Ruth Hall and Other Writings by Fanny Fern

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.

I just finished reading this wonderful book for an Early American Literature course, and I think it is terrific! I had no idea what to expect going into the novel and was a little terrified of reading a "Little Woman"-y sort of story, but found myself to be pleasantly surprised by Fanny Fern's writing. This is a wonderful story which touches on many issues: women's rights, the struggles of the poor, authorship, and the question of what is true literature are just a few. Fern writes, though, so delightfully, incorporating these heavy issues into engaging anecdotes that it is hard to put the novel down once started. I cannot say enough about this piece!