Joanna Trollope

[JellySaurus]

I've just finished reading The Rector's Wife by Joanna Trollope. I don't think I've read anything by her before.

I was struck by how accurately she portrays the woman-as-service-human, how believable the female characters and the unlikeable male characters were, but how unbelievable the likeable male characters were (unless I was meant to dislike all the male characters?).

The rules and roles were designated by sex, and when a woman chose to change her role the other women condemned her, even when they envied her. The women were complicit in their own imprisonment.

TL:DR A woman asserts her right to be a person in her own right. Is this a feminist novel?

I read it in my early twenties and felt it fairly reflected Christian attitudes towards women within the church ( As a child/ teenager this was precisely what I witnessed).

I feel strongly that the female support of patriarchal attitudes and repression of women was very relevant and still is, in fact not enough is written about this behaviour from women towards other women and Trollope summarised female parochial viciousness perfectly.

I would argue that because it centres women, identifies the feelings and behaviours of women compared with men, it is indeed feminist.

There was a fairly decent tv adaptation of the novel from the late nineties/ early 2000s which is interesting when contrasted against the novel. I think The Rectors Wife is far more feminist when compared with other work like Other People’s Children.

Great thread btw.

Joanna Trollope is a good writer of women’s relationships. I think Emma Thomson in love actually having her dilemma is quite a Joanna Trollope character in the depth of her dilemma and how you empathise with her.

Yes she did show the commonly held views on Women's place in the church organisation. Mainly that attitude has been diluted. There are many women clergy in most denominations in UK.
But still a requirement to mimic the 'old' ways set by men, and some self censorship.
In CofE and Reformed Churches the dialogue continues as it does in professions and Politics. Debate is encouraged.
This latest trans/woke subject is distracting but will be hardly a blip in the timescale leading to full acceptance.

I read The Rector's Wife a very long time ago and didn't think of it as a feminist novel at the time because I didn't ask myself the question, but the underlying theme is highly feminist and the forces at work to keep the main character in her role are beautifully illustrated.

I agree with this assessment. I'm afraid that Joanna Trollope is underrated as a writer, possibly because she has been so popular over the years. Her insight on family relations is second to none. There are a few of her novels I return to again and again. Daughters-in-Law, for one.

Ok I'm adding this to my "want to read" list sounds quite good