SWIFT

This book attempts to put the the theory of 'maternal impressions' into the context of 18th century society and medical thinking. In particular, it recounts the case of Mary Toft, a woman from Godalming in Surrey who claimed to give birth to numerous rabbits! It is clearly the result of considerable research, but the author is very far from a 'natural writer' and bores his audience throughout. A generous helping of turgid sociological commentary throughout does not help matters. I can now understand why this book semms to have sunk without a trace soon after publication.

This book is a undiscovered treasure that deserves a much larger audience. Todd is an extremely gifted writer with a talent for dry understatement. His style is perfectly suited to his story, which, in a lesser writer's hands, would read like an 18th century supermarket-tabloid tale (which it is, in many ways!). The stylistic subtleties appear to have flown straight over the head of the first reviewer. Never mind. This book is solidly in the tradition of W. J. Bate and Simon Schama: a scholarly work written with an elegant fluency that's far too rare among scholars. It will appeal to all kinds of readers, in the academy and far beyond.

I was able to locate a paperback edition that was much cheaper than the hardcover, but apparently is out of print. I urge the publisher to reissue the paperback, and find this gem the audience it deserves.

The happiest moments of a liberal arts education usually take place late in the evening in a dormitory lounge or in a local bistro over several cups of coffee. They're conversations, often between two similarly minded people, that explore a favorite subject. Browsing through Imagining Characters is like lingering in a seat at the next table.

The works selected are an English major's hit list of mainly nineteenth century women's novels. Byatt and Sodre bring their experience as a fiction writer and a clinical psychologist, respectively, to their understandings and develop complementary insights rather than rigorous debates.

This isn't everyone's cup of java. The reader who enjoys this volume probably relishes at least half of the novels discussed, smiles at being called a feminist, and prefers discussion to formal criticism.