesser extent, aristocratic Philadelphia are well sketched. In her heart, what Kitty likes is the ambiance of department stores and advertising companies, full of executives on the make, the world of Muriel Glass of “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.” Kitty Foyle’s, or Christopher Morley’s, stereotyping of Blacks and Jews would not fly today but passed in 1939—enough so that a hit movie, starring Ginger Rogers, was made of the book. I haven’t seen it and don’t intend to.

[Jeff Mayo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this more than I thought I would. A young woman falls in love with a rich man. Much was made at the time of the controversy of her getting pregnant without being married, which was almost as scandalous as her having an abortion, which also happened. Most interesting to me was that this was told through first person narration of the woman, even though it was written by a man. There may have been some sexism of the day, "I will write a woman because who else could, if not a man," but it is well written. Not something I will remember forever having read and try to re-read throughout the years, but it was worth it once.

[Heather Costa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish there was a 3 and half stars because I did really like this book. Not quite enough to rate a 4 though. I love that its written in 1939 so you get the jargon they used then. I love that it discusses sex without putting it in your face. That's how things were then. Subtle. I also love that she didn't throw herself at his head and chase him. Women today could learn from class like that.

[Maria Wroblewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story in a voice of a white collar young woman of the late 20's early 30's. However it was dated. Yes, eventually all books become dated with time; however, the great ones have few language puzzles to solve. This book uses too much slang that doesn't add to the narrative. Also I have to wonder about Morely's overuse of "nigger" and "wop."

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like good literature, this is the book for you. It's a classic, describing the different classes of people in the 1920's and 1930's in Philadelphia and Chicago. I LOVED THIS BOOK.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was listed as one of the best written in 1939. It is a bit disappointing to me. More on:
http://bookwinked.wordpress.com/

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

for some reason i wanted to read ths book. it was written in 1939 and must have been scandalous in its day. but a good story. i hear the movie is good as well

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this copy at a book sale. Loved the movie, can't wait to read the original story.

I did like this and kept hearing Ginger Rodgers narrate. Now I have to see the movie again.

[Chrisanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spare yourself.

The movie is better.

[Chiara Santoianni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kitty Foyle è nata nel 1911, vive a Philadelphia, ha un padre irlandese che ha dedicato la sua vita al cricket - e che chiama sempre "il vecchio" anche quando vecchio non è ancora - e alcuni fratelli sparsi per il mondo, indipendenti com'è logico che un uomo ormai maturo sia. Ma anche Kitty, vero nome Katherine, è sempre stata una ragazza indipendente; e, nel corso di questo romanzo, che ripercorre la sua vita fino alla sua affermazione come "donna in carriera", lo dimostra pienamente, sin da ragazzina. Orfana di madre a soli 10 anni, Kitty Foyle ha imparato presto a convivere con le asperità del destino; ma, dentro di sè, concretezza e buon senso a parte, resta una ragazza dolce e innamorata della vita. Con questo spirito attraversa i decenni, raccontandoci in prima persona dei suoi anni scolastici, delle amicizie (in primis Molly, che l'accompagna per tutto il romanzo), dei suoi lavori, dei suoi amori. Wynneford Strafford VI, detto Wyn, viene dalla Main Line ed è troppo su nella scala sociale perché Kitty possa essere accettata come sua moglie, ma i due si amano, tanto; e sono una vera coppia, anche se Morley rappresenta il loro legame con estrema delicatezza. Nel film tratto, nel 1940, dal libro (pubblicato nel 1939), la storia d'amore è il fulcro; nel romanzo, protagonista insieme a Kitty e Wyn è l'America di Philadelphia/ Philly e del Midwest, in tutte le sue tradizionali sfaccettature: l'ossessione per il cricket, lo snobismo e la curata trasandatezza dell'upper class, la natura selvaggia e insieme accogliente, il lavoro che ricompensa chi s'impegna. Straordinaria la capacità di Morley di immedesimarsi in una ragazza, cogliendone le sfumature del pensiero; un po' meno facile, per il lettore, cogliere tutte le sfumature del linguaggio, ricco di espressioni forse difficilmente traducibili.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into the flow of the author's style. I read the book in spurts then made the decision to read it until I finished it. The book is written in the first person as if Kitty is telling her story & sometimes the flow is choppy. The vernacular of the era, 1920s to 1930s, also takes a little getting used to compared to today's writing. I got the impression Kitty was a little like Eliza Doolittle, a working class girl with a less polished way of speaking which might account for the choppiness of her musings.

