ann veronica (h g wells)

Is Ann Veronica an early example of mansplaining? Or is it a heartfelt intent by a male author to articulate the female viewpoint? H G Wells’ novel seeks to capture the thinking of a young Edwardian woman, in an England emerging from Victoriana into a bustling new London. For anyone who has ever gone to London as an ingenue and wrestled with that beast, there are elements of the story that still ring true. It was never easy to dive into the maelstrom and come out swimming. Ann Veronica gets caught up in the Suffragette movement, goes to prison, comes out unscathed. She has an obstinate courage which fuels her journey, although it never feels as though anything too terrible will happen. As a snapshot of supposedly progressive male thinking it is a fascinating lost text; albeit one that makes you think you ought to be reading more Woolf.