A prolific and erudite collector and interpreter of ancient and medieval myths (The Holy Grail, 1992; Guinevere, 1991, etc.) Goodrich (Emeritus/Claremont Colleges) here speaks in the voice of an aging Miss Brodie rather than in that of her customary Athena, offering a series of digressive and opinionated essays on women in legend, literature, and film; on the men who created these works; and on how these various female images are treated in contemporary America. Goodrich begins by discussing ``The Good Woman,'' from Homer through Chaucer and The Great Gatsby's Daisy to Tolstoy, whom Goodrich considers ``the greatest novelist the world has yet given birth to.'' A chapter on ``Demon Lovers'' starts with star-crossed couples, runs through a brief history of Satan, and looks at female Gothic novelists. ``Educating Heroines'' focuses on Rousseau and Flaubert—but only after a brief and confusing section on earth mothers—and a chapter on prostitutes (Moll Flanders, Sister Carrie, Camille) and ``fallen women'' (Electra, Antigone, Carmen, and Laclos of Les Liaisons Dangereuses) includes a statistical table of VD in the military of various nations. The chapter on ``Death Queens'' connects Hecate with Miss Marple, and one called ``Heroines Return to Paganism'' starts with Hardy's Tess, pauses on D.H. Lawrence (a champion of American women whose ashes at Taos are ``well worth the pilgrimage''), and comes to rest on Thelma and Louise. After considering warrior women (apotheosized in St. Joan); goddesses of Justice in Scott, Pushkin, Brontâ, and George Eliot; and various female representations of Liberty, Goodrich philosophizes about the abuse of women—especially pregnant American women, who, she says, are treated like ``slabs of beef''- -and suggests that statues of heroines and movie stars can inspire contemporary women in their quest for liberation—because, historically, ``slaves had never liberated themselves.'' Occasional flowers among the weeds; overall, a misuse of a great intelligence.
Pub Date: Aug. 4, 1993
ISBN: 0-06-016995-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1993
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
