The Getting of Wisdom

by Henry Handel Richardson

Book Overview

Described by H.G. Wells as the best school story he knew, 'The Getting of Wisdom' is a compelling and frank account of a young girl's coming of age. It tells the story of Laura Rambotham and her struggle to be accepted by her peers at a new school.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1922079405
• ISBN13: 9781922079404
• Release Date: April 2013
• Publisher: Text Classics
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

An Australian Rebel

I remember reading this book as a teenager, and thinking, "Yes, I understand!" every time the heroine, Laura, found herself at odds with the relentless conformity of school society. Set at a turn-of-the-century boarding school in Melbourne, Australia, "the Getting of Wisdom" is a classic tale of a girl who thinks for herself and, thus, is forever out of step with both her society and her classmates. Laura tries desperately to fit in, but never quite does. Still, in the end, the reader is sure that Laura will be the one to soar high in life -- not her more conventional peers. As Richardson says, "She could not know then, even for the squarest peg, the right hole may ultimately be found; seeming unfitness prove to be only another aspect of a peculiar and special fitness." Almost 100 years old, the book's message is still fresh today, which is why Richardson is considered one of Australia's greatest novelists.