Ideala

by Sarah Grand

Step into Victorian England, where a young woman seeks meaning amid the constraints of convention, yearning for authenticity in an age of appearance. Through intimate journal entries and shattering confessions, follow her journey from self-doubt to self-definition while confronting society’s expectations about gender, morality, and the search for happiness. Woven with empathy and insight, this psychological novel celebrates individuality and the courage to break free from dogma. Bracingly modern and quietly rebellious, it is a timeless portrait of womanhood and awakening, forging new possibilities for the heart and mind.

Genres: Classics, 19th Century

229 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1888

Reviews

[Dushan Milinovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I wore a skirt in the nineteenth century, she would be me.

[Jacob Longini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely more of an educational read than it is an entertaining one, Grand's work communicates the many Women's Rights ideas that were circulating in the late 19th Century. Ideala represents a shift from liberal feminism to social purity feminism, something modern audiences will not find very satisfactory in the plot of the novel, but a very interesting case for scholars of women writers in the long 19th Century. The work is also interesting in its transition between the 19th Century conventions of literary realism to proto-modernist techniques that would rise in the 20th century. The introduction by Molly Youngkin (my professor of 19th Century Women's Literature) is very insightful, and her work in editing the edition as a whole is fantastic. The whole novel is filled with helpful footnotes in which Youngkin adds rich detail regarding the cultural context behind the story. Again, not a book for those looking to be entertained, but an essential read for scholars interested in related content.

[darcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Opening Line: She came among us without flourish of trumpets.

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars