A review by rosieannereads
Esther Waters by George Moore
5.0
so. many. tears.
Not only does this novel of his concern itself with the prevalent issues of class and gender in late Victorian England, but it does so in the utmost realistic fashion.
It highlights the blatant hypocrisy of the rich, the all-consuming anxieties of the poor, and the unrealistic expectations that society places upon its members (or rather its lower class).
However, instead of blaming the poor for their own misfortune by gambling and drinking away their coin, Moore examines the hardships and the terrible treatment the lower class has to endure. Instead of demonising notions of 'fallenness' among women, he offers an explanation as one why they find themselves in supposed 'immoral' situations.
Thus, this novel does not offer romanticised passages of women repenting their terribly sinful actions or allow its characters the Dickensian trope of inheriting a fortune or marrying far beyond their station simply for being 'good' and 'proper', but rather an frank account of the injustices experienced by those who dared to be born into poor families.
'Esther Waters' is certainly one of the most realistic pieces of Victorian literature I have read in a while!
Not only does this novel of his concern itself with the prevalent issues of class and gender in late Victorian England, but it does so in the utmost realistic fashion.
It highlights the blatant hypocrisy of the rich, the all-consuming anxieties of the poor, and the unrealistic expectations that society places upon its members (or rather its lower class).
However, instead of blaming the poor for their own misfortune by gambling and drinking away their coin, Moore examines the hardships and the terrible treatment the lower class has to endure. Instead of demonising notions of 'fallenness' among women, he offers an explanation as one why they find themselves in supposed 'immoral' situations.
Thus, this novel does not offer romanticised passages of women repenting their terribly sinful actions or allow its characters the Dickensian trope of inheriting a fortune or marrying far beyond their station simply for being 'good' and 'proper', but rather an frank account of the injustices experienced by those who dared to be born into poor families.
'Esther Waters' is certainly one of the most realistic pieces of Victorian literature I have read in a while!