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From a Girl's Point of View
Every woman has had, at some time in her life, an experience with man in the raw. In reality, one cannot set down with any degree of accuracy the age when his rawness attacks him, or the time when he has got the last remnant of it out of his system. But a close study of the complaint, and the necessity for pigeon-holing everything and everybody, lead one to declare that somewhere in the vicinity of the age of thirty-five man emerges from his rawness and becomes a part of trained humanity - a humanity composed of men and women trained in the art of living together.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
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About the author
Lilian Bell
71 books4 followersLilian Lida Bell (1867-1929) was an American author who became famous after the publication of her novel ‘Love Affairs of an Old Maid’ in 1893. Other works include ‘The Under Side of Things’ (1896); ‘From a Girl’s Point of View’ (1807); ‘As Seen by Me’ (1900); ‘Yessum’ (1901); ‘Hope Loring’ (1902); ‘Carolina Lee’ (1906); ‘Angela’s Quest’ (1910); ‘The Story of the Christmas Ship’ (1915). She married Arthur Hoyt Bogue in 1900 and sued him for divorce in 1913.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 3, 2019
I was not aware of the author; I got attracted towards the title. But reading it was quite a refreshing experience for me. I read it to know this 'girl's' point of view. She has put forward her views with an earnest conviction. Her approach is interesting and hilarious. I would call it a nutty and peckish approach of a girl.
Most of the time, she has first taken a fractious route, to put forward her conviction on various issues and then immediately has tried to defend herself with identifying a specific category of people for her views. She has been able to create lots of light moments for the readers in doing that.
There are some very interesting views on many things, a girl can have that I tried and enjoyed through this book. She has talked about the untrained men under- thirty-five, about a girl's view on clothes she wears, about woman's rights in love, about men as lovers, about lovemaking as fine art. She has willfully touched the topics of 'girls with other girls and 'subject of husband' as well.
She says that every woman, at some time in her life experiences a man in the raw. A raw man is someone for her who has not been earlier trained by a woman. She talks about a man who is under thirty-five and is still untrained…
"You can do little to help him If you are the first girl to take a hand at him. You can but prepare him to be a little more amenable to the next girl. His mind is not on you. It is centered on himself. You are only an entity to him, not an individual. He cares nothing for your likes and dislikes, your cares or hopes or fears. He only wishes you to be pretty and well dressed."
She, in a very witty manner, gives her detailed opinion on clothing …
"When a man praises your clothes, he always is praising you in them. You will never hear a man praise even the good dressing of a woman he dislikes; while girls who positively hate another girl often will add, “But she certainly does know how to dress."
She says men seldom make perfect lovers…
"Men seldom make perfect lovers, I deeply regret being obliged to say this. I do not pretend to say why this is so. I suppose because a man never dwells upon the sentimental side of the life, nor understands the emotions, unless he is either a poet or a Miss Nancy, and it is almost equally dangerous to marry either of those."
In the latter part of the book, she has discussed various categories of men. She has her views on the self-made man, the dyspeptic man, the too-accurate man, the irresistible man, and the stupid man.
Explaining an account of dyspeptic man she writes...
"Of course every woman knows that a sick man is sicker than the thousand sicker women, each of whom is twice as sick as he is. We all know that he can groan louder and roll his eyes higher and keep more people flying about, and all this just a plain pain, than his wife would do with seven fatal ailments."
Finally, she talks about the new woman...
"Why have men always possessed an exclusive right to the sense of humor? I believe because they live out of door more. Humor is an out of door virtue. It requires ozone and the light of the sun and when the new women came out of the doors and mingled with men and newer women, she saw funny things and her sense of humor began to grow and thrive."
This is interesting to know that this book was written in the 1890s. Its humorous and jolly approach in expressing a girl’s point of view of that time is making it a light and fun read, even today.
Most of the time, she has first taken a fractious route, to put forward her conviction on various issues and then immediately has tried to defend herself with identifying a specific category of people for her views. She has been able to create lots of light moments for the readers in doing that.
There are some very interesting views on many things, a girl can have that I tried and enjoyed through this book. She has talked about the untrained men under- thirty-five, about a girl's view on clothes she wears, about woman's rights in love, about men as lovers, about lovemaking as fine art. She has willfully touched the topics of 'girls with other girls and 'subject of husband' as well.
She says that every woman, at some time in her life experiences a man in the raw. A raw man is someone for her who has not been earlier trained by a woman. She talks about a man who is under thirty-five and is still untrained…
"You can do little to help him If you are the first girl to take a hand at him. You can but prepare him to be a little more amenable to the next girl. His mind is not on you. It is centered on himself. You are only an entity to him, not an individual. He cares nothing for your likes and dislikes, your cares or hopes or fears. He only wishes you to be pretty and well dressed."
She, in a very witty manner, gives her detailed opinion on clothing …
"When a man praises your clothes, he always is praising you in them. You will never hear a man praise even the good dressing of a woman he dislikes; while girls who positively hate another girl often will add, “But she certainly does know how to dress."
She says men seldom make perfect lovers…
"Men seldom make perfect lovers, I deeply regret being obliged to say this. I do not pretend to say why this is so. I suppose because a man never dwells upon the sentimental side of the life, nor understands the emotions, unless he is either a poet or a Miss Nancy, and it is almost equally dangerous to marry either of those."
In the latter part of the book, she has discussed various categories of men. She has her views on the self-made man, the dyspeptic man, the too-accurate man, the irresistible man, and the stupid man.
Explaining an account of dyspeptic man she writes...
"Of course every woman knows that a sick man is sicker than the thousand sicker women, each of whom is twice as sick as he is. We all know that he can groan louder and roll his eyes higher and keep more people flying about, and all this just a plain pain, than his wife would do with seven fatal ailments."
Finally, she talks about the new woman...
"Why have men always possessed an exclusive right to the sense of humor? I believe because they live out of door more. Humor is an out of door virtue. It requires ozone and the light of the sun and when the new women came out of the doors and mingled with men and newer women, she saw funny things and her sense of humor began to grow and thrive."
This is interesting to know that this book was written in the 1890s. Its humorous and jolly approach in expressing a girl’s point of view of that time is making it a light and fun read, even today.
February 15, 2017
Expressed a girl's thoughts in the most simple & beautiful way.
February 25, 2018
Love this book though there is this point i would disagree upon, equal suffrage given by men shouldnt be frowned upon i dont think equality is a gender thing, its more of a human thing, fairness would be a closer term. I like the idea of how she wrote about the different types of men & there is this particular part i totally love is why women are being taught to be virtuous from young for men whereas not all men was taught how to treat (love) a lady.
Well, it would be interesting to have a book on from a guy’s perspective afterall many said females and males are wired differently. So exactly, how different we’re in terms of thinking, mindset, how we go about dealing with things?
Well, it would be interesting to have a book on from a guy’s perspective afterall many said females and males are wired differently. So exactly, how different we’re in terms of thinking, mindset, how we go about dealing with things?
March 17, 2013
A tongue-in-cheek account of men, women and the games they play, it is a hilarious feminist novel - a 'Sex and the City' from the 1890's.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews