On Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

Mary Wollstonecraft helped us to understand how easily the rights of women can vanish from the political and social scene and how ‘natural’ it can seem for men and women to ignore them. This remarkable book not only situates Wollstonecraft in history but also shows in detail how she altered history by writing so well. -- Michael G. Wood, author of <i>The Habits of Distraction</i> This book is memorable, educational, and enjoyable, exploring Wollstonecraft’s life and thought with brio and unrestrained pleasure. Wolfson's understanding of the subject is second to none—there is no one more authoritative or more learned. -- Duncan Wu, editor of <i>Romanticism: An Anthology</i> Susan Wolfson’s engaged and engaging account of Mary Wollstonecraft illuminates the creative intellectual energies that drove Wollstonecraft’s prodigious achievement: nothing less than an analysis of women’s situation in the context of a larger political system. Wolfson’s exposition is dazzling. -- Frances Ferguson, author of <i>Solitude and the Sublime: The Romantic Aesthetics of Individuation</i> Wolfson provides a compelling and classroom-friendly introduction to the troubled private life, flamboyant public career, and charged political afterlife of Mary Wollstonecraft. Her writing is scintillating, with vernacular verve and unflagging narrative drive. This book has everything—point, polish, and an accessibly gripping tale to tell. -- Garrett Stewart, James O. Freedman Professor of Letters, University of Iowa An admirably witty, informative, and succinct new guide to Wollstonecraft's most famous book. -- Miranda Seymour * New York Review of Books *