Editors Reads Verdict
Spare and beautiful — Wilder's most lyrical novel, set in a pre-Christian world that is already reaching toward something. The prose has the quality of a late Greek epigram.
What We Loved
- Extraordinarily beautiful prose
- The classical setting is handled with deep knowledge
- Short and perfectly formed
Minor Drawbacks
- Very spare — readers wanting plot will be frustrated
- The pre-Christian theological argument may not resonate with everyone
Key Takeaways
- → Pre-Christian wisdom as a form of grace
- → The longing for something beyond what the world offers
- → The beauty of a dying way of life
| Author | Thornton Wilder |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Harper Perennial |
| Pages | 160 |
| Published | January 1, 1930 |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Best For | Readers of classical literature or those who appreciate spare, lyrical literary fiction |
On a small Greek island in the centuries before Christ, a courtesan named Chrysis has gathered around her a circle of young men who come not only for the obvious reasons but for her philosophical company — her wisdom, her conversation, her way of illuminating the world. Among them is Pamphilus, a young man who loves her with a feeling that is more than desire.
The Woman of Andros is Wilder’s most lyrical novel — spare, classical, and written with a prose that seems to have been carved rather than composed. The setting is the pre-Christian world, but the novel is filled with a longing for something beyond what that world can offer: a sense that the human heart requires something the Greek gods and the Greek philosophers have not yet provided.
Wilder is interested in the threshold between one world and another — the moment before Christ arrives and changes everything. The world of Chrysis is beautiful and full of wisdom, and it is already, in some inarticulate way, reaching toward its own transformation. At 160 pages, The Woman of Andros achieves something close to perfection within its self-imposed limits, and it remains one of the finest short novels in 20th-century American fiction.
Reading Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "The Woman of Andros" about?
Set on a small Greek island before the birth of Christ, the novel follows a courtesan named Chrysis whose philosophical wisdom shapes all those around her, and a young man who loves her.
Who should read "The Woman of Andros"?
Readers of classical literature or those who appreciate spare, lyrical literary fiction
What are the key takeaways from "The Woman of Andros"?
Pre-Christian wisdom as a form of grace The longing for something beyond what the world offers The beauty of a dying way of life
Is "The Woman of Andros" worth reading?
Spare and beautiful — Wilder's most lyrical novel, set in a pre-Christian world that is already reaching toward something. The prose has the quality of a late Greek epigram.
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