The Blazing World and Other Writings by Margaret Cavendish
Description:
“Flamboyant, theatrical and ambitious, Margaret Cavendish was one of the seventeenth century’s most striking figures: a woman who ventured into the male spheres of politics, science, philosophy and literature. The Blazing World is a highly original work: part Utopian fiction, part feminist text, it tells of a lady shipwrecked on the Blazing World where she is made Empress and uses her power to ensure that it is free of war, religious division and unfair sexual discrimination. This volume also includes The Contract, a romance in which love and law work harmoniously together, and Assaulted and Pursued Chastity, which explores the power and freedom a woman can achieve in the disguise of a man.
In her introduction, Kate Lilley places these writings in the context of Cavendish’s extraordinary life and discusses the roles of women in these texts. This updated edition includes a chronology, revised notes and a new bibliography.”
My review:
I am giving this book a rating of 3 out of 5.
The introduction and chronology included in the edition of The Blazing World and Other Writings I bought turned out to be extremely helpful, since it provided a foundation that improved my understanding of the context of this book. However, it’s clear that Margaret Cavendish was a woman ahead of her time, since these stories cover an array of subjects that – from my understanding – were not widely discussed in the seventeenth century, such as cross-dressing and the questioning of traditional gender roles.
Another aspect of Margaret Cavendish’s background I found fascinating was that the author lacked a formal education, yet she chose to use fantastical grammar in defiance of accepted writing practices of the time.
Here’s a quote from p.xxxiv: “[…] as for the grammar part, I confess I am no scholar, and therefore understand it not, but that little I have heard of it, is enough for me to renounce it.”
While the writing style was challenging to access at times, the insight this book offered into life in the 1660s was fascinating! In addition to this, some of the language used was so colourful that I can imagine readers of the time being enchanted by the settings and scenes it painted of a utopian world.
Here’s a quote from p.132: “The first part of the palace was, as the imperial city, all of gold, and when it came to the Emperor’s apartment, it was so rich with diamonds, pearls, rubies, and the like […].”
I also found many of the concepts to be almost scientific in their execution, despite their fantastical nature – such as the various types of humanoid creatures encountered in The Blazing World – so I can see why Margaret Cavendish is often considered one of the first sci-fi writers. But, my rating can’t just be based on readability alone (which would lessen it somewhat!), and has to reflect Cavendish’s clever framing of her fantastical creations – through which she invites everyone to find joy and freedom in the endless possibilities of their own imagination.
Here’s a quote from p.xxviii: “[…] if they cannot endure to be subjects, they may create worlds of their own, and govern themselves as they please.”
All in all, this is an inspirational book, despite it being difficult to read in places. If you’re wanting to explore the fantastical world of a female writer publishing at a time when women often didn’t have a voice, then I highly recommend reading The Blazing World and Other Writings by Margaret Cavendish.
Read in: December 2025 – January 2026
Format: Paperback
I’m including the date and format in which I experienced this story for transparency, since whatever is going on in the world (and a reader’s private life) at the time of reading, along with a book’s reading format, can impact an individual’s enjoyment of a story.
Disclaimer: I purchased this book. All opinions expressed in this review are mine and have not been influenced by the author or publisher in any way. This book review does not contain affiliate links.