Ruth Hall: A Domestic Tale of the Present TIme

by Fanny Fern

Book Overview

In Ruth Hall , one of the bestselling novels of the 1850s, Fanny Fern drew heavily on her own experiences- the death of her first child and her beloved husband, a bitter estrangement from her family, and her struggle to make a living as a writer. Written as a series of short vignettes and snatches of overheard conversations, it is as unconventional in style as in substance and strikingly modern in its impact.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140436405
• ISBN13: 9780140436402
• Release Date: February 1997
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.03 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A Great Work of Early Feminist Literature

I was pleasantly surprised while reading this book. It's of course sad that women still face many of the struggles depicted in this book, which was written 150 years ago. But the heroine, Ruth, faces her obstacles head-on admirably, and without complaint. Ruth is strong, courageous, and intelligent, much more so than her ill-fated husband, Harry. I've read many books from the nineteenth century in which the female heroines are portrayed as meek and inconsequential, never raising their voices against their injustices. Ruth does fit this picture when she's married, never complaining about the abuses she suffers at the hands of her parents-in-law, not even after her father-in-law, a doctor, refuses to treat her daughter as she lay dying. But once Ruth is a poor widow, forced to provide for her two remaining daughters after her family refuses for help her, she fights against a society that is prejudiced against any woman trying to earn a living. She makes her voice heard, and eventually finds overwhelming success. The story is made up of ninety short chapters. The chapters are sometimes less than a page long, being for the most part snatches of conversation that perfectly capture a year in a few sentences. There are characters who are introduced, who discuss the heroine or her many adversaries, and are never heard or seen again, having already served their purposes. Some may find this format choppy or confusing, but I felt that it fit the story very well. We are often seen through the eyes and conversations of others, so the author uses a technique that is very true to life. Ruth reminded me often of Jane Eyre or Fanny Price. She is deeply religious, and God and prayer are a constant source of comfort and strength. This was perhaps my only complaint about the book. Many of the chapters ended with prayers and morals, and as a non-religious person, I found this tiring. Here is an example: "The arrow shot at a venture may to thine eye fall aimless; but in the Book of Life shalt thou road many an answer to the wrestling prayer, heard in thy closet by God alone." ~pg. 157 I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of nineteenth century literature, especially Charlotte and Anne Bronte, and also to people interested in feminist literature. Although this book does not feature any liberated women by our modern standards, Ruth still stands as a wonderful example of a woman fighting for respect in a man's world, something that all modern women can identify with.

good book

if you enjoy classic literature go ahead and read this one. It's well written, detailed, pretty good story.

an important, overlooked piece of 'chick-lit'

having never heard of fanny fern, i was mildly curious when assigned this book to read for my 'literature of the american renaissance class' a few semesters ago. it's nice to see something of a renewed interested in fanny fern's work. in this same class we read 'little women' and i found both books highly enjoyable. however, ruth hall manages to stick its canines a little deeper into traditional chick-lit skins. make no mistake, this book has some teeth, and rightfully so. ruth hall is essentially fanny fern's semi-autobiographical (but what i know, it's pretty much taken directly from her own life and experiences. a quick look at the plot: ruth ahll loses her husband and is forced to deal with less than kind in-laws. she's a very talented writer and supports herself and her two children by writing newspaper columnists. The novel recounts one woman's attempt to rise above social/gender discrimination and supposed gender roles to become one of the most successful writers (female or male) of her time. one can't help read ruth hall as a jab at fanny fern's detractors and naysayers. it's sort of an 'i-told-you-so-so-take-that!' and more power to her. i enjoyed this novel quite a bit (and yes, i'm a guy), despite the occassional lapse into melodrama and and over-wrought sentimentality. fanny fern was indeed a skilled writer and should be looked at more carefully, both by academics and students. an often overlooked, nevertheless, important author.