Title: Miss Marjoribanks
Author: Mrs. Oliphant
First published January 1, 1865
512 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780140436303 (ISBN10: 0140436308)
Rating: 3.77
Overview
Upon her return to Carlingford to care for her widowed father, Dr. Marjoribanks, Lucilla wastes no time in immersing herself in the town’s social scene. With her exclusive Thursday evening parties, she is determined to elevate the town’s cultural level.
Confident, inventive, and utterly self-assured, Lucilla stands above the rest, especially when it comes to dealing with men. Her superiority is unquestionable, and she is ready to take on any challenge that comes her way.
About the Author
Margaret Oliphant Wilson Oliphant, a Scottish writer, was known for her diverse works including domestic realism, historical novels, and supernatural tales. She was born in Wallyford, near Musselburgh in East Lothian and grew up in Lasswade, Glasgow, and Liverpool.
Margaret started writing as a young girl and in 1849, her first novel about the Scottish Free Church movement was published. A year later, she met publisher William Blackwood in Edinburgh and was invited to write for Blackwood’s Magazine, where she contributed over 100 articles throughout her lifetime.
One of her famous works includes a critique of the character of Arthur Dimmesdale in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel.
Editoral Review
BOOK REVIEW: Miss Marjoribanks by Mrs. Oliphant
Mrs.
Oliphant’s Miss Marjoribanks, first published in 1865, is a classic novel that tells the story of a young woman’s efforts to bring sophistication to her small Victorian town. The novel is widely regarded as one of Mrs.
Oliphant’s best works and a prime example of the Victorian-style literature that captures the era’s values, morals, and way of life. The author infuses the novel with humor, wit, and wisdom as she explores the theme of self-improvement and social advancement in a conservative and patriarchal society.
The novel follows the protagonist, Miss Marjoribanks, as she returns to Carlingford, an English market town, from a finishing school in Switzerland with ambitious plans to improve the town’s social and cultural life. Armed with her wit, intelligence, and charm, Miss Marjoribanks quickly becomes the talk of the town and a force to be reckoned with.
She sets out to reform the town by hosting lectures and social events, all while suppressing her own romantic impulses, as she believes they would distract her from her mission. Along the way, she encounters several men, including her old flame Colonel John, the young and idealistic Archdeacon, and the worldly-wise and wealthy Mr. Cavendish, each of whom poses a challenge to her plans and values.
The novel highlights the gender roles, social classes, and cultural norms that dominated Victorian times, and Mrs. Oliphant does an excellent job of portraying the societal tension between modernity and tradition.
She showcases the irony of Miss Marjoribanks’ efforts to modernize a society that resists change, ultimately leading her to pursue her goals at the expense of her own happiness. The author creatively addresses the challenges Miss Marjoribanks would have faced in the male-dominated society, such as the struggles to manage her finances or hold power.
Miss Marjoribanks is a well-written novel that presents a compelling and humorous story with distinctive characters who highlight the complexities of social life in Victorian England. Mrs.
Oliphant’s writing style is engaging and crafted with precision, making the novel an easy read that captures readers’ imagination with vivid descriptions and well-developed characters. The novel characterizes societal hypocrisies and the bounds of confinement on women.
However, at times, the novel’s slow pacing and circuitous plot could be frustrating for some readers.
Overall, Miss Marjoribanks is highly recommended for literature enthusiasts and students of Victorian literature.
It is an excellent example of the genre and showcases Mrs. Oliphant’s elegant writing style and vivid characters.
The novel’s themes about personal growth and the complexities of social change remain resonant and relevant to contemporary cultural and political issues, speaking to the struggles of minority groups and their voices being held back by conventional societal norms. The rating for Mrs.
Oliphant’s Miss Marjoribanks is 4 out of 5 stars.
