The Life and Death of Harriett Frean

I picked this up at Womb House Books in Oakland, CA. I have the Virago Classics copy, which Malissa @thepostofficegirl turned me on to. Apparently this book was very well received in its day (1920s). Some people thought of it as a masterpiece of literature, especially for the themes that unfold in the book. I enjoyed this book. It was a very easy read, which it could have been laborious given it's about one woman's life from todderhood to her death in her 60s. I thought the most intriguing thing about the book is how big the theme of GOODNESS is. Harriett is obsessed, taken over by this notion of being good, which is tied up with notions of being elite. The way she is good is actually what many would think of as "bad": being on a high horse, snubbing her nose at people, feeling superior due to her breeding, etc. So therefore, in trying to be "good" she actually ends up living a life that is deprived, judgmental, lonely, and small. I particularly enjoyed when her mother (gently) tries to guide a nearly middle-aged Harriett to spending more time with her friends. Which she does go on to do after her parents die (although she snubs her nose at them pretty much the whole time.) And then, her niece Mona and her friend Lizzie tear her down, pointing out the ways she's actually not good at all. Again, I enjoyed the book and it's a good choice for someone who wants to take a break from or venture into a book that's older/classical.