Richard Henry Savage (1846–1903)

Pros: This novel is, as far as I can tell, the first (1896) to feature a woman lawyer (or, a “modern Portia”). It also has an insanely complicated murder and blackmail plot. Other women in the story are shown as journalists, capitalists/political funders, and office workers.

Cons: The writing is atrocious (and I’m usually very forgiving on that score). The plotting and characters are melodramatic and not even in a good way. The woman lawyer loses all interest in practicing law after she falls in love and the love is apparently returned. The successful women are all portrayed as hard, low class, unrefined, etc., while the woman lawyer, an exquisite ultra-refined lady who descended from a leading family in Delaware, runs into trouble out in the workplace because of these characteristics—she’s just too good to not be the cherished wife of a wealthy man (even if it’s her inherited money that allows them to lead a life of comfort).

The author, Richard H. Savage, was married to a woman who was interested in feminism. I’m hoping she gave him a hard time about the anti-feminist stereotyping on display here.… (mehr)