Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artist—a nearly impossible dream for a girl.
After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse—or may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky is torn. Just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?
Source: GoodReads
This book takes place 107 years ago, but it is ridiculously timely to what’s going on right now.
Because it deals with women’s rights.
I think if anything can be learned from the past few years, is that while women have made it a long way since the time this book took place, we’re hardly in a place where we have equal rights and sexism very much exists. We have to keep fighting for our rights every single day.
Case in point, the whole thing that happened with Senator Warren this week. In fact, Senator Warren has dealt with a lot of flak the gag order in the senate is only the latest one. During many of these sham cabinet hearings (because the GOP decided to pretty much gut them to where no one could ask adequate amount of questions and then in turn gut the vote because they are smug little assholes) Warren was patronized multiple times and it was just disgusting. Add the fact that Trump keeps referring to her derogatory as Pocahontas, mocking the fact that she comes from Native American heritage it just makes me angrier.
And I know I’m about to go on a political tirade, but it’s relevant to this review of the book because sexism does exist in this world and this book shows how we as a society have to fight it and combat it. The reason I loved A Mad Wicked Folly so much is while it is a discussion of the suffragette movement and feminism, it is as much as a coming of age story.
Vicky really develops as a character and that’s refreshing. The blurb made me think I’d be getting more or less a water downed version of Downton Abbey, but that’s hardly the case. Sure, there are bits and pieces that I guess you could say were Downton Abbey-ish but I think this was more of a thought provoking book than fluff. And it honestly, was sort of inspiring.
Honestly, the cover and blurb were sort of a disservice to this book.
I’ll admit, I’ve been a little depressed lately with current events, but this book sort of gave me hope that things could change. Victoria had the deck stacked against her, but somehow she was able to make her end choices at the end of the book and get what she wants. That was refreshing.
I also enjoyed reading more about the historical aspects of the period. Briggs did a great job describing the time period and there were some things I learned about the suffragette movement that I did not know before. It didn’t feel like she was spoon feeding it to me either, there was something ridiculously organic about the whole thing.
It was also how scary how some of the misogyny that existed in this period is very much prevalent in the present. The same techniques and objections that were used to keep a woman from voting in the early 1900’s are still used today. A woman is too emotional. Her place is at there home or with the family. That women with ambitions are evil and unnatural.
It’s just sickening.
And it really makes you want to say fuck the patriarchy and kick some ass.
As frustrating as this is though, it also left me feeling hopeful because progress has been made. A lot of progress. But we still have a long way to go, but this book gave me hope that anyone can make a difference. So, that was a plus.
Overall, I highly recommend this read. It’s thought provoking and relative. This book exemplifies my reason for resisting. I am going to fight for that progress that we’ve made in the past and further it again. And damn right, I’m going to be persistent about it.
Oh, and yeah, fuck the patriarchy.
Overall Rating: An A.
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