rojaed's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
mellifiable's review against another edition
1.0
Vague Spoilers
Gosh, I don’t like to give 1 star but 1 star does mean “didn't like it” and I didn't like this book.
Fanny Herself tells the story of Fanny Brandeis, a young Jewish woman living in the early 20th century. As a girl, Fanny watches her mother run a local business in her small Wisconsin hometown. As a woman, Fanny moves to Chicago and becomes a businesswoman. And not just any business woman - she is the business world’s version of Superwoman! Everything she does at work is perfect, glorious, and brings big bucks. This is the first point of the story that gets on my nerves. Does Fanny ever make a mistake? Feel unsure? No. She does no wrong at work. I understand the story was supposed be inspirational for women who wanted to enter the work force at the time the novel was written but it paints a false portrait for readers; everything about Fanny’s work life runs too swimmingly to be true! She is always amazing, gifted, and assured, with impeccable clothes, pay raises, and lake view apartments. The story would have been far more engaging and believable to me had I seen Fanny facing some trials at work such as, I don’t know, maybe having to ask for a raise? Or something. Anything! Even talented people have slip ups sometimes. Fanny's effortless success makes the book (and Fanny) seem predictable and unrealistic.
Then Fanny has this childhood friend, Clarence, who has also moved to Chicago. Clarence is all the time telling Fanny that she is an artist at heart and that it is a disgrace “to her race” (meaning the Jewish people) that she doesn’t do something artistic and work with her heart. It has potential to be an inspirational (if trite) idea. “Young workaholic works with head but loses heart. Friend/potential suitor helps find heart.” Sweet. The whole thing is so contrived, however, that it’s just a big eye-roller. There is actually a section where the author tells us that Fanny is not working with her heart and goes on to explain to the reader in most elementary terms that she doesn’t mean the type of heart that is an organ but the type that refers to emotions. She gives definitions! It struck me as silly.
There were some parts about women’s suffrage and Fanny’s violinist brother that engaged me enough to keep turning pages but even those parts didn’t make me enjoy the book. I just kept wishing the book was about the violinist brother instead of Fanny. I just didn’t like Fanny, Fanny whose first thought when there was talk of war was that she wouldn’t be able to get her merchandise from Europe. Eye-roll! But, of course, Fanny’s boss likes her. He loves her. And did I mention he’s married? Yuck. It just wasn’t for me.
Gosh, I don’t like to give 1 star but 1 star does mean “didn't like it” and I didn't like this book.
Fanny Herself tells the story of Fanny Brandeis, a young Jewish woman living in the early 20th century. As a girl, Fanny watches her mother run a local business in her small Wisconsin hometown. As a woman, Fanny moves to Chicago and becomes a businesswoman. And not just any business woman - she is the business world’s version of Superwoman! Everything she does at work is perfect, glorious, and brings big bucks. This is the first point of the story that gets on my nerves. Does Fanny ever make a mistake? Feel unsure? No. She does no wrong at work. I understand the story was supposed be inspirational for women who wanted to enter the work force at the time the novel was written but it paints a false portrait for readers; everything about Fanny’s work life runs too swimmingly to be true! She is always amazing, gifted, and assured, with impeccable clothes, pay raises, and lake view apartments. The story would have been far more engaging and believable to me had I seen Fanny facing some trials at work such as, I don’t know, maybe having to ask for a raise? Or something. Anything! Even talented people have slip ups sometimes. Fanny's effortless success makes the book (and Fanny) seem predictable and unrealistic.
Then Fanny has this childhood friend, Clarence, who has also moved to Chicago. Clarence is all the time telling Fanny that she is an artist at heart and that it is a disgrace “to her race” (meaning the Jewish people) that she doesn’t do something artistic and work with her heart. It has potential to be an inspirational (if trite) idea. “Young workaholic works with head but loses heart. Friend/potential suitor helps find heart.” Sweet. The whole thing is so contrived, however, that it’s just a big eye-roller. There is actually a section where the author tells us that Fanny is not working with her heart and goes on to explain to the reader in most elementary terms that she doesn’t mean the type of heart that is an organ but the type that refers to emotions. She gives definitions! It struck me as silly.
There were some parts about women’s suffrage and Fanny’s violinist brother that engaged me enough to keep turning pages but even those parts didn’t make me enjoy the book. I just kept wishing the book was about the violinist brother instead of Fanny. I just didn’t like Fanny, Fanny whose first thought when there was talk of war was that she wouldn’t be able to get her merchandise from Europe. Eye-roll! But, of course, Fanny’s boss likes her. He loves her. And did I mention he’s married? Yuck. It just wasn’t for me.
rachelsim24's review against another edition
5.0
Books of the Century challenge. Loveddd this book. I have to read more Edna Ferber. I think this was published in 1917.
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