1
of
1
The Getting of Wisdom
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 1,662 ratings, 164 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$1799
Unit price
/
Unavailable
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
The Getting of Wisdom
$1799
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Latest News
New Releases to add to your TBR (10th November)
Lizzy is here with her weekly wrap up of all the new books that have...
Find Their Perfect Match: Board Games for Every Personality
Not sure what board game to gift this Christmas? We've put together a gift guide...
Kane Williamson visits Book Hero
Calling all cricket fans! We were so excited to have one of Aotearoa's greatest cricketers,...
The Book Briefing 10/11/2026
Welcome back to another edition of 'The Book Briefing', your weekly round-up of all the...
Which Cookbook Would You Give Them?
Looking to buy a cookbook for someone? We've got you covered!
See moreThe classic Australian novel of school days, a compelling and frank account of a young girl's coming of age.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
One of the most memorable characters in Australian fiction, Laura Rambotham, aged twelve, enters the portals of an exclusive girls' school eager to be accepted. But this precocious country girl is snubbed and ridiculed by her fellow students, who are richer, more attractive and more adept at dealing with life's hypocrisies.
The Getting of Wisdom, a wicked and satirical novel on the pain and confusion of growing up, first appeared in 1910. A century later it has lost none of its bite.
In her splendid introduction, Germaine Greer describes this classic as 'Richardson's only great book precisely because the subject is, like the rest of us, ordinary, and therefore deeply important'.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson is praised as a captivating coming-of-age story that gracefully intertwines charm and emotional depth.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781922079404
Publisher: Text Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 22 August 2012
Country: Australia
Imprint: Text Classics
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 203g
Pages: 262
About the Author
Ethel Florence Lindesay Richardson was sent to board at the Presbyterian Ladies College in 1883 - an experience that provided material for her novel The Getting of Wisdom. She published her first novel, Maurice Guest, in 1908. She took the pen name of Henry Handel Richardson and used it for all of her books. Richardson made her only journey back to Australia in 1912 to complete her research for the trilogy that would become The Fortunes of Richard Mahony. Her final novel The Young Cosima appeared in 1939. Henry Handel Richardson died in Sussex in 1946.
Also by Henry Handel Richardson
View all-
Myself When Young: Text Classics
The unfinished autobiography of one of the great Australian novelists—Henry Handel Richardson, the pen name of Ethel F. Lindesay Robertson. From the author of The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney and The Getting of Wisdom, comes this lively and revealing self-portrait of the artist as a young woman. It has never been my way to say much about my private life....Paperback$1700Elsewhere:$1799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Fortunes of Richard Mahony
"He had never got within measurable distance of what he called life, at all...deep down in him, he knew, was an enormous residue of vitality...It was like a buried treasure, jealously kept for the event of his one day catching up with life: not the bare scramble for a living that here went by that name, but Life with a...Paperback$1799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Maurice Guest
An autobiographical novel set in the musical culture of 1890s Leipzig, where Richardson was a student from 1889 to 1892. An international cast of music students perform, debate, love, and drink in an intense and self-possessed world in Leipzig. This forms the context to Maurice's consuming obsession for the elusive Louise Dufrayer, an Australian femme fatale. Maurice Guest immerses readers...Paperback$4799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Getting of Wisdom: Popular Penguins
The Getting of Wisdom is the coming-of-age story of a spontaneous heroine who finds herself ensconced in the rigidity of a turn-of-the-century boarding school. The clever and highly imaginative Laura has difficulty fitting in with her wealthy classmates and begins to compromise her ideals in her search for popularity and acceptance.PaperbackSold Out
Browse lists from our team
-
Book Hero list
General Fiction
Popular Book Film & TV Tie-Ins
From page to screen, these are the books everyone is talking about! With some of the hottest film and TV adaptations hitting...
View the list -
Lizzy's list
General Fiction
Books about Cults
This collection spans the thrillers about cults, the non-fiction exposes and fascinating explorations, the memoirs and the weird-lit books about wellness culture...
View the list -
Lizzy's list
General Fiction
Novels about Sisterhood
Sisterhood is a theme across many of my favourite novels, and it was fun to think about the books that highlight sisterhood...
View the list -
Lizzy's list
General Fiction
Fiction about Fathers
Here are some incredible stories that explore various angles of fatherhood and father figures in the most poignant and wonderful ways. Featuring...
View the list -
Lizzy's list
General Fiction
What to read now you've watched The Odyssey
Contemporary fiction, classical non-fiction, feminist retellings, and inspired stories that would make for an interesting read now that you're obsessed with The...
