Women’s Writing in the British Isles from the Beginnings to the Present
Geraldine Jewsbury
-
Standard Name: Jewsbury, Geraldine
Birth Name: Geraldine Endsor Jewsbury
During her life, Geraldine Jewsbury
wrote six novels and two books for children. Widely published in Victorian periodicals, she was a respected reviewer, editor, and translator. Her periodical publications ranged from theatre reviews, short fiction, and children's literature to articles on social issues and religion. GJ
greatly influenced the Victorian publishing industry and public taste through her position as reviewer for the Athenæum and her role as reader for publishers Richard Bentley and Son
and Hurst and Blackett
.
Geraldine Jewsbury
was quite scathing in her review of the novel for the Athenæum, published early the next year. She wrote that Miss Craik has talent, but she is . . . destitute of...
Reception
Charlotte Riddell
The Athenæum review, by Geraldine Jewsbury
, saw CR
's release of her actual name as a major literary event. But she thought the novel itself not up to CR's best standard. She found in...
Reception
Charlotte Riddell
The Athenæum reviewer for this novel—again Geraldine Jewsbury
—thought that CR
was back on form in this better-structured, more clearly narrated novel. She admired the way that Heather's character is seen in action, and complained...
Reception
Matilda Hays
Jewsbury
found inartistic the innovative construction of the narrative, which opens with Lord Charles's second marriage, and then flashes back to introduce Adrienne Hope eight years earlier, so that the story of his wooing of...
Reception
Maria Jane Jewsbury
Geraldine Jewsbury
made an attempt to compile her sister
's works into a memorial volume. Ultimately, she could not complete the project because the writings were in the hands of MJJ
's husband
, who...
Publishing
George Eliot
The first number of the Westminster Review to appear under her anonymous (and unpaid) editorship was that of January 1852, which was also the first under John Chapman
's ownership. One of her own contributions...
It was a request from Bentley's
for rewriting (following a vehemently negative report on Not Wisely, but Too Well in manuscript from reader Geraldine Jewsbury
) that caused RB
's second-written novel to appear in...
Publishing
Ouida
The success of Ouida's Strathmore had led publisher RichardBentley
to consider luring her from Chapman and Hall
; while Under Two Flags was still in manuscript, he commissioned a reader's report from Geraldine Jewsbury
Publishing
Harriet Martineau
HM
seems to have considered the wide circulation of Dickens
's Household Words too good an opportunity for influence to be passed up. Among the stories she contributed were Woodruffe the Gardener, The People...
Literary responses
Emma Robinson
Its fascination with poisoning, topical criminality, and female villainy within the domestic sphere places this story squarely in the midst of the sensation novel phenomenon. The Athenæum review (this time written by Geraldine Jewsbury
...
Literary responses
Jane Francesca, Lady Wilde
Applauding JFLW
's skills as a translator did not stop Athenæum reviewer Geraldine Jewsbury
from calling the novel a fatal concatenation of madness, badness, and general inconvenience.
Athenæum. J. Lection.
1860 (1863): 810
Because all the characters go...
Literary responses
Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Geraldine Jewsbury
in the Athenæum recognised a shift of generic gears in The Lady's Mile, away from the sensation novel towards the didactic novel of manners and morals. But she still considered this parable...
Literary responses
Julia Kavanagh
This fourth novel was also poorly received. The Athenæum reviewer, Geraldine Jewsbury
, found in it a monotonous unreality which fatigues the reader to no purpose.
Athenæum. J. Lection.
1429 (1855): 313
The Athenaeum Index of Reviews and Reviewers: 1830-1870. http://replay.web.archive.org/20070714065452/http://www.soi.city.ac.uk/~asp/v2/home.html.
Jewsbury concluded with balanced criticism and...
Literary responses
Georgiana Chatterton
The volumes were reviewed for the Athenæum by Geraldine Jewsbury
, who deplored the lack of skill used in presenting an idea of a freshness and originality which not even the awkwardness of the narrative...
