i adore jean rhys, her semi-auto-biographical writings, a woman much ahead of her time, like her heroines she had a hard life, even made her own as a chorus girl, & living mostly rootless in paris, london, & vienna. in my favorite of her works, such as quartet, leaving mr mackenzie, good morning, midnight & a voyage in the dark, her themes touch on loneliness, addictions, destructive relationships with men, female oppressions of the times, a displaced class of society,modernity towards sexuality(for that time)& a unique vulnerability to write eloquently of ugliness.
recommended also;
so, i noticed other books on my bookshelves of french female writers, who also fit many of the same "before her time" attitudes,
colette, anais nin, marguerite duras, & violette leduc.
- The Left Bank and Other Stories, 1927
- Postures, 1928 (released as Quartet in 1929)
- After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie, 1931
- Voyage in the Dark, 1934
- Good Morning, Midnight, 1939
- Wide Sargasso Sea, 1966
- Tigers Are Better-Looking: With a Selection from 'The Left Bank' , 1968
- Penguin Modern Stories 1, 1969 (with others)
- My Day: Three Pieces, 1975
- Sleep It Off Lady, 1976
- Smile Please: An Unfinished Autobiography, 1979
- Jean Rhys Letters 1931-1966, 1984
- Early Novels, 1984
- The Complete Novels, 1985
- Tales of the Wide Caribbean, 1985
- The Collected Short Stories, 1987
I remember you mentioning her years ago, and then I found a bunch of her books in my mum's collection. I read probably 3 or 4 while I was away in Thunder Bay and feeling lonely. They didn't cheer me up, but I still felt they were good books to read at the time; she just creates such a world for her characters, really amazing.
ReplyDeleteYou turned me onto Jean Rhys years ago and I've never looked back..thank-you, thank-you
ReplyDeleteyou're welcome girls!
ReplyDeleteI love, love 'Wide Sargasso Sea' but none of her other works have spoken to me as deeply. D;
ReplyDeleteandrea: actually i read wide sargasso sea, & i had the same reaction to that book as you to her others, but i think now after your saying so,i will definitely go back & read sargasso again as you found something in that one, & then re-read bronte again too!
ReplyDelete