Abstract
Fay Weldon writes survival manuals for women. Her fiction demonstrates the value of female independence, not only financial, but emotional. Even her luckiest characters live precariously. Sooner or later a heroine’s husband will run away with a younger woman, or a damaging secret come to light from the past, or her boss give her the sack in a fit of sexual pique, or her landlord will evict her for the same reason. Then she will find out about life ‘down among the women’, a phrase made famous by the publication of Weldon’s second novel. Here circumstances are reduced and the wages exploitative; friends gossip and old lovers find good reasons for not helping. But Weldon’s overall message is optimistic, and escape routes are provided for any woman who realizes that she is in part responsible for her own destiny.
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A Bibliography of Writings by Fay Weldon
Novels
The Fat Woman’s Joke (London: MacGibbon and Kee, 1967; Coronet, 1988. American edition: … And the Wife Ran Away, New York: McKay, 1968).
Down Among the Women (London: Heinemann, 1971; New York: St. Martin’s, 1972; Penguin, 1987).
Female Friends (London: Heinemann, 1975; Pavanne, 1987. New York: St. Martin’s, 1975).
Remember Me (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1976; Coronet, 1988. New York: Random House, 1976).
Little Sisters (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1978; Coronet, 1980. American edition: Words of Advice, New York: Random House, 1977).
Praxis (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1978; Coronet, 1980. New York: Summit, 1979).
Puffball (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1980; Coronet, 1981. New York: Summit, 1980).
The President’s Child (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1982; Coronet, 1983. New York: Viking, 1983).
The Life and Loves of a She-Devil (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1983; Coronet, 1984. New York: Pantheon, 1984).
The Shrapnel Academy (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1986; Coronet, 1986. New York: Viking, 1987).
The Rules of Life (London: Century Hutchinson, 1987; Arena, 1988. New York: Harper and Row, 1987).
The Heart of the Country (London: Century Hutchinson, 1987; Arrow, 1988. New York: Viking, 1988).
The Hearts and Lives of Men (London: Heinemann, 1987; Fontana, 1988. New York: Viking, 1988).
Leader of the Band (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1988. New York: Viking, 1989).
The Cloning of Joanna May (London: William Collins, 1989. New York: Viking, 1990).
Darcy’s Utopia (London: Collins, 1990. New York: Viking, 1991).
Life Force (London: Penguin, 1992. New York: Viking, 1992).
Stories
Watching Me, Watching You (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1981; Pyramid, 1988. New York: Summit, 1981).
The Man Who Liked Swimming’, Ms. (June 1981): 61+.
‘Birthday! ‘Winter’s Tales 27, ed. Edward Leeson (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1982): 165–78.
‘The Gift of Life’, Fiction Magazine, 2.2. (Autumn 1983): 37.
‘The Officer Takes a Wife’, Redbook (October 1984): 72+.
Polaris and Other Stories (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1985; Coronet, 1988. New York: Penguin, 1989).
‘Ind. Aff.’, Vogue (January 1989): 183+.
‘Love Among the Artists’, The Times (27 December 1991): 78.
Moon Over Minneapolis: Or Why She Couldn’t Stay (London: Collins, 1991. New York: Viking, 1992).
Plays
Permanence (in Mixed Doubles: An Entertainment on Marriage: London: Methuen, 1970), 1969.
Words of Advice, 1974.
Moving House, 1976.
Mr Director, 1978.
Action Replay, 1980.
After the Prize, 1981.
I Love My Love, 1984.
Miscellaneous
‘Me and My Shadows’, in On Gender and Writing, ed. Michelene Wandor (London: Pandora, 1983) 160–5.
Letters to Alice, on First Reading Jane Austen (London: Michael Joseph, 1984; Coronet, 1988. New York: Taplinger, 1985).
Discipline: by Mary Brunton, ‘Introduction’, by Weldon (London: Pandora, 1986).
A Small Green Space, libretto, music by Ilona Sekacz. First performed by the English National Opera, London, June 1989.
‘Suture Shock’, Mirabella (July 1989): 52+.
Sacred Cows: Counterblast No. 4 (London: Chatto and Windus, 1989).
‘Saintly Passion’, New Statesman & Society (15 December 1989): 10–11.
‘Talk Before Sex and Talk After Sex’ [Deception by Philip Roth], The New York Times Book Review (11 March 1990): 3.
‘A Single Shining Muscle of a Girl’ [Body by Harry Crews], The New York Times Book Review (9 September 1990): 14.
A Bibliography of Writings about Fay Weldon Articles and Reviews
Alexander, Fiona, ‘Fiction and Sexual Politics: Fay Weldon’, Contemporary Women Novelists (London: Edward Arnold, 1990): 51–60.
Amis, Martin, ‘Prose Is the Leading Lady’, The New York Times Book Review (2 October 1977): 13; 52.
