The Woman Who Did (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Feminist ClassicBy Grant Allen
Length5h 46m
About this audiobook
Published in 1895, The Woman Who Did is one of the most provocative "New Woman" novels of the fin de siècle. Its heroine, Herminia Barton, rejects legal marriage as a form of female subjection and chooses a union based on intellectual equality and moral conviction. Written in direct, polemical prose, the novel blends melodrama, social critique, and evolutionary-era argument, placing it within late-Victorian debates over sexuality, motherhood, individual conscience, and women's autonomy. Grant Allen, a Canadian-born writer, scientist, and journalist, was deeply shaped by Darwinian thought, secularism, and the radical intellectual culture of Victorian Britain. Known for popular science, essays, and fiction, he frequently examined the tension between social convention and natural or ethical law. His engagement with evolutionary theory and progressive debates on gender likely informed Herminia's defiant idealism, even as the novel exposes the costs imposed by a punitive society. This book is recommended to readers interested in Victorian literature, feminist history, and the cultural conflicts surrounding marriage and respectability. Though its arguments can feel stark and its tragedy purposeful, The Woman Who Did remains a compelling document of moral rebellion and a significant contribution to the literature of women's emancipation.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★ 3.0 (290)
Includes Goodreads
GenreGeneral Fiction, Literary Classics
Length5 hrs 46 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJun 7, 2019
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
6The Woman Who Did (pt. 2)
2Introduction
7Analysis
3Synopsis
8Reflection
4Historical Context
9Memorable Quotes
5The Woman Who Did (pt. 1)
The Duchess of Powysland (Vol. 1-3)Grant Allen15h 17m$1.99 · $0.00
What's Bred in the Bone (Annotated)Grant Allen11h 34m$2 · $0.00
The Evolution of the Idea of God: An Inquiry Into the Origins of Religions (Annotated)Grant Allen17h 45m3.9 (248)$2 · $0.00
Wolverden Turm (Kommentiert)Grant Allen2h 19m3.6 (32)$1 · $0.00
The Woman Who DidGrant Allen4h 55m3.0 (289)$2 · $0.00
Miss Cayley's AdventuresGrant Allen6h 52m3.8 (345)$1 · $0.00
An African Millionaire: Episodes in the Life of the Illustrious Colonel ClayGrant Allen5h 7m3.8 (288)$2 · $0.00
The Beckoning Hand: The Gold WulfricGrant Allen1h 20m$2 · $0.00
Colin Clout's Calendar: The Record of a Summer, April-OctoberGrant Allen7h 30m$2 · $0.00
Wednesday the Tenth, A Tale of the South PacificGrant Allen1h 58m$2 · $0.00
The Great TabooGrant Allen8h 11m3.3 (16)$2 · $0.00
Charles DarwinGrant Allen7h 4m3.4 (16)$2 · $0.00
Blood RoyalGrant Allen5h 42m$2 · $0.00
Biographies of Working MenGrant Allen4h 52m4.2 (13)$2 · $0.00
Wednesday the Tenth, A Tale of the South PacificGrant Allen1h 58m$1 · $0.00
Moorland IdyllsGrant Allen4h 10m$1 · $0.00
Recalled to LifeGrant Allen6h 24m3.3 (14)$2 · $0.00
Science in ArcadyGrant Allen7h 23m$2 · $0.00
Biographies of Working MenGrant Allen4h 52m4.2 (13)$2 · $0.00
WhistlerAnn Patchett10h 45m4.6 (4.6K)$29 · $0.00
Demon CopperheadBarbara Kingsolver21h 3m4.5 (949.4K)$46 · $0.00
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee12h 18m4.5 (7.4M)$29 · $0.00
Remarkably Bright CreaturesShelby Van Pelt11h 17m4.4 (1.7M)$29 · $0.00
Cast in BloodMichelle Sagara16h 35m4.6 (607)$33 · $0.00
The Captain Blood Trilogy (Annotated)Rafael Sabatini29h 20m4.6 (1K)$3 · $0.00
Ship of the Line (Annotated)Cecil Louis Troughton Smith11h 13m4.6 (1K)$2 · $0.00
The George Orwell CollectionGeorge Orwell24h 46m4.5 (14.4K)$12 · $0.00
Time RegainedMarcel Proust15h 38m4.5 (9.2K)$2 · $0.00
Driving ForceElle James4h 58m4.6 (407)$20 · $0.00
When God Calls the HeartBrian Bird, Michelle Cox3h 24m4.6 (439)$10 · $0.00
Five Little IndiansMichelle Good10h 34m4.5 (64.5K)$29 · $0.00
