Book Review – THE BLUESTOCKINGS by Susannah Gibson

Susannah Gibson, The Bluestockings: A History of the First Women’s Movement. W.W. Norton & Company, 2024. 338 pp. 978-1324106999.

Reviewed by Tina M. Kibbe, Lamar University

Elizabeth Montagu’s salons began with an elaborate breakfast, the “long table, draped in the finest white linen, heaved with endless cups of gold, silver and delicate porcelain, each filled with exotic treats from faraway lands” (10). It was here that Montagu hosted a variety of guests, including writers, artists, and philosophers, at her magnificent London home, with the hope of fostering intellectual discourse to rival the salons of Paris. In The Bluestockings: A History of the First Women’s Movement, Susannah Gibson explores the emergence of women’s salons in 18th-century London, mainly through the life of Montagu, who hosted gatherings that became pivotal in the early women’s liberation movement. Montagu’s salons challenged societal norms that confined women to domestic roles. Despite barriers such as limited education and societal disdain for educated women, figures like Montagu and her contemporaries fostered a space for women to assert their intellectual capabilities.

The Bluestockings provides a compelling account of how a vibrant group of 18th-century women and their allies used the salon as a crucible for reshaping both intellectual life and societal norms. Centering on the formidable Montagu and her contemporaries, such as Hester Thrale Piozzi and Frances Burney, the book’s main argument is that these salons were not mere social amusements but pioneering institutions that catalyzed women’s intellectual empowerment, challenged deeply ingrained gender roles, and laid the groundwork for later feminist advances. Gibson contends that Montagu’s Bluestocking salons were transformative in the history of women’s rights; not through overt rebellion, but through the quiet, persistent creation of spaces in which women’s intellect could flourish alongside men’s. As Gibson notes, “They were the only place where women and men could converse on intellectual topics as equals” (4). In an era when society dictated that women remain within the narrow confines of domesticity and subservience, the salons offered a radically different vision: intellectual achievement, lively discourse, and a reimagining of female possibility. 

The book details how Montagu’s salons uniquely allowed women and men to converse as equals on topics like literature, history, philosophy, art, and science, which were activities conventionally seen as the preserve of men. Seats of honor were awarded for “wit, wisdom or learning” rather than social status or gender, which was virtually unheard of elsewhere in polite society (2). One supporting theme in The Bluestockings is the celebration and nurturing of women’s talents: Montagu reveled in giving “pride of place” to accomplished women such as Elizabeth Carter, Hester Mulso Chapone, and Hannah More, whose learning, wit, and argumentation were valued and admired (2). The salons thus functioned as an informal university and a launching pad for women whose abilities were otherwise stifled or mocked by the dominant culture. In addition, Gibson highlights the importance of the Bluestocking friendships that were “crucial to their success,” noting that while relationships with men “demanded a woman’s time, a woman’s duty, a woman’s obedience,” friendships with women “gave inspiration, comfort, support and joy” (221). 

Gibson shows that, given the severe reputational risks facing intelligent, outspoken women, Montagu was acutely aware of the need for respectability. She carefully curated her gatherings to avoid any suspicion of impropriety by serving tea instead of alcohol, eschewing gambling, and refocusing discussion on literature rather than contentious political topics. These safeguards, argues Gibson, allowed Bluestockings to push boundaries without risking social exile. The salons fostered a unique female sorority and camaraderie, mitigating the customary isolation of intellectual women. The book demonstrates how, within this sphere, the “learned lady,” so often a target of derision, became not only acceptable but aspirational. Montagu’s house is repeatedly described as the heart of an intellectual community, with the Bluestockings “forming a very numerous, powerful, compact phalanx, in the midst of London” (49, 15). Her contemporaries described Montagu herself as “the finest genius and finest lady” and as “brilliant as diamonds, solid in judgement, critical in talk” (27).  

The Bluestockings is a highly readable study of how a handful of determined women reshaped their world. Gibson demonstrates that effective change can sometimes occur through persistence, negotiation, and the gradual establishment of new norms, rather than open insurrection. Throughout the book, the author blends social history, biography, and literary analysis. Vivid descriptions of the spectacular homes and gatherings immerse the reader in both the physical space and the emotional tenor of the salons. By shining a light on Elizabeth Montagu and her circle, the book makes a persuasive case for remembering and learning from the generations of women who laid the groundwork for future progress by daring to imagine and inhabit a bigger life. The Bluestockings is an excellent read for both college students and general audiences.