The Odd Women

The Odd Women is a novel by George Gissing, first published in 1893. The story is set in Victorian England and follows the lives of several women who are considered ""odd"" by society because they are unmarried and independent. The main character, Mary Barfoot, is a feminist who runs a school for working-class girls and is dedicated to helping women achieve financial independence. She takes in two orphaned sisters, Monica and Virginia, who are struggling to make ends meet. Monica falls in love with a wealthy man, but Virginia is left to fend for herself. Meanwhile, Rhoda Nunn, another feminist, is determined to remain unmarried and pursue a career. She meets Everard Barfoot, Mary's cousin, and they develop a close friendship. However, when Everard proposes marriage, Rhoda rejects him, believing that marriage would hinder her independence. The novel explores themes of gender roles, marriage, and social norms, and is considered a significant work of feminist literature.Though Miss Barfoot had something less than a woman's average stature, the note of her presence was personal dignity. She was handsome, and her carriage occasionally betrayed a consciousness of the fact. According to circumstances, she bore herself as the lady of aristocratic tastes, as a genial woman of the world, or as a fervid prophetess of female emancipation, and each character was supported with a spontaneity, a good-natured confidence, which inspired liking and respect. A brilliant complexion and eyes that sparkled with habitual cheerfulness gave her the benefit of doubt when her age was in question; her style of dress, gracefully ornate, would have led a stranger to presume her a wedded lady of some distinction.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.