Not Wisely But Too Well

by Rhoda Broughton

This novel, originally published in 1867, follows the story of a young woman who becomes embroiled in a scandalous affair with a married man. The author delves into themes of love, morality, and reputation, painting a vivid picture of Victorian society. This book is a must-read for fans of Victorian literature and romance. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Genres: Victorian, 19th Century, Gothic, Romance, Fiction, British Literature, Classics

574 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1867

About the author

Rhoda Broughton was a popular British (Welsh) novelist and short story writer.

Reviews

[Zynab · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible read! This account of how a green girl grows into a solemn, determined woman with demons and angels grabbing at her skirts as she navigates the commonplace cruelties of living life should be canon. Wrongly labeled as a sensuous romance and sensation novel by Victorian Secrets who republished it (in an otherwise wonderful critical edition); this is a very spiritual book with a morbidly beautiful central theme on the glory (or shame) of death and the afterlife. It also contains a very realistic, tender portrayal of a suicidal woman. It is one of my new favorites and I will forever hold it dearly to my heart.

[Classic reverie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book mentioned in another book I read recently and knowing that I find gems this way, I had to read this story. I read this edition and I strongly recommend it, for many reasons besides the annotated which was excellent, it included the original version which has differences and a completely different conclusion. "Not Wisely" was published in serial form from DUM (Dublin University Magazine) but later was released in 3 volume format with changes. When reading I would read "x" number of pages and then look briefly at the changes which helped see the differences in the stories. The DUM version had the character of Dare more a brute and blackguard, whereas in volume 3, he was a rake but softened a bit. I liked the 3 volume better but the DUM version was quite shocking and good too. When reading this story it reminded me of Richardson's Clarissa Harlowe, a truly favorite of mine, but they are quite different. Kate, in Not Wisely must control her passions of Dare, who would like her to take the step unfooled, whereas Lovelace of Clarissa fools Clarissa into that "one step". Clarissa and Kate must decide do they want to be closer to heaven or walk a path of sin. Kate is not your typical Victorian heroine which makes her actions more interesting, and Broughton brings Kate to life. A story that is not easily forgotten.

[Fran]

DNF 36%. I'm sorry but this is just agonizing. The pacing is TERRIBLE. IDK why so many people make this out to be more scandalous than CUAAF when it's just noooot. So damn boring. I'm just going to read about it in secondary scholarship and call it a day.

[Karen Kohoutek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow this was not what I expected, especially since I knew its scandalous reputation. The narrator is odd, too: often ironic, going into lengthy musings on side topics, with lots of classical allusions, and also positioned as a character who knows the people intimately, and is in love with the main character, but who is never identified or explained. But the parts that deal with the heroine's interior life, and her reactions to things, are very vivid and well-realized. Maybe the generally detached tone provides a grounding background for the extravagant emotionalism, so it never comes off like an over-heated romance, but a character study of someone feeling extravagant emotions. So quite interesting, and and a good addition to your collection of novels about sex and romance in the 19th century. I'm sure you all have one.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the novel itself, 3.5 stars. For the presentation of the book - the extended Introduction and the extensive (just under 700!) annotations - 4.5 stars.

[Kalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

difficult to read because of the writing (run-on sentences filled with unnecessary commas plus an omniscient narrator who pops up in the middle of the story for no reason.) but i appreciated the story for what it was.