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Title: Shirley (Penguin English Library) by Charlotte Bronte, Judith Hook, Andrew Hook ISBN: 0-14-043095-4 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: July, 1974 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.42 (12 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Most poignant of the Bronte sisters' books
Comment: Despite Charlotte Bronte's disclaimer that the reader will find this book "a dinner of bitter herbs" it is nonetheless a must-read classic of 19th century litterature. Many themes combine in this book; the expansion of industrialism and the dissapearance of the English countryside; the place of women in society; feminine loyalty and friendship; the conflicts of love and work, evangelism and tradition. It is perhaps the most uneven and at the same time the most interesting of the Bronte books.
While it lacks the symmetrically designed shape of Jane Eyre or the clear-eyed study of obsession of Villette, it lets the imaginative reader glimpse the Bronte sisters themselves between the lines. The characters of Shirley and Caroline are based on Emily and Anne Bronte, both of whose deaths occurred during the writing of the novel. It is a tribute to sisterly love and a fantasy that lashes back at grief. Some may find the ending a romantic cop-out, but this cannot detract from the many good qualities of this fascinating novel
Rating: 5
Summary: Don't be put off by the first chapters
Comment: While I loved this book, there were some things I didn't like, but none that mean it doesn't deserve five stars. This is my favourite Charlotte Bronte book. i believe there is too much focus on Jane Eyre, or perhaps even Villette. There are a few coincidences in this story, especially one, which I can't mention without giving away part of the story. However these are common in CB, Villette being overun with them, and Jane Eyre ending up on the doorstep of her long lost cousins. Shirley is more believable. Another comment it the long speeches the characters often make. Apart from these though, this is one of my most loved books. It has been neglected, I feel, by the fact that the first 50 pages are very difficult to read, after that though, the story becomes apparent, and it's worth it. Something strange is that the heroine of the title doesn't appear, and is not mentioned until page 200, although she fairly dominates the rest of the book. Perhaps 'Shirley and Caroline' would have been a more appropriate title
Rating: 4
Summary: A Delightful Read
Comment: The reason for the four stars is that I think it is not as good as Charlotte Bronte's best, the incomparable Jane Eyre. But it is, compared with most novels of today, very good indeed. The character of Shirley is wonderful. It is clear that Caroline is the protagonist, and that she is based on Charlotte herself and is therefore given the lion's share of attention. I consider this one of the book's few faults. The character of Robert Moore is beautifully drawn and I disagree with the editors that Louis is not. Although the device of the diary is a bit clumsy, the dialogue between Louis and Shirley is enthralling. Highly recommended.
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Title: Villette by A.S. Byatt, Ignes Sodre, Charlotte Bronte ISBN: 037575850X Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 09 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
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Title: The Professor (Penguin Classics) by Charlotte Bronte, Heather Glen ISBN: 0140433112 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: June, 1989 List Price(USD): $8.95 |
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Title: Agnes Grey (Oxford World's Classics) by Anne Bronte, Hilda Marsden, Robert Inglesfield ISBN: 0192834789 Publisher: Oxford Press Pub. Date: June, 1998 List Price(USD): $8.95 |
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Title: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Oxford World's Classics) by Anne Bronte, Herbert Rosengarten, Smith Margaret ISBN: 0192834622 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: June, 1998 List Price(USD): $6.95 |
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Title: The Green Dwarf by Charlotte Bronte, Libby Purves ISBN: 1843910489 Publisher: Hesperus Press Pub. Date: September, 2003 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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