Birch, Helen, ‘Wife v. Mistress’ [The Hearts and Lives of Men and The Rules of Life]. New Statesman (11 Septemebr 1987): 28.
Blodgett, Harriet, ‘Fay Weldon’, Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 14: 750–9.
Blue, Adrianne, ‘The Servant Problem’ [The Shrapnel Academy], New Statesman (11 July 1986): 33–4.
Brandmark, Wendy, Fay Weldon (London: British Council Publication, 1988).
Briscoe, Joanna, ‘Sweet Anarchy, Poisoned Utopia’ [Darcy’s Utopia], Guardian (19 September 1990): 17.
Brookner, Anita, ‘The Primrose Path of Dalliance’ [Leader of the Band], The Spectator (9 July 1988): 62; 65.
Brookner, Anita, ‘The Return of the Earth Mother’ [Puffball], Times Literary Supplement, (TLS) (22 February 1980): 202.
Chesnutt, Margaret, ‘Feminist Criticism and Feminist Consciousness: A Reading of a Novel by Fay Weldon’, Moderna Sprak 73 (1979): 3–18.
Crace, Jim, ‘Autobiology’ [Puffball], Quarto (March 1980): 15.
Craig, Patricia, ‘Hostilities on All Fronts’ [The Shrapnel Academy], TLS (11 July 1986): 766.
Craig, Patricia, ‘Wife into Gorgon’ [The Life and Loves of a She-Devil], TLS (20 January 1984): 70.
Dinnage, Rosemary, ‘The Corruption of Love’ [Praxis], The New York Review of Books (8 February 1979): 20–2.
Drexler, Rosalyn, ‘Looking for Love After Marriage’ [The Life and Loves of a She-Devil], The New York Times Book Review (30 September 1984): 1; 47.
Dunford, Judith, ‘Losing to Despair’ [The Cloning of Joanna May and Leader of the Band], The New Republic (20 and 27 August 1990): 40–2.
Freeman, Jan, ‘Laughter in the Dark’ [The Heart of the Country], The Boston Globe (6 November 1988): B18.
Freeman, Jan, ‘Most of Them Live in a Mellow Submarine’ [Polaris and Other Stories and Leader of the Band], The Boston Globe (11 June 1989): B18.
Glendinning, Victoria, ‘The Muswell Hill Mob’ [Remember Me], TLS (24 September 1976): 1199.
Glendinning, Victoria, ‘Novel of Scrambled Egos, Women, Ideas, and Oracles’ [Darcy’s Utopia], The Times (20 September 1990): 20.
Gerrard, Nicci, ‘The Fay Weldon Academy of Laughter’, Women’s Review 9 (July 1986): 10–11.
Gerrard, Nicci, ‘Fay Weldon: The Heart of the Country’, Women’s Review 17 (March 1987): 36–7.
Guest, Harriet, ‘Laundry’ [The Rules of Life and The Hearts and Lives of Men], London Review of Books (10 December 1987): 14–16.
Hislop, Ian, ‘Writing about Novels’ [Letters to Alice], Books and Bookmen (June 1984): 16–17.
Hollinghurst, Alan, ‘Post-War’ [Puffball], New Statesman (15 February 1980): 251–2.
Houston, Robert, ‘Her Sisters, Herself’ [The Cloning of Joanna May], The New York Times Book Review (25 March 1990): 7.
Ingoldby, Grace, ‘Dear Heart’ [The Heart of the Country], New Statesman (6 February 1987): 27–8.
Jones, D. A. N, ‘Warnings for Women’ [Female Friends], TLS (28 February 1975): 213.
Jones, Lewis, ‘Airport’ [The President’s Child], New Statsman (24 September 1982): 30.
Kakutani, Michiko, ‘In Fay Weldon’s New Novel, The Devil Is a Man’ [The Cloning of foanna May], The New York Times (16 March 1990): C34.
Kemp, Peter, ‘Go to Work on an Ovum’ [Puffball], The Listener (21 February 1980): 254–5.
Kemp, Peter, ‘Packaging from the Pulpit’ [Watching Me, Watching You], TLS (22 May 1981): 562.
Kenyon, Olga, ‘Fay Weldon’, in Women Novelists Today, ed. by Kenyon(Brighton: Harvester, 1988): 104–28.
King, Francis, ‘Obstetricks’ [Puffball], The Spectator (1 March 1980): 22.
Kitchen, Paddy, ‘Conjuror’s Trick’ [Letters to Alice], The Times Educational Supplement (11 May 1984): 27.
Krouse, Agate Nesaule, ‘Feminism and Art in Fay Weldon’s Novels’, Critique: Studies in Modern Fiction, 22, no. 2 (1978): 5–20.
