Mary Olivier: A LifeMary Olivier is one of May Sinclair's best-remembered novels. The youngest of four children and the only girl in her Victorian family, Mary Olivier faces formidable barriers: she will not be educated as her brothers, nor will she be afforded their freedoms. Held emotionally hostage to a calculating mother, Mary retreats into her imagination and into books. Rejecting Victorian formulas, she becomes a published poet and refuses to marry a succession of suitors. Yet she remains a dutiful daughter. Hers is a timeless story in which obligation and liberty, acquiescence and rebellion coexist in a fully realized, ultimately modern woman. |
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afraid Agaye Aldborough Hatch Anthony Trollope arms Aunt Bella Aunt Charlotte Aunt Lavvy Barkingside Baruch Spinoza beautiful Belk blue Catty chair crying Dank dark dead dining-room door Dorsy drawing-room Emilius excited eyes face feel Five Elms frightened funny lady garden girl glad gone green Greffington grey hair hand happen happy hated head hear Ilford Jenny Jesus knew light listening looked Mamma Mark Mark's married Maurice Jourdain mind Minky minute Miss Kendal Morfe mother mouth never Pantheism Papa Papa's plague of London play poor queer remember Reyburn Richard Roddy Roddy's round shut sitting smell smiled sorry sound stared stood stopped suddenly Supposing Sutcliffe talk tell there's thin Thing-in-itself things thought tight told trees turned Uncle Edward Uncle Victor Unitarian voice wagonette waiting walk Waugh window wondered
Popular passages
Page 193 - LORD, thou hast been our refuge, from one generation to another. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever the earth and the world were made, thou art GOD from everlasting, and world without end.
Page 128 - The One remains, the many change and pass; Heaven's light forever shines, Earth's shadows fly; Life, like a dome of many-coloured glass, Stains the white radiance of Eternity, Until Death tramples it to fragments.
Page 111 - Original Sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk); but it is the fault and corruption of the Nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit; and therefore in every person born into this world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation.
Page 111 - Works done before the grace of Christ, and the inspiration of his Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ...
Page 50 - Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fat? I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the people there was none with me...
Page 194 - Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.
Page 51 - And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
Page 45 - ... or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was : and the spirit shall return unto GOD Who gave it.
Page 62 - Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow ? Silver bells and cockle-shells, And fair maids all in a row.
Page 50 - I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury ; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.