The Sheltered Life (Paperback)

by Ellen Glasgow (Author) "BY T H E open French window of the dining-room Jenny Blair Archbald was reading Little Women for the assured reward of a penny a..." (more)
Key Phrases: evasive idealism, sudden faintness, kindest heart, Aunt Etta, Aunt Isabella, General Archbald (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The moving tale of two small-town Virginia families and the crumbling of their shelters-religion, convention, and social prejudice- by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author
Ellen Anderson Gholson Glasgow (April 22 in Richmond, Virginia , 1873-November 21, 1945 in Richmond, Virginia) was a Pulitzer Prize winning American novelist from Richmond, Virginia.

Beginning in 1897, Glasgow wrote twenty novels and many short stories, mainly about life in Virginia. Her own education had been rudimentary, a fact Glasgow compensated for by reading widely. Today, her novels are regarded as more than just depictions of life in the Southern United States.

The 1906 publication of Ellen Glasgow's novel The Wheel of Life drew critical acclaim and comparison with Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth, published by George Platt Brett, Sr. of Macmillan Publishers (United States) in 1905.

Ellen maintained a close lifelong friendship with James Branch Cabell, another notable Richmond writer. She spent many summers at her family's Bumpass, Virginia estate, the historic Jerdone Castle plantation, a venue that reappears in her writings.

On her passing in 1945, Ellen Glasgow was interred at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 329 pages
• Publisher: University of Virginia Press (February 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813915147
• ISBN-13: 978-0813915142
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #729,809 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Long-winded Glasgow book, December 1, 1999

By A Customer

A fairly dry story which takes place in the early 1900's to the brink of WWI in Virginia. It is about women, and their relationships ( or lack thereof ) with men. However, the focus is on the youngest, who is 8-years-old at the start of the story.

The 8-year-old becomes acquainted with her mother's best-friend's husband. Through the years they are close and share a close bond. Eventually, she falls in love with him despite knowing she shouldn't. Not until the daughter comes of age, and the wife finds out, tragedy strikes.

The title, I believe, comes from the lack of the exposure and isolation that the girl received. She knows little about except her small environment. I think this parallels the current attitudes that was prevalant in those days about not wanting to talk about troubling things, especially by women.

Overall, the first half of the book was exceedingly dull and a bit confusing. There was a time when I almost considered putting it down, but I am glad I stuck with it. There are many nuggets of wisdom about life and man/woman relationships that can be found in the book.