Lasdun, James, ‘Pig Stys’ [Watching Me, Watching You], The Spectator (11 July 1981): 22.
Lipson, Eden Ross, ‘The Life and Loves of Fay Weldon’, Lear’s (January 1990): 112–15.
Maddocks, Melvin, ‘Mothers and Masochists’ [Down Among the Women], Time (26 February 1973): 91.
Motion, Joanna, ‘Letters to Alice: On First Reading fane Austen — Fay Weldon’, TLS (6 July 1984): 763.
Naughton, John, ‘Family Lives’ [Watching Me, Watching You], The Listener (28 May 1981): 717.
Prose, Francine, ‘The Future Imperfecf [Darcy’s Utopia], The Washington Post Book World (10 March 1991): 1–2.
Rafferty, Terence, ‘Books: She-Devil’ [The Hearts and Lives of Men] The New Yorker (1 August 1988): 66–8.
Rich, Frank, ‘Fay Weldon Offers “After the Prize”’ [‘After the Prize’], The New York Times (24 November 1981): 22.
Rinzler, Carol E., ‘Hell Hath No Fury’ [The Life and Loves of a She-Devil], Washington Post Book World (30 September 1984): 1–2.
Sage, Lorna, ‘Aunt Fay’s Sermons’ [Letters to Alice], The Observer (13 May 1984): 23.
Sage, Lorna, ‘Soul Sisters’ [The Cloning of Joanna May], Observer (7 May 1989): 32.
Shrimpton, Nicholas, ‘Bond at 70’ [Watching Me, Watching You], New Statesman (22 May 1981): 21.
Simon, John, ‘Soldiers and Sisters’ [After the Prize’], The New York Times Magazine (7 December 1981): 159; 162.
Smith, Joan, ‘The Four of Us’ [The Cloning of Joanna May], Guardian (5 May 1989): 29.
Sternhell, Carol, ‘Fay Weldon’s Dangerous Dreams’ [The President’s Child], The Village Voice (19 July 1983): 34.
Walker, J. K. L., ‘Sinners against Women, Nation and Nature’ [The Heart of the Country], TLS (13 February 1987): 164.
Ward, Robert, ‘Never Ready for Love’ [Polaris and Other Stories], The New York Times Book Review (4 June 1989): 1.
Waugh, Harriet, ‘Unbelievable’ [The President’s Child], The Spectator (2 October 1982): 24–5.
Waugh, Patricia, ‘Fay Weldon: Contemporary Feminist Gothic’, in Feminine Fictions: Revisiting the Postmodern by Waugh (London: Routledge, 1989): 189–96.
White, Diane, ‘“I Write the Books I Want to Read”: Fay Weldon Speaks from the Heart’, The Boston Globe (30 March 1988): 67+.
Wilde, Alan, ‘Bold, But Not Too Bold: Fay Weldon and the Limits of Poststructuralist Criticism’, Contemporary Literature 29, 3 (Fall, 1988): 403–19.
Wright, Sarah, ‘Nice and Grown-up’ [The Cloning of Joanna May], Observer (30 April 1989): 41.
Zeman, Anthea, ‘Fay Weldon’, in Presumptuous Girls: Women and Their World in the Serious Woman’s Novel (London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 1977): 64–5.
Interviews
Brown, Craig, ‘Fay Weldon’, Vogue (January 1989): 182+.
Dunn, Elisabeth, ‘Among the Women’, Sunday Telegraph Magazine (16 December 1979): 55; 58; 61; 64.
Haffenden, John, ‘Fay Weldon’, in Novelists in Interview, ed. John Haffenden (London and New York: Methuen, 1985): 305–20.
Heilpern, John, ‘Facts of Female Life’, Observer Magazine (18 February 1979): 36–7.
Kenyon, Olga, ‘Fay Weldon’, Women Writers Talk, ed. Olga Kenyon (New York: Carroll and Graf, 1990): 189–207.
Neustatter, Angela, ‘Earth Mother Truths’, Guardian (20 February 1979): 24.
Peters, Pauline, ‘The Fay Behind the Puffball’, London Sunday Times (17 February 1980): 36.
Purvis, Libby, ‘The Case for Utopia Unlimited’, London Times (17 September 1990): 18.
Steinberg, S., ‘PW Interviews: Fay Weldon’, Publishers Weekly (24 August 1984): 83–4.
Turner, Jenny, ‘Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say’, The Listener (20 September 1990): 24.
Miscellaneous
Contemporary Authors, New Revision, Volume 16.
Contemporary Literary Criticism, Volumes 6, 9,11,19, 36.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 1993 Robert E. Hosmer Jr.
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Newman, J. (1993). ‘See Me As Sisyphus, But Having A Good Time’: the Fiction of Fay Weldon. In: Hosmer, R.E. (eds) Contemporary British Women Writers. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-22565-1_10
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