View the list -
Book Hero list
General Fiction
Barack Obama's Summer Reading List
One of the most anticipated reading lists of the year is here! Barack Obama has announced his 2026 summer reading list, featuring...
View the list -
Kevin's list
General Fiction
The Odyssey & Trojan War Classics (and Retellings)
Long before Christopher Nolan turned it into a blockbuster in the summer of 2026, The Odyssey was the original epic. After a...
View the list -
Lizzy's list
General Fiction
Have You Tried ... Healing Fiction
Healing Fiction is a relatively new genre still finding it's place, and yet people are reaching for it without realizing, desperate for...
View the list -
Lizzy's list
General Fiction
Lizzy's Favourite Picks for Winter Reading
These are the books that Lizzy loves to read in Winter, or that feel like Winter. A combination of fiction, some non-fiction,...
View the list -
Shirl's list
General Fiction
Shirl's Favourite Books of 2026
The first half of 2026 has been packed with brilliant books, making it hard to choose favourites but here are a few...
View the list -
Lizzy's list
General Fiction
Books to Escape a Reading Slump
A reading slump can be a frustrating feeling and hard to break out of, but we've gathered together a list of crowd...
View the list -
Lizzy's list
General Fiction
Lizzy's Pride Fiction Picks!
June marks Global Pride Month so in case you're looking for your next great fiction read, here's a list of some of...
View the list
More from General Fiction
View all-
Yesteryear
A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE — Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE — Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE — Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS — Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale — Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$3699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Theo of Golden
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$3499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Wedding People
'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseA Court of Splintered Harmony
Romance, danger, and intrigue await you in the breathtaking sixth book in the #1 bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series.What was broken will be remade.Deep in the heart of the continent, Koschei the Deathless is stirring. Though he's been bound to a mountain lake for millennia, the insidious threat of his return now spreads across the Fae territories,...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
10% offNew ReleaseThreshing Day
The next book in the blockbuster Empyrean series, Threshing Day contains thirteen stories starring your favorite characters and their dragons. The deluxe first edition includes sixteen beautiful original full-color illustrations by artist Joe Requeza. Rebecca Yarros is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over twenty novels, including Fourth Wing and In the...Hardback$6300Usually:$6999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Throne of Glass Box Set (Paperback)
Enter the realm. Unleash the darkness. Live the legend. Discover the worldwide phenomenon of the #1 New York Times-bestselling Throne of Glass series in this gorgeous 8-book box set! In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not...Set$12400Elsewhere:$15500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
11% offAssassin’s Apprentice
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb marks the beginning of an extraordinary adventure in the rich and immersive world of the Six Duchies. Set against the backdrop of a kingdom teetering on the brink of civil war, this gripping tale introduces readers to FitzChivalry Farseer, a royal bastard whose existence threatens the stability of the crown. When the crown prince's secret...Paperback$1700Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
20% offA Court of Thorns and Roses Paperback Box Set (5 books)
All five of the Court of Thorns and Roses paperbacks packaged together in a gorgeous box set. "Passionate, violent, sexy and daring." —USA TODAY on A Court of Thorns and Roses Feyre is a huntress. The skin of a wolf would bring enough gold to feed her sisters for a month. But the life of a magical creature comes at...Set$8000Elsewhere:$12495Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
John of John
The stunning new novel from the Booker Prize-winning, Sunday Times-bestselling author of Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo.'John of John has the emotional range and sense of sympathy of his earlier books, but this book is special, it has an urgency, an immediacy, a brilliant sense of place, the drama of fierce emotion repressed, concealed and volcanically exposed' - Colm Tóibín'To read John of John is to move to...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
14% offA Court of Wings and Ruin
The third instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. In A Court of Wings and Ruin, the gripping third book of the ACOTAR series, Feyre Archeron faces the ultimate battle for her world. Having returned to the Spring Court, she is determined to gather...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Things We Never Say
Internationally bestselling and prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout's new novel tells the story of a chance incident in a man's life—a poignant meditation on loneliness, friendship, and free will in a capsizing world. Artie Dam is a man with a secret. He spends his days teaching history to high schoolers, expanding their young minds, correcting their casual cruelties, and lending a...Hardback$2800Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
14% off
A Court of Mist and Fury
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas continues Feyre Archeron's epic journey in the world of the High Fae. Having survived the brutal trials under the Mountain, Feyre returns to the Spring Court. Though she now possesses the immortal powers of the High Fae, the traumatic experiences have left scars on her human heart. Haunted by the...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 190,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.