Lolth's WarriorR. A. Salvatore13h 20m4.6 (2.4K)$33 · $0.00
The Things We Cannot SayKelly Rimmer13h 48m4.5 (359.1K)$33 · $0.00
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du BoisHonoree Fanonne Jeffers29h 49m4.5 (58K)$8 · $0.00
Going PostalTerry Pratchett11h 23m4.5 (189.9K)$29 · $0.00
Glen AffricKarine Giebel22h 51m4.5 (3.2K)$46 · $0.00
The Book Of NegroesLawrence Hill15h 45m4.5 (107.3K)$33 · $0.00
Lieutenant Hornblower (Annotated)C. S. Forester11h 41m4.5 (2.9K)$2 · $0.00
Pride and PrejudiceJane Austen14h 46m4.5 (5.3M)$4 · $0.00
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee12h 18m4.5 (7.4M)$29 · $0.00
These Precious DaysAnn Patchett11h 14m4.5 (45.2K)$29 · $0.00
Henry V (The Play, Historical Background and Analysis of the Character in the Play)William Shakespeare, William Hazlitt8h 40m4.6 (1.3K)$1 · $0.00
H. P. LOVECRAFT Ultimate Collection: Novellas, Short Stories, Poetry & Essays (Annotated)H. P. Lovecraft12h 28m4.6 (2.3K)$2 · $0.00
Time RegainedMarcel Proust15h 54m4.5 (10.6K)$2 · $0.00
TORAH - Bilingual Edition: English/Hebrew (Annotated)Max Margolis, JPS28h 26m4.6 (1K)$2 · $0.00
Betty Crocker picture cooky bookBetty Crocker, Inc. General Mills2h 13m4.5 (6.5K)$1 · $0.00
The Complete Tales of Beatrix PotterBeatrix Potter3h 36m4.5 (75K)$3 · $0.00
Crime and Punishment (The Unabridged Garnett Translation) (Annotated)Fyodor Dostoevsky24h 25m4.5 (15.4K)$1.99 · $0.00
The North American IndianEdward S. Curtis, Frederick Webb Hodge6h4.5 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
The Picture of Dorian Gray: The Uncensored 13 Chapter Version + The Revised 20 Chapter Version (Annotated)Oscar Wilde16h 12m4.5 (2.8K)$1.99 · $0.00
Grimoire Of The Everyday WitchIsadora Lys / Virginia Santos5h 35m4.5 (3.9K)$9 · $0.00
Winnie-the-PoohAlan Alexander Milne2h 52m4.5 (401.1K)$3 · $0.00
Sitting PrettyRebekah Taussig7h 33m4.5 (18.9K)$26 · $0.00
The Poetic Edda & The Prose EddaSnorri Sturluson, Saemund Sigfusson9h 34m4.5 (4K)$1 · $0.00
The Complete Satires & Essays of Mark Twain (Annotated)Mark Twain23h 21m4.5 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
Rilla of InglesideLucy Maud Montgomery10h 58m4.5 (46.7K)$1 · $0.00
The Posthumous Memoirs Of Brás CubasMachado De Assis7h 39m4.4 (120.4K)$5 · $0.00
The Iliad & The OdysseyHomer25h 12m4.4 (39K)$12 · $0.00
The Ladies' Paradise (Vizetelly Translation, Unabridged) (Annotated)Émile Zola19h 34m4.5 (1.2K)$2 · $0.00
You may also like
Fathers and SonsIvan Sergeevich Turgenev9h 11m4.1 (129.1K)$2.30 · $0.00
Early AutumnLouis Bromfield11h 22m3.8 (2K)$2 · $0.00
The Last ManMary W.18h 56m3.7 (7.4K)$3.50 · $0.00
Early AutumnLouis Bromfield10h 41m3.7 (1.7K)$2.40
The Well of LonelinessRadclyffe Hall19h 37m3.9 (27.7K)$2 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of Leo Tolstoy in One Premium Edition (World Classics Series) (Annotated)Leo Tolstoy214h 11m4.6 (2.1K)$2 · $0.00
Almayer's Folly: A Story of an Eastern RiverJoseph Conrad8h 7m3.6 (3.2K)$2 · $0.00
Portrait of the Artist as a Young ManJames Joyce9h 19m3.8 (206.3K)$2.30
The Education of Henry Adams (Annotated)Henry Adams21h 22m4.1 (16.9K)$2 · $0.00
IntellectualsPaul Johnson18h 18m3.9 (9.1K)$28
The God of Small ThingsArundhati Roy11h 44m4.1 (400.2K)$20
MARY BARTON (Annotated)Elizabeth Gaskell21h 26m3.8 (22K)$2 · $0.00
Doctor CopernicusJohn Banville10h 45m3.7 (1.6K)$29 · $0.00
90s BitchAllison Yarrow11h 34m4.1 (2.6K)$29 · $0.00
The Well of LonelinessRadclyffe Hall18h 11m3.9 (27.7K)$1 · $0.00
Staffordshire pottery and its historyJosiah C. Wedgwood3h$2 · $0.00
Havana DreamsWendy Gimbel6h 47m3.6 (264)$17 · $0.00
William Somerset Maugham: The Greatest Works (The Giants of Literature - Book 23) (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham179h 53m$1.99 · $0.00
The Rising TideMargaret Wade Campbell Deland6h 50m$2 · $0.00
Tehran's DaughtersMay McGoldrick, Nikoo Kafi, Jan Coffey9h 24m4.4 (30)$10 · $0.00