The inaugural meeting of the Curious Cat Literary Society shall be called to order on Wednesday, March 15 at 6:30pm!
We are excited to announce the launch of our new Camron-Stanford House book club— The Curious Cat Literary Society! We will meet regularly to discuss some of our favorite topics— books and 19th century culture!
Throughout the year we will read curated selections from 19th century literature, both famous and hidden treasures. We will also occasionally read modern fiction set in the Victorian era. At our meetings we will share our thoughts on the book, while enjoying a good cup of tea!
The Curious Cat Literary Society will meet at Camron-Stanford House, and is free for the public to join and attend!
Our Current Read:
The Morgesons by Elizabeth Stoddard, 1862
Elizabeth Stoddard combines the narrative style of the popular nineteenth-century male-centered bildungsroman with the conventions of women's romantic fiction in this revolutionary exploration of the conflict between a woman's instinct, passion, and will, and the social taboos, family allegiances, and traditional New England restraint that inhibit her
Set in a small seaport town (1862), The Morgesons is the dramatic story of Cassandra Morgeson's fight against social and religious norms in a quest for sexual, spiritual, and economic autonomy. An indomitable heroine, Cassandra not only achieves an equal and complete love with her husband and ownership of her family's property, but also masters the skills and accomplishments expected of women.Counterpointed with the stultified lives of her aunt, mother, and sister, Cassandra's success is a striking and radical affirmation of women's power to shape their own destinies. Embodying the convergence of the melodrama and sexual undercurrents of gothic romance and Victorian social realism, The Morgesons marks an important transition in the development of the novel and evoked comparisons during Stoddard's lifetime with such masters as Balzac, Tolstoy, Eliot, the Brontes, and Hawthorne.
(summary via GoodReads)
How to Read
This book is available to read for FREE on Project Gutenberg!
Available via Oakland Public Library
We encourage you to shop local and ask your favorite local bookstore if they carry the title. You can also order from an independent online book seller:
If you require financial assistance obtaining a copy of this book, please send us a message!