I have read The Vindication for the Rights of Woman several times, and though as a modern feminist I cannot agree with all Wollstonecraft says, I always feel very strongly when reading it, and am convinced of Wollstonecraft's daring, intelligence and strength. Reading this collection of letters was, therefore, something of a disappointment.

As I described it to a friend, Mary Wollstonecraft suddenly turns out to be a sort of proto-Lady Catherine de Bourgh, commenting on everything, giving her opinion on everything (sometimes informed, sometimes not so much), and most of all strongly criticising all those around her. She still displays her intelligence when it comes to political matters and general reflections on matters of state both in the countries she visits and in England. These musings are interpolated with musings of the romantic kind, writing about the many majestic sights of Scandinavia, explaining what effects these have on her personally, praising the sublimity of the landscapes. What makes her a somewhat annoying narrator are the constant comments on the inhabitatns of Scandinivia, constantly comparing them to other Europeans and, of course, unfavourably setting them off against the English. She is positively unkind concerning these people, who host her and wish to show her their country, which is very disappointing.

Letters was Wollstonecraft's most popular text during her lifetime, and it certainly has interesting moments, nuggets of information that are exhilarating or thought-provoking. It does a fairly good job, I imagine, of sketching the political situation in the different countries and cleverly links certain outlandish practises to English customs, forcing the reader to re-evaluate their own opinions. It is a pity Wollstonecraft barely ever stops to do exactly that herself.