I will say it was an interesting read once I got past the odd style of writing. The subject of an out of wedlock pregnancy & subsequent abortion was handled with sensitivity as was Kitty's decision not to tell her lover, Wynn Strafford. I thought she displayed real strength of character in deciding not to tell him to prevent him from wanting to marry her out of obligation.

In the end I think she wouldn't have been happy being married to Wynn. She went on to have a career & to discover that she was interested in working with children suffering from polio.

The book ends in a will she marry Dr Mark Eisen?

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who loves literature. What a great discover on the shelves of my local library, a repaired first edition no less. Morley’s prose is fun to read and even more delicious to decipher. I loved reading this novel, with raised eyebrows more than a few times by how we haven’t really, as a society, changed at all but also, how a character like Kitty Foyle came to life in the late 1930s....

[Susan Molloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story, in a way.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it more than I thought I would. Thought it was interesting how she viewed things and how life isn’t really that different when you bring it down to the basics.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literary scholars are sleeping on this one! I found this simultaneously hilarious, subversive, challenging, and stylistically complex. Definitely need my own copy for annotation.

[JJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stream of consciousness writing, which I don't like. In this case it didn't work for me to have a man pretend to write from a woman's point of view.

[Daniela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sarei curiosa di sapere che romanzo ha letto l'estensore della seconda di copertina: secondo lui/lei una storia brillante alla "Patricia Brent, zitella", in realtà una cosa a metà strada tra il flusso di coscienza ed il romanzo di formazione, due delle forme narrative per me più noiose e sfinenti. Ecco spiegate le due stelle. Sono curiosa di vedere il film tratto dal libro con Ginger Rogers per fare un confronto.

[Pascale · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pity this book is unobtainable! Even The Strand in New York wouldn't accept to hunt out a copy for me and I was lucky to be able to borrow it from a university library. I was motivated to read it because I knew it dealt with the issue of abortion. Kitty is the youngest child of a middle-class family of Irish origin. Her father is well-respected by the best Philadelphia families as a cricket coach and expert, but from an early age Kitty has understood that the social distance between the old monied families and hers is stratospheric. So when she falls madly in love with Wyn, the scion of a one of these superficially affable but terribly snooty families, she knows the score. Wyn detests his job at the bank, and seems set on imposing her to his folks, but deep down he is no rebel and Kitty loves him too much to let him make a fool of himself. Stung to the quick when he tells her his family would consider letting them marry on condition she goes to college and then Europe for a a couple of years, in order to acquire some of the requisite polish for their world, she decides to move on with her life. Without telling Wyn, she has an abortion so he does not feel obliged to walk out of the suitable engagement his parents have cooked up for him. Like her friend Molly, Kitty becomes a career girl. Initially an employee and later a partner in a cosmetics firm launched by a French couple, she makes her own way in the world. Delphine Detaille is a brillant salesperson and her husband, a chemist by training, has turned into a genius perfume creator. Kitty sees cosmetics for the racket that they are, but proves an able student of Delphine's methods. At the end of the book, Kitty is left wondering whether she should just stick to her job or marry the wonderful Jewish doctor who is much more in love with her than she with him. This book reminded me a lot of Booth Tarkington's "Alice Adams" in its description of a feisty heroine whose dreams are shattered by the unbridgeable class divide. Morley deals with abortion in a very frontal way, and in today's America it would be a public service to make this book widely available again.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitty Foyle, written by Christopher Morley, is a book about a good old American girl growing up in the 1920s and 30s. It was written in 1939 and became one of the most popular books of that year. The book was also turned into a movie starring Ginger Rogers. As far as the movie goes, it’s the same old tale—the book it much better. In fact, the book goes into so much more detail about Kitty’s past that the movie can hardly be considered more than the use of the character with little to no use of the plot.

Read more: http://bookstove.com/book-talk/kitty-...