"Mrs. Austin tells the story brilliantly with a rich, deep knowledge of human nature, and with an individuality in her way of looking at things that affords many a delightful surprise. Her imagination runs on swift, dramatic feet, and ennobles her style every now and then with a seeress-like touch, to which her large outlook upon life and her concern with its deepest meanings give sanction."
—The New York Times
“A Woman of Genius . . . says no to men and conventional marriage and yes to living and productive work. Far from simply promoting female self-determination, however, or celebrating the romantic right of genius to overrun all obstacles, including the human ones, the novel articulates the conflicts of a transitional generation of women who relinquished the perquisites of protected, genteel womanhood for the rewards and responsibilities of the pursuit of public achievement and service to the community. . . . A Woman of Genius is, like Austin herself, an overlooked classic of feminism. Olivia Lattimore occupies a pivotal position in the long procession of gifted women in literature.”
—From the afterword by Nancy Porter
Published in 1912 and drawn directly from Mary Austin's own life as a talented woman, this novel depicts an actress who pursues a career which is in direct conflict to the values of her midwestern town. Ms. Austin chooses to leave her dull husband and follows a career path that leads to fame. It is thought this is a precursor of Sinclair Lewis's Main Street and equally a counterpoint to Theodore Dreiser's Sister Carrie. The novel's approach to how a woman deals with following her ambitions and the associated cost is handled poignantly and honestly.
—The New York Times
“A Woman of Genius . . . says no to men and conventional marriage and yes to living and productive work. Far from simply promoting female self-determination, however, or celebrating the romantic right of genius to overrun all obstacles, including the human ones, the novel articulates the conflicts of a transitional generation of women who relinquished the perquisites of protected, genteel womanhood for the rewards and responsibilities of the pursuit of public achievement and service to the community. . . . A Woman of Genius is, like Austin herself, an overlooked classic of feminism. Olivia Lattimore occupies a pivotal position in the long procession of gifted women in literature.”
—From the afterword by Nancy Porter
Published in 1912 and drawn directly from Mary Austin's own life as a talented woman, this novel depicts an actress who pursues a career which is in direct conflict to the values of her midwestern town. Ms. Austin chooses to leave her dull husband and follows a career path that leads to fame. It is thought this is a precursor of Sinclair Lewis's Main Street and equally a counterpoint to Theodore Dreiser's Sister Carrie. The novel's approach to how a woman deals with following her ambitions and the associated cost is handled poignantly and honestly.
