Reception
Women and Economics was published to universal acclaim, and Gilman became “the leading intellectual in the women’s movement” almost overnight. The book was translated into seven different languages and was often compared favorably to John Stuart Mill’s The Subjection of Women. The book was also well received among academics, despite its lack of academic scholarship. Conservative reviewers even respected the book, albeit slightly grudgingly. One reviewer for The Independent wrote, “While the ideas of this author may not appeal to us, we must admit that there is some force in her criticisms, and some reason in her suggestions.” Gilman’s feminist friends and colleagues praised the book upon its release, with Jane Addams calling it a “masterpiece,” and Florence Kelley writing that it was “the first real, substantial contribution made by a woman to the science of economics.”
Not all reviews were as positive though. The Chicago Tribune wrote that the book “lacks beauty; it is too clever…it stirs no deep reverberations of the soul…but you can quote it, and remember its points.”
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Famous quotes containing the word